Sleeping on back?

[stephlw25]

I know you're not supposed to sleep on your back during pregnancy but is this just in the later stages when baby is a lot bigger?

At the minute its the only sleeping position i find comfortable!

 

[vejables]

i too have been wondering this!!! i always wake up on my back, and i have never slept on my back until now!!! ugh!

 

[Holldoll]

I would love to hear answers to this, because I always sleep on my back and I'm having a hard time breaking the habit.

 

[RachieH]

I found this for you Steph:-


There is not much research on sleeping positions and their safety during pregnancy. One thing we know is that blood flow to the placenta is best when a woman lays on her left side. This is because there is a large vein in the back on the right side of the spine which returns blood from the legs to the heart. When a woman lays on her back, the uterus can partly block this vein, which reduces blood flow to the heart, reducing blood delivery to other parts of the body. This is probably not significant until after about 16 weeks, however.

A study of pregnant women showed that women naturally will stop sleeping on their stomachs as their uterus grows.
To summarize, it appears the best position is left side, followed by right side. After 16 weeks it's best not to sleep on your back, and you probably won't sleep on your stomach.

 

[turbo_mom]

Yeah I've heard as well sleeping on your back after 16 weeks is not advisable. I still lay on my back but it's only for short periods of time. If you have a large body pillow why not wedge that underneath so you're not flat but kind of propped up on the pillow almost on your side. Thats what I do and it's pretty comfortable.
You have two main arteries running down the back. The aeorta and the vena cava. And those are huge blood supplies not only to your own body but the babies...So just try different things and see what works!!!

 

[Layla]

i find it really hard to sleep on my left hand side, i tend to sleep much deeper/nicer on my right hand side, but then i get worried in case im doing any damamge so i turn over lol

x

 

[Mango]

Hmm I'm a culprit of this as well. I prefer to sleep on my back especially with a pillow tucked under my legs near my knees. I sometimes fall asleep on my side but end up rolling over onto my back.

 

[beanie]

I read somewhere that the risk of this is a bit exagerrated, and that your body will automatcally move if there is any problem. I personally wouldn't stress too much, its tough enough getting comfy, and at times with Seren the only way I could sleep in the last months was on my back.

 

[beanie]

found it!!!!

https://parenting.ivillage.com/pregnancy/0,,midwife_4606,00.html

 

[stephlw25]

Thanks Beanie! that was really helpful, id always panic if i woke up on my back !
Think i need to get a maternity pillow! ive got a "V" shaped pillow somewhere i wonder if that would be any good.

 

[Tilly]

Sleep which ever way you feel comfy is my advice. I always sleep on my side in the foetal position anyway but whenever I laid on my back or my right hand side it would be uncomfortable, so it only felt natural for me to be on my left hand side. I always used to wake up on my back though and was fine and so was Bethanie so don't worry about it too much. By the way, im sure you won't really want to be sleeping on your back as your bump gets bigger and bigger anyway as it's uncomfortable. ;0

 

[marley2580]

I agree, go with whatever is comfortable for you, and make the most of it. I'm almost 35 wks and I am uncomfortable on my back and sides, I'm longing for the sprog to get out so I can get comfy again.

 

[MrsE]

No midwife or Dr ever told me I couldn't sleep on my back so I slept in whatever position I found most comfortable, back, right hand side or left hand side.

Cx

 

[princess2323]

for me the only position i really seem comfortable in is the right side or the back==the left seems uncomfortable.. kind of heavy