How bad is it to sleep on my back?

[jenga079]

I know I'm supposed to sleep on my side, but I must be rolling over in the night as I keep waking up on my back. I'm 15+5 and have only got a tiny bump at the moment. How bad is this? Is it only a problem once the bump is bigger and heavier or should I be worried now?

My DP has suggested attaching a golf ball to my back to stop me lying on it (not quite sure how he'd manage this!!)

[Mahraih]

Your DP is very imaginative!

If he finds a way, let me know, as I have the same problem. I'm now 40+4 and always roll over onto my back while sleeping.

I don't think it's made any difference: baby is absolutely strapping and has a good amount of amniotic fluid (apparently a sign he's getting enough blood and oxygen, according to midwife) so I've just let it continue.

Someone else may have a more scientific answer, but anecdotally, it's been fine :)

[kikibo]

As far as I know, sleeping positions are the same, your life through. They have even been linked to character and psychological change or not. Back sleepers should be people who feel in control of their life.

So we have a position we start off in (the one we think we are) and one we move to once we are asleep (the one we really are). That is the one we usually wake up in.

Based on that, I don't think you could actually consciously change your position you move to, unless it is hindered (like prone sleepers with a bump ).

You could of course do the golf ball thing, but if you want to roll over to your other side because it gets painful always on the same side, then you'll also wake up, won't you.

[emmah194]

I was told by my yoga teacher that its not really a problem to lie on your back until 25-30 weeks depending on how you are feeling. I'm niw 27+6 and still end up on my back for part of the night so was advised to prop my right hand side up on a pillow to relieve and pressure there might be on blood vessels etc.

[Darlingdamsel]

I am entirely a back or tummy sleeper (now what does that say about my character. Smile).

I am so freaked out about this little bit of advice, the prospect of hurting my baby or passing out that I am now totally anxious at bedtime.

My trick to calm myself, but also prevent me from landing in the dreaded position is to crater two pillows on both sides of me so I literally cannot move.

Works ok ... and each time I land on my back I now seem to have a button to wake up and changes positions/adjust pillows.

I now I am getting unduly paranoid about this.

[jasmine51]

As I understand it, sleeping on your back can compress your inferior vena cava which returns blood to the heart from the lower part of the body. This would make you breathless and faint. Its only really an issue once bump gets very heavy, not as early as 15wks.
Copious use of pillows front and back generally stops too much rolling forwards and backwards...but bloody annoys the OHs when they cant find a square inch left in the bed!

[sh77]

I am 34 weeks. I asked my consultant about back sleeping and he said before 26 weeks, it wasn't really a problem.
kiki - v interesting response.

In first preg, I was induced and was strapped to a heart monitor for hours. There were two episodes where baby's heart rate dropped enough for the alarm to go off. I was lying on back at the time and was told to lie on left side - HR picked up. I am not saying that happens to every baby but it was enough for me to make a v concious effort not to sleep on back even though I find it v comfy.

[IndigoOrchid]

I couldn't find any evidence-based info on this, but the "don't sleep on your back" advice has become widespread.

The advice I got was:
(1) You will move around while sleeping and may end up on your back
(2) If it's a problem for your circulation then you'll move, or wake up and move
(3) For a singleton pg, you may notice this in the third trimester (earlier for multiple pgs)
(4) Lots of people have huge beer bellies and they don't get the same advice

Also, if it is scientifically proven that back lying is definitely an issue then surely it's a bit odd that pg women are on their backs for antenatal scans, checks and labour? (Not that every health guideline is followed of course)

I'd say - if you're comfortable and wake refreshed then it's safe. At some point in the pg you may find you naturally end up sleeping on your side (I did).

[jenga079]

Thank you everyone. I'm glad I'm not the only one to have worried about it (although perhaps the only one with a bonkers golf obsessed DP!)

Will stop worrying for a few months and then surround myself with pillows when I get a bit bigger

[highheelsandequations]

What to expect when you're expecting states that although you should try and sleep on your side do not panic if you wake to find yourself on your back. It repeats the don't panic bit a few times, which reassured me. I'm 17+4 and soooo missing stretching out on my back to go to sleep, also keep waking on my back, currently experimenting with pillows, think we have all the pillows in the house up on our bed now!

[OmniaParatus]

I was told the same as you IndigoOrchid, by my consultant, that you will sleep on your back at some point, and if it is causing you a circulatory problem you will wake up.

I can confirm this as woke up yesterday morning on my back with massive painful cramp in my leg- it was so sore there is no way I could have slept through it! But this is my 3rd pg and it has never happened to me before.

[smurfette11]

I'm 21 weeks and cannot stop sleeping on my stomach - it isn't comfortable but I always wake up like this anyone else had this?


Also I can't feel the baby, I have terrible bloating and wind so maybe I'm just missing it, plus I hardly look pregnant at all. The scan is only at in ten days and I feel frustrated. I just want to know it is all ok

[1Catherine1]

If you're worried about sleeping on your back get yourself a big pregnancy pillow to sleep on. Mine wraps around me and only allows me to sleep in one position unless I rearrange the pillow which requires me to be awake to do.

I worried to start with too because I often sleep better on my back but since about 30 weeks I have found it impossible to sleep on my back anyway. If I ever end up on my back then I wake up quite quickly because I can't breath with the baby pushing on my lungs. I got the pillow to help me sleep on my left side because I read it was better for baby and use it every night now.

[clouiseg]

Am 26 weeks with Dc4 and bigger this time than with my other 3. I'm having the same issue as other back sleepers, in fact I woke up no less than 10 times last night due to the fact that on my left side I go NUMB if I lie too long...on my right side I go NUMB (!) if I lie too long & feel guilty for baby, and on my back I can't breathe thanks to squished lungs! I'm so active during the night I'm quite possibly burning off the calories I consume guiltily munching on my latest craving of crackers & cheese!

I'm convinced its natures way of getting me used to sleepless nights again! I can't use pillows to wedge myself in as I end up fighting with them and inevitably DH gets an accidental clout at some point during my battle!! So I resign myself to sleeping however I feel comfiest at that point in time!

Oh the joys....!

[kikibo]

IndigoOrchid:

I would also think you would move if anything was wrong. I mean, I can't imagine your body thinking, 'Oh, it's fine that my legs don't get any oxigen and die.' The same would happen if you did not get enough air from lying on your back I would imagine.

I think the pragmatic aproach is probably the right one. Your body will do the rest.

[flootshoot]

I'm 34 weeks and still sleeping mostly on my back - it's not remotely uncomfortable yet (it was during my last pregnancy, but I have a smaller bump this time). I just go with it - if it was harmful I'm assuming my body would do something about it!!

Funnily enough, during my first labour DS's HR dropped suddenly and there was quite a bit of panic going on, and it only went back up when I was on my back with legs in stirrups - so he obviusly preferred that!!

[Deliaskis]

I'm 38+3 and can't sleep on my side due to SPD, so have been advised to sleep on my back, just propped up on quite a lot of pillows. It's more like the position I am in when 'reclining' on the sofa rather than normal flat in bed. The physio and mw both said that as long as your shoulders/chest are higher than your hips, and that the weight is going down towards your bottom, then that it is absolutely fine. The only risk is if you're really flat on your back, and baby could sort of drift/fall 'upwards' towards your chest and put pressure on an important artery there. As long as you're propped up a bit so that gravity is making sure the baby is still likely to be in the 'bottom' of your uterus then it's not a problem.

D

[mloo]

I didn't find it uncomfortable until I was about 6 months, OP (26-27 weeks). I am a side sleeper by preference, but sometimes woke up on my back whilst pg, no harm done to DC (4 of them age 2-11).

When it's doing harm (impacting blood flow) you can feel that it's doing harm (you'll fee dizzy and unpleasant), so I wouldn't worry too much about it as long as you feel comfy.

[KLou111]

I'm so glad I found this thread, and some of you are worried too.

I am 13+4 and I am not sleeping very well as I keep waking up on my back and scared to go back to sleep in case it happens again. I know it's early days for me (first pregnancy so prob no bump for a while), but if I can't get used to it, I'm scared I never will.

I have been recommended to buy a DreamGenii maternity pillow, they are quite expensive (around £40), but I won a new one today on ebay for £25, so am hoping that will help.

Someone mentioned about that if it is really that bad, how come scans, labour and checks are all on your back? I asked this, and apparently it's only a problem if you are flat on your back, not slightly propped up. So if my pillow doesn't work, I may have to try sleeping propped up instead!

[Highlandgirl]

Give it a few weeks, lying flat on your back will make you feel horrid...!!!

You will be glad to round onto your left side..!

[Highlandgirl]

round...roll, I mean roll!