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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

sleeping positions - bit worried

16 replies

candr · 10/04/2011 19:20

Hi, have recently been reading and talking to people about sleeping positions am 16w and a few people have said it is really bad for baby if i sleep on my right side or my back. I sleep on my left for a bit but then feel the need to move and am now lying there paranoid that being on my back is bad but get stiff neck if i stay in one position. Have got a sleeping pillow and tried pillows down back to stop rolling but am now swamped by pillows and still not sleeping - am I nuts or does it matter how i sleep?

OP posts:

Zimbah · 10/04/2011 19:28

I asked my midwife in first pregnancy and she said it doesn't really matter, if anything is wrong you would feel uncomfortable and move. I'm 34 weeks, usually sleep on my left as it's more comfy due to how the baby's lieing, but I do sleep on my right for part of the night. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes it does just feel 'wrong' somehow and I swap sides. So I wouldn't worry about it

G1nger · 10/04/2011 19:29

The physiotherapist at the hospital advised us preggers women that we should prepare to sleep on our left sides after 22 weeks. It's to do with our blood flow. Position one pillow under/ to support the belly, another between the knees, and one or more under the head.

Rosduk · 10/04/2011 19:31

It's my understanding that the left side is best but it's impossible to stay on one side all the time. The NCT classes said you shouldn't really sleep on your back after about 25weeks or whenever your bump feels like it adds pressure on your insides. I'm 36w now and there is no way I can sleep on my back as it physically hurts so I think you will know when the time comes to stop. At 16w I was definately on my back some of the time it's inevitable! I tend to chop and change between right and left side now x

moodymoo · 10/04/2011 19:32

I asked the midwife and the consultant about this and they both told me that the best position to sleep in is the one that is most comfortable for me. It is more important to get a good nights sleep. Wish I had asked this question in my 1st pregnancy because I spent the whole time doing exactly what you are doing now, it drove me nuts, hence why I asked this time round. Now that im 38 weeks pg I find I can't actually move anywhere without a crane to hoist me :)

LovelyJudy · 10/04/2011 19:34

Once the bumps were bigger i found that if i slept on my back i would feel faint/sick so eventually i'd have to move anyway. it's to do with the baby pressing on some massive artery inside you. i remember waiting ages for a scan once with a novice scanner, and lying there crying and feeling so sick, and when the proper lady came in she gave me one look and said YOU POOR THING! get her some water, don't make a pregnant woman lie flat on her back for long, we're so sorry....

anyway, you'd know if what you were doing was bad.

pantaloons · 10/04/2011 19:35

Crikey, I've had 3 dc's and this is the first time I've heard about not lying on your right hand side! I used to wake up on my back in early pregnancy in a huge panic, but as others have said, once you get to a certain size it's just not an option, so not an issue.

MummyAbroad · 10/04/2011 19:37

There is an advantage to sleeping on your left (blood flows more easily to your heart) but that doesnt mean that sleeping on your right side is bad or dangerous. Sleeping on your back can be bad for you in late pregnancy, something to do with baby squashing an important vein - I hope someone with a better memory than me will be along soon to clarify - but if you feel fine doing it now then I wouldnt worry.

I would trust your instinct and listen to your body. You are the best judge of what is comfortable and safe for you. I found sleeping positions changed a lot during the course of pregnancy, your body will let you know when one position is no longer OK.

Original poster

candr · 10/04/2011 19:42

Thank you guys, that has put my mind at rest so maybe I will get some sleep tonight and will take your advice about doing what is comfey - now all I need is for DH to stop snoring for a proper nights rest - I keep poking him in the face until he moves his head but that is temporary respite and for restless leg and cramp to not be an issue - hope by changing sleep positions this will ease too, cheers x

OP posts:

JBrd · 11/04/2011 11:22

Sleep in whatever position you feel comfortable in! Agree with the above posts - a good night's sleep is more important than the position!

jasmine51 · 11/04/2011 11:46

You will know when its time to 'pick a position'. Its the inferior vena cava that gets squashed if you sleep on your back, the vein returning blood from your lower body...if that happens you will be so uncomfy you will naturally move. I am 31 wks and regularly roll on my back in my sleep...always wakes me up because of the heart pounding and dead arms. I am also finding that although it is comfy being on my right hand side, eventually I get head throbs that wake me up. If I'm on my left I tend to roll towards my front and bump wakes me up fidgetting, no doubt getting squashed. That just about leaves me with no options...and broken sleep which is about normal for most people I think.
Sleep however you can, while you can and dont get stressed about what is 'right'...your body will tell you

glitternanny · 11/04/2011 11:47

Im only 8 weeks but a proper tummy sleeper, I'm always my front which I'm trying not to do! Am sleeping on my sides but it's making my shoulders really hurt! :(

jasmine51 · 11/04/2011 14:20

glitter while its still possible, sleep on your tummy as much as you want, it wont hurt your bean at such an early stage. Once you start to get a bump you will find its uncomfortable anyway and will find other positions...dont torture yourself, make the most of it!

camdancer · 11/04/2011 14:38

glitter I am also a tummy sleeper and I found it very difficult to sleep any other way. I think I was still sleeping on my tummy at about 20ish weeks without feeling uncomfortable - and my midwife said it was completely fine for the very well cusioned baby.

Since then, I have a v-shaped pillow and position it so that although I'm really sleeping on my side, most of my body is still cusioned with my bump in the middle of the v. It feels to me like I'm on my tummy, but really I'm on my side. It's taken 3 pregnancies to get it right though!

IhateSunday · 11/04/2011 15:51

ahh so thats why I've been waking up with my heart pounding now and again!!! Thought there was something wrong!! I sleep anyway I can get comfy (30 weeks), usually on on of my sides, with a leg up, tileted towards my tummy, as far as I can before baby boots me to tell me to get over!!

MummyAbroad · 11/04/2011 16:06

glitternanny · 11/04/2011 16:24

Really!! Cool! Looking forward to bedtime now!
That pillow sounds fab too!!

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