News - ref sleeping on left side to reduce stillbirth! Eek!!!!!!

[Coppernoddle]

Onmy goodness I never do this! And now I'm soooooo worried!! This is my third pregnancy so am not new to this but with tis pregnancy I have spd, my left side is agonising and most mornings end up flat on my back and have quite possible been there for several hours!!!!! Crap!!!!

I just watched that to!...I always wake up on my back!!! .

I know!! It's everywhere! The news, the papers and good morning!! And after watching baby hospital last night I'm a bit on edge today!!

I alternate between left and right side because amd back, but prefer side sleeping. I do spend a bit more time on my side because I have slightly less hearing in my left ear, so it muffles DH's snoring.

Haven't had the news on today, am off to look now, as I am worried now.

I was told early on by my midwife for both of my DSs to sleep on my left.

On This Morning, Dr Chris talked about this research, and pointed out that it isn't conclusive apparently. Although his advice was to try and sleep on your left hand side, but not to panic too much if you wake up in a different position (we all move around loads in our sleep anyway).

Due to the pain in my pelvis, I have been alternating sides, but frequently wake up on my back (my normal sleeping position of choice!) but I think I'll try and favour my left hand side from now on.

Don't worry, I don't think we need to panic too much through...

Coppernoddle - the risk is still low for all sleeping positions, just higher than if you sleep on your left, 3.93 per 1000 (0.4%), compared to 1.96 per 1000 (0.2%).

If you are in agony on your left - you really have to weigh up the risks and benefits of no sleep/ aggravated pain to the actual probability - do what you can with cushions etc - but you can't help waking up how you wake up (short of being lashed to the bed)

It's a very small scale study. I'm also sceptical about how many heavily pregnant women sleep in the same position all night. The study used position on falling asleep and position on waking as a measure. I would guess that most women shift position during the night. I move between my left and my right side, could easily be measured as only sleeping on the right some nights, due to falling asleep and waking on that side, but have actually spent more than half the night sleeping on my left. But if I assumed this one study was correct then I am more at risk anyway because I get up to go to the toilet once maximum and I like a daytime nap! What am I supposed to do about that? Set my alarm to go for a wee?!

I would strongly recommend ignoring this study completely. It is far too small and the way it was run is massively unlikely to give a reliable outcome.

Bloody newspapers making a fuss over nothing again.

Thanks everyone! Talk about a way to make expectant mothers panic even more than they do so already!! I find now that from the moment you get pregnant it's hard just to relax, do this, do that, your doing that wrong!! Aaaaaaaaa!!! I do toss from side to side quite violently knowingly doing it to, to show my DH who has nooooooo idea just how much this hurts, uncomfortable and dam right irritable! Arms legs everywhere! When I finally get into a deep sleep it starts on my side but always end up on my back! Which is the most comfortable position ever at the mo! If I start my sleep on my back, it makes me feel funny!
Few, what a releif!!
Ps, don't watch baby hospital!!!!!