Anyone else struggle not to sleep on their back?

[Whysoserious]

17+3 today and an desperately trying not to sleep on my back but keep waking up that way.

I've got pillows and everything to bolster me up but somehow I still manage to get straight back onto my back.

Yesterday I was sure I was feeling baby wiggles but today nothing and I'm paranoid it's due to the back sleeping.

why are you worried which way round you sleep?

at that stage of pregnancy - just getting sleep is the most important thing! i think until sickness passed i slept on my back, then on side only in late pregnancy..

I heard a tip about snorers - sew a pocket into the back of pyjamas and put a tennis ball in it.

Won't wake you up completely but will be too uncomfortable to stay on your back, might work for this too.

I think the thing about lying on your back in later pregnancy is that the baby can put pressure on something (a nerve?) that can cause you to get dizzy or pass out. So maybe it's OK if you're asleep in bed already? Perhaps check with your doctor (it's a long time since I was pregnant and heard this!)

the point of the second part my post was that lying on your back is bad for you not baby!

I slept on my back right up until about seven months slept on my stomach until five!

Oh yes when I was very pregnant I went to the dentist and she laid me back too far and I went all dizzy and was sick I wouldn't worry so early on though

Oh no, I've never heard of this and I can only ever sleep on my back. Is it really that bad for u?

I wasn't aware that you couldn't sleep on your back. I think i probably slept on mine the whole way through my pregnancy, no one told me not too.

I don't think it matters too much. Have you tried on your side with a pillow between your legs? FWIW, I regularly used to wake up having slept on my stomach when pregnant with DS, up until 25ish weeks I think. He's fine, as am I:)

I slept on my back with DS (now 3.5) and have with this one (now 37 weeks), any sleep is better than none! If you feel dizzy, move - but try not to worry.

I've read it's bad after 16 weeks do that's why the concern.

Is it normal to have long spaces between fluttering feelings when you first start to feel the baby move?

i have a dream geniee pillow which stops me fully going on my back (i love it, but i've read reviews that make me think its like marmite, you love it or hate it). but now i'm 37w i can go pretty much on my back even with the dream geniee...so if i need to, i put a pillow under my right side of my backside, which now stops me going fully on my back.

I thought it was just bad for mum not baby. I slept on my back with both my DC.
I couldn't sleep without 3 pillows though.

I got a body pillow in Argos on offer £10 I think hth
If not have you tried a V pillow? Lie on one side of the V and cuddle up to the other IYSWIM?

I have a Snoogle - like a big G shaped or 6 shaped pillow - the curved long bit is at the back, the top curved bit is for your head the big coming up from underneath is for you to have between your legs. It's like sleeping in pod and I've never rolled onto my back.

I'm having issues, my back is the only comfortable position at the mo. But I read that it bad for both the mother and baby. But I have just found this link on Nhs website

www.nhs.uk/news/2011/06June/Pages/mothers-sleeping-position-and-risk-of-stillbirth.aspx

i also thought it was bad for both mum and baby- if its cutting off your own blood supply then it makes sense its going to cut off the baby's too.

haven't read all the link but read about half of it, it suggests there is a link but not conclusive.

Don't worry about it. It's to do with a major blood supply and later in pregnancy the weight of the baby can compress it. But this will have an effect on you before the baby. So if you're asleep, qnd you become compromised, then you will automatically move and turn over.

When your 8 months (like me!) you may still end up on your back , but it won't be comfy. And when that happens qnd you have to sleep on your side, I second the pillow between your knees.

Just get what sleep you can however you can!!

I'm quite a restless sleeper and go between being on my left and right sides (maneovering a long body pillow each time - sigh). I have had pre-cramp type feelings wake me up when lying on my right the last few nights, and turning onto my left seeemed to ease them (normally I have to jump out of bed and walk to get rid of it, but didn't feel energetic) so I'm going to try and stay on my left as much as possible from now on - at least putting myself back there after I wake for the toilet etc.

I feel light-headed on my back (32weeks). My temptation, is actually trying to lie on my front - I find lying on my side and cuddling my body pillow works well, sometimes I end up in a 3/4 position where I'm almost on my front, but my weight is on my hip and bump is supported by the pillow.

it's ideal not to lie on your back, but i really don't think you need to stress out about it too massively.

i frequently wake up on my back, you can't worry about that, you're unconscious while asleep so it's not like you can stop yourself! you'd never sleep if you got too worked up about it.

I read most of the link and I think because the 'risk' was reported in the press that's where some people might be getting their information from. My midwife did tell me to sleep on the left too when i get further on, but the article is saying there was a study and findings but the group was really small so we should just discount it. But there is factual info on there too about how our body works. It's worth a read.

But also meant to say I think the first line of oikopolis post is prob the best attitude.

So it's to be avoided in the third tri then? By which time it will be mighty uncomfortable to do anyway I suppose. Thanks for all the info ladies