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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 when pregnant - are any harmful to baby?

28 replies

sunshineseven · 20/06/2012 18:54

Hi,

I hadn't thought of this before until someone mentioned it recently but are certain sleeping positions potentially harmful to your unborn baby? I heard it his harmful to your baby to sleep on your back and on the right hand side - I am 23 weeks. Is this just another scare story or is there some truth in it? I am not sleeping at all now 'cos I worry about it at night!!!

Thank you...

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Boys2mam · 20/06/2012 19:15

My understanding is there's an artery which if u lie on your back u put pressure on and it can make you feint but its not dangerous, just uncomfortable. Same for lying on your right.

Speak to your midwife, she should put your mind at rest.

MerryMarigold · 20/06/2012 19:17

I did Right and Left but not back. Get some sleep while you can!!!

Florin · 20/06/2012 19:57

Left side is meant to get your baby in the best position I think. However now I am so heavily pregnant (due tomorrow) I have to keep swapping sides as my hips hurt after an hour or so of lying on one side.

monkeymoma · 20/06/2012 19:59

as far as I know it can be a bit harmful to YOU to lie on your back as the baby puts pressure on the arteries that feed your legs, but I also understand that before any damage is done you'll get pins n needles anyway which'll tell you to move so I don't worry too much about it!

Velo · 20/06/2012 20:07

According to my midwife the left side is best as its good for blood flow and for positioning the baby for the best position for birth. Right is OK and at night I alternate between them for comfort. Back is not good as it can cut off blood flow for you, making you feel dizzy and therefore not good for the baby either. One woman passed out after having a facial at her local spa!

jessebuni · 20/06/2012 20:22

Yes the left is recommended as the best for blood flow etc. once you get to the halfway point onwards you should try to avoid lying on your back but i imagine this would be pretty uncomfy for you the bigger you get anyway. The right side is OK and shouldn't cause any harm but just isn't as good as your left.

I was panicking like you when every night i would lie on my left like i was advised and fall asleep but wake up on my right. i asked the midwife if it was dangerous and she told me that no it wasn't dangerous for me or the baby but they just advise the left because it's best for blood flow and getting the baby into a good position (apparently the best position for your baby prelabour is to the front and slightly to the left side but anything to the front is still a good position).

Nancy54 · 20/06/2012 20:42

does anyone know if this leift side thing also applies to twins?

jessebuni · 20/06/2012 20:51

i think so because it's mainly for your blood flow as opposed to the baby.

signet2012 · 20/06/2012 20:59

I keep waking up on my front with my leg bent so tilted to laying on my left. I've tried everything but this is how I sleep! I have wedged with pillows the lot but it doesn't work

hzgreen · 20/06/2012 21:54

signet2012 have you tried a full body/maternity pillow? i sleep in the same position as you and normal pillows didn't help but i have a 5ft pillow now that does the job!

twofurryones · 20/06/2012 21:55

AFAIK left is optimal but that doesn't mean that other positions are bad or not allowed. Sleeping on your back when very pregnant is a but dangerous due to pressure on a major artery but as someone else said you will get pins and needles and want to turn before you do any proper damage.

signet2012 · 20/06/2012 22:01

No my DP is a big lad and I'm not small barely any room in the bed as it is. I am going to eye out for one though.

goingmadtrying · 20/06/2012 22:08

Hi Nancy im pg with twins and was told that left is best as it takes the pressure off of everything and that laying on your back puts pressure on a big artery, hth

MissCoffeeNWine · 20/06/2012 23:09

What about lying on your front?

Nancy54 · 21/06/2012 09:32

thanks goingmad, i've been sleeping on my back until now! arg! was starting to give me back ache though. tried sleeping on left side last night and slept extremely badly! I've also been on bedrest for the last month due to some complications (just got told yesterday that i can move around again - woohoo!) so have spent loads of time on my back.

Was really surprised doc and midwives didn't think to tell me this.....!!
I live in france and so did a google search in french re this sleeping postion thing this morning and it doesn't seem to be a thing here! french advice seems to be 'sleep in any postion you find comfortable' whereas english is left-hand side. weird! think i'll try and do mostly left from now on though....

Clarella · 21/06/2012 09:37

I've been told that on the left is better as you have a major vein (artery? Can't remember) that flows to your legs on the right side of your abdomen, and this can can reduce 'pooling' of fluid etc in the legs which can impact on varicose veins. I always end up on the right though :/

Jergens · 21/06/2012 09:54

Sleeping on your back compresses your aorta and that can affect placental blood flow. This is why when women are undergoing a c section, the operating table is tilted to the mother's left until baby is delivered.

Nancy54 · 21/06/2012 11:45

is it bad to be in a half lying down position (on back) when relaxing on the sofa for example?

missingmymarbles · 21/06/2012 12:08

Sleeping on your back when more heavily pregnant is not recommended because the baby compresses the vena cava which is the big vein that returns blood to the heart, which if impaired, can drop your BP and make you feel dizzy and faint. It's not very comfortable on your back anyway when you have a big abdomen. Being a bit upright like on the sofa is OK because the pressure isn't directly on the vein.

Nancy54 · 21/06/2012 12:34

ok thanks for info marbles. when you say 'more heavily pregnant', roughly how many weeks do you mean?

missingmymarbles · 21/06/2012 13:20

IIRC it's after 20 weeksish but don't quote me on that one.

Velo · 21/06/2012 14:20

Of course - the theory of sleeping on the left is one thing, making it work in practice is quite another. I have enough problems remembering not to cross my ankles/legs - and that's when I'm awake to remember!

Longtalljosie · 21/06/2012 16:57

I'm 25 weeks and with both my pregnancies I'd had to sleep on my left from about 20 weeks - I can actually feel the effects of my vena cava being compressed - it's oddly like being throttled! - and it wakes me up. I've been on threads before where very pregnant women sleeping on their right hand side have said it's all bollocks - I suspect it depends how you're put together. But it's certainly also true that lying on your left puts the baby in a good position for labour, so a win win really...

Jergens · 21/06/2012 17:39

Sorry, meant your vena cava! The aorta is under high pressure so isn't compressed!

MissCoffeeNWine · 21/06/2012 17:42

I can't sleep on either side as it really hurts my hips being one sided, I can barely assume those positions let alone go to sleep when in them, it's a case of owowowowow and roll out of the position. So what is worse, sleeping on my back, which apparently compromises the baby, or laying on my front, which I'm told squashes the baby? Shall I start sleeping standing up?

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