worried about squashing baby whilst im sleeping ( in womb)!

[elizaregina]

just wondered if anyone else had this worry! of course when i drop off - i am on side or tilted with cushion under back - but sometimes i wake up half on my front and then i am terrfied i have some how squahsed the baby! surely nature has built in prevention for this> ,

I'm pretty sure you're body and natural instincts won't allow this. Anything that is comfy to you is probably fine for baby. Plus, baby is well padded in there!

"i am terrified have some how squahsed the baby! surely nature has built in prevention for this"

Yes! Amazing isn't it? Mother Nature thought, 'a-ha, mothers need to sleep, so I will give them an enormous bag of fluid for the baybee to swish around in and make sure they don't kill unborn baybees if they get 40 winks at some point in their pregnancy.

Next.

i am currenlty 33 weeks so it doesnt actually feel like there is much water in there although I am sure there is.

if the baby is protected in there especially in the third, I wonder why there is so much advice about sleeping on the side?

I worried about this too!
I always end up rolling onto my front in my sleep and my bump is huge now. I'm also scared to bend over as it feels like the baby has wedged a foot into my ribs and I don't want to break it! (the baby that is, I've got tough old ribs )

The advice about sleeping on your side is nothing to do with squashing the baby. In the early weeks, it's more about improved circulation and kidney function, and later it's about your heavy uterus not crushing various important blood vessels and making your blood pressure drop (as can happen if you lie flat on your back) and also encouraging baby into a good position for birth. It's all for your benefit, not for the baby's.

Imagine trying to squash something in a balloon. It would move around and you wouldn't be able to get to it. My understanding is its like that, so you're fine.

The sleeping on side thing is to do with the weight of the baby potentially squashing your blood flow which could make you unwell. But please don't start stressing that one, it's very unlikely and wisdom is you'd know about it pretty quickly and move. Side lying also helps get the baby in a good position for birth.

Hi OP,

It did cross my mind when I was pregnant too, but to be honest I don't think it's possible. I expect the baby will give you a kick or shove if they get uncomfy!

My midwife advised me to favour sleeping on my left so the baby is in the best position for birth and I'll put a link about the blood flow etc below about why it's best to sleep on your side.

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

elizaregina I sleep with a soft squashy feather pillow supporting my tummy, which kind of makes it impossible for me to roll forward towards my front. If you're worried (although like other posters I see no reason for you to be worried whatsoever), you could try this too. I find it helps me sleep on my left side, plus helps as part of my elaborate pillow arrangement to combat back/hip/pelvic pain.

Yes OP, you're quite possibly right, and are squashing your baby...

I recommend you sleep standing up for the rest of your pregnancy

Wow some replies are quite harsh and unnecessary... OP you don't need to worry about squashing your baby. They're very well protected in their little water bubble. Side-sleeping is advised because its the best for baby's blood flow and it doesn't put much pressure on you and your body either. Not very long left for you either, I cant wait to get back to sleeping on my tummy! :) xx

I like the balloon analagy I can relate to that.

I was wondering if the cord was near the surface of the stomach and you do in advertently lie on it somehow whether that would damage the baby - restricting it, I also read that one of the reasons not to sleep on back is because its not only a loss of blood flow for the mother to compress the vein but also restricts blood flow to the placenta.

Thanks second, the problem at the moment is finding it so hard to get comfy to sleep I currenlty have the whole double duvet wrapped round me and bump and 5 pillows!

I had over 24 hours of reduced movement a few weeks ago and it just occured to me I wonder if it was due to me lying on the baby and squashing her...as this morning i woke up half lying on the bump and it took a while to get movement.

Its not something I am fantically worried about - I was just wondering....logic tells me that nature must have a way of protecting the baby, but at the same time, I was ready for someone to come on here and comment that yes - they had or knew of someone who sqaushed thier baby!

I wonder how much weight the balloon effect can take for instance if the mother is exceedingly over weight!

one never knows until one asks...

Not sure what all the snippy comments are for, totally normal to worry about things like this and not necessary to be so sarcy.

OP - I often wake up almost on my front, I think its because I need the support as bump is getting heavy so I try and wedge a pillow under the bump and that helps.
Side lying (And specifically lying on the left hand side) is to take pressure off the vena cava which is the artery that pumps blood around lots of vital organs.
Again, you would wake up and notice before any damage was done, even you sleep on your back (I often wake up on my back too)
Can also recommend the E pillow for comfy sleeping.

A lady did think she develeoped eplispesy from sleeping on her back and restricting blood flow. whether this was medically proven or a therory or her own theroy i dont know but i heard she had developed eplipsey and it was thought due to restricted blood flow from this vena cava vein.

dolomites how do you know i am not over weight?

One really does wonder how utterly miserable and bored some people are to come onto threads - and simply be rude and put people down.

Does it make you feel worthy? Have you really nothing else better to do? Do you activly seek threads out where you think you can get a cheap jibe in!

So pathetic!!!

Thanks for all the SANE answers!!!!

What is the point of the nasty comments? Does it somehow make people feel good about themselves to make new mothers who are asking questions feel less good about themselves? If it were AIBU I'd get why. This is the pregnancy board. A little bit if support goes a long way. If it is worrying the OP how does it hurt anyone to either give a reassuring answer or just walk away?

Here are our guidelines for those who may need them
FWIW the strikethrough facility is for witticisms and not personal attacks
Thanks
MNHQ

My view is that you will be woken up if you are in a "bad" position. I always go to sleep on my left but often wake up on my front or back. I think it is nature's way of making sure we and our babies are ok.

Trying to alter good/bad proportionality by responding sympathetically.

I worried about this too - I guess it's illogical. All should be fine. Congrats on the pregnancy.

I worry about the same thing OP - one of my twins is really low and if I bend over to reach my feet, or lay in a certain position, he starts really wriggling. It makes me paranoid that I am squashing him, because I know he hasn't got much room down there. Meanwhile the other twin is living the life of Riley spread out transversally between my ribs (ouch)! It is a genuine concern and I don't know why Dolomites Donkey is being so weird about it?

Dont worry about some very bored and nasty people who enjoy sniping-ignore them.

I know what you mean. I often think of how low my blood pressure must have been over night I always end up on my back. Funnily enough I was going to put a thread on here about lack of sleep but Im wondering if I wake up quite a lot during the night because Ive pushed the pillows out of the way to get onto my back and the low blood pressure wakes me up as a safety mechanism.

So thank-you for your thread- I think Ive just sorted my sleep problem out!!

my reply was nice btw.. it got deleted for responding to those less polite people.. (not an attack..fact)