How important is sleeping on your left hand side?

[Pocket1]

I'm 16 weeks today and trying to sleep nightly on my left hand side. Which is generally fine but I i do like to wriggle and change position during the night.

How essential is sleeping position? Are there any rules about spending a % of your time in the left? How does this change as you get bigger?

TIA

It's recommended but not essential. I really struggled to stay on my left during my pregnancies and especially in the later stages after developing spd I tossed and turned every 20 minutes throughout the night.

Sleep however is comfortable for you, you'll probably find on your side with a few pillows supporting your bump and knees easiest anyway but don't get too worried about what % of each night is spent on your left.

Congrats btw :)

Thank you! What's spd btw?

It's impossible for me to sleep in any position but my right and I did so all through my pregnancy with zero side effects. I wouldn't worry about turning over in your sleep. I worried about it for a while then stopped, I worried about other things (was eating that whole tube of Pringles going to mean baby with be born with a 'tache? Type stuff!)
Congrstulations

There is a decreased risk of stillbirth associated with sleeping on the left (although the studies that showed this haven't shown a causal link and are limited). The thought is that sleeping on your left improves blood flow as you are not compressing some major vein. However, I don't think this will make a big difference at 16 weeks as the baby simply isn't that heavy! The studies were all conducted much later in pregnancy.

Incidentally I'm 38 weeks pregnant and find I'm forced to sleep on my left because I feel dizzy on my right side or back, so you might find more inclined to do it as time goes on.

I asked my MW about this and she said she'd never heard of such a thing.
Do I need a new MW?

I tried it though but my bump actually shifted to the left and was quite painful in the morning - so am going to sleep in the most comfortable position as opposed to one side or other.

I also tend to sleep however I can get comfy. I'm aware it's recommended but would rather actually get some sleep. Baby is always lying on the right of my bump so it's heavy and uncomfortable to always lie on my left. Plus by the middle of the night my hips are so sore I have to spend a bit of time on my back. Don't beat yourself up too much if you don't manage it.

When I was pregnant I asked my mw and she said sleep whatever way you can. If your only comfy on your back then sleep like that.

At night I used to fall asleep on my left and wake up on my right.

I can only find one study, 155 women and this only found a link between stillbirth and sleeping position the night before giving birth. Incidentally, the risk was also higher for women who went to toilet once or less during the night and for women who slept during the day.
The study found that..further studies are needed.
www.nhs.uk/news/2011/06June/Pages/mothers-sleeping-position-and-risk-of-stillbirth.aspx
So no, I would not stress over it.

I would guess it will change when I get bigger, but at 18 weeks, it does not matter in what position I try to fall asleep, I wake up on my back anyway.

The Sydney Stillbirth Study which presented its results a few months ago also found an increase in stillbirths among women who slept on their back in late pregnancy.

motherandbaby.ninemsn.com.au/pregnancyandbirth/pregnancy/8546382/sleeping-on-back-increases-stillbirths

I thought sleeping on the left was to help baby get into a good position. I am sleeping the most comfortable way. In my first pregnancy I could only get comfy on the left, this time it's right or back. Your inferior vena cava (the big vein carrying blood back to your heart) can be compressed by a heavy bump which makes you feel dizzy - like you have low blood pressure. I am 32 weeks and not felt like this on my back, but I am never in one place long enough - I am a fidget!

I asked my mw and she said it doesn't matter what position you lie in as long as you are comfortable. I spend some time on my left, some on my right and some on my back. Normally ( pre pregnancy )I would sleep on my back all night but it's not comfy now.

Zigwig and Fertility - if your baby is mainly lying on the right of your bump rather than the left, have a look at Spinning Babies. Apparently, it's better if they settle on the left before labour, since they tend to rotate clockwise to come out facing backwards - so if they're on your left they only need to do a quarter turn, whereas if they're on the right they need to do a 3/4 rotation.

Spinning babies suggest a bunch of exercises to do during pregnancy to try to help your baby get into a good position. I wish I'd found it earlier: 38 weeks now, and baby isn't shifting! I'm not worrying too much though, since some apparently rotate the other way, and some come out as they are... just seeing it as one of those things I 'may as well try'.

I've decided to sleep on my left for all the reasons outlined above. It took a bit of getting used to though. I've discovered using a body length pillow makes sleeping on my left so comfy I am not even tempted to move for most of the night now. The pillow spreads out my weight so I am much less achey, props up my neck, boobs and bump and keeps my hips and spine straight.

They cost a bomb in the shops so I just sewed a 7ft tube from some old material and stuffed it with the filling from a couple of pillows. Cost next to nothing and has improved the quality of my sleep a lot

Thank you - very interesting. Petcat, great tip about the home made pillow too!

Happy pregnancies everyone

Thank you strawberrybubblegum - I did not know that. I will take a look at the site!

Sleep? In late pregnancy? Left side right side standing on my head...it still evades me! (37 weeks and FED UP!! Can you tell?!)