Advice needed!! pregnacy, sleeping and those long pillows

[peachyghoul]

HI a bit of advice wanted really.
I'm now 24 weeks and I'm not very big.
At night I tend to sleep on my back. I have heard this isn't too good for me or for the baby (how true is this?)
I've wondered about buying one of those pillow type things but am not sure which one to get or even if it is worth it, I can easily see myself with one, pushing it out of bed and waking up on my back!
There are different types too , one I was looking at is actually bigger in size than I am!!
So any advice would be welcome.

It's best to lie on your left side as that increases the blood flow to the baby. Lying on your back can make you feel dizzy and faint as it can affect blood pressure, also, because as the baby gets bigger it can compress the inferior vena cava that takes blood back to the heart.

I use a long pillow at night and it's great, I'm currently 29 weeks.

Everything I've read suggest that it reduces blood supply to the baby if you do it for too long. I am only 16 weeks with no bump but I've been looking at the pillows in nct catalogue. As well as being supportive to bump and back I thought it might be nice to cuddle when I'm too big to cuddle up behind dh! My best sleeping position is on my back but not allowed to anyway as I snore so dh will always push me back onto my side! I've seen suggestions of a normal pillow behind your back to stop you rolling onto your back in your sleep.

Thanks
do you find you stay in position with the pillow?

I think It will get uncomfy as I get bigger so will want to lie on my back less

Yes the pillow is great and I always wake up on my side (and go to sleep on my side). The good thing is that I also use the pillow as a cushion during the day and it can be used when breatfeeding by doubling it over and lying baby on it. Mine has a washable cover so it's easy to keep clean too.

Hello peachyghoul. I have some pillow experience to share! I bought a big long blue one from John Lewis (forget the name sorry - might have been Big Blue) but I took it back immediately. It was so big, there was barely room for my husband in the bed (!) and I didn't like the texture - it was filled with microcapsules, a bit like a bean bag. Also, it would have been quite a big production just to turn over. Instead I bought one from Blooming Marvellous for £15 and I love it. It has small pillows both sides, so can support your bump both sides if you want to turn over in the night, withut having to move the pillow. As an added bonus, the side you're not using for your bump (still with me?) can support your back. Have a look anyway - it's www.bloomingmarvellous.co.uk - product code BBB7683. I can highly recommend, and for fifteen quid you can't go too far wrong I guess.

Hi
We tried and tested loads of maternity pillows and found this to be the best one.

Really comfy, a good size, but not overstuffed. Has microfine beads so it's really easy to get into a good position. It's big enough to tuck between your knees, or make into a V so you can prop yourself up if you;re struggling with heratburn.

Mine was a godsend during labour - I wouldn't have been without it. Also we found this one to be brilliant for breastfeeding, as it's long enought to go round your back to support your back and the arm on the side you're feeding (so you donlt get neckache) and means the baby is lifted to your boob so you don't have to hunch over! I thought it was great, and it outperformed all the alternatives we tested! Good luck for the rest of your pregnancy- sweet dreams!

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Im 2 weeks ahead of you and I have one of those long pillows, two "v" shaped pillows and well and my ordinary 2 pillows - last night I finally gave in, DP pulled the matress off ds's bottom bunk and Ive taken up sleeping on that on the floor!

Best nights sleep Ive had in weeks and Im not very big either x x

I sleep about half the night on my back and half on my side - I was told sleeping on your back was fine, and it certainly means I wake up with less under the bump draggy pain than when I try to sleep on my side all night. I don't think the human body would have evolved to kill off the baby with something as comfortable and normal as sleeping on your back, surely? And it is often more comfortable, if your mattress is good, to have a flatter bump straight in front of you than hug the big lolling sideways on bump. I have noticed, however, that if I lie on my right side, the baby kicks a lot more, so I guess that's as natural and the baby isn't chuffed about that.

IF you don't want a large pillow try putting a regular six pillow between your knees when you lie on your side. This was so comfortable that I kept doing it when I wasn't pregnant.