Sleeping on Stomach @ 17 weeks pregnant?!

[Beeblossombee]

This is my first pregnancy so I am little clueless about these things :-

I try and fall asleep on my side but more often than not I wake up on my stomach as this is how I have always slept. I move around a lot at night going from side to side then turn on my stomach once I'm asleep then wake up that way. My husband pointed out that I probably shouldn't be sleeping that way and I thought "I am not even showing yet, and it's not causing any pressure or pain, so what harm can it do?" then I googled it..

I can see lots of advice about not sleeping on your back after 16 weeks and even avoiding the right side, but absolutely nothing about sleeping on your stomach. I am now assuming because it's obvious that it's not a good idea?!

I just turned 17 weeks, not showing at all. Last scan everything was fine. I'm worried now because I do not consciously sleep on my stomach and figure I'll have to take some measures to make sure I can't until Instart showing and it becomes a moot point.

Will I have already placed myself/baby at any risk?!

Everything will be absolutely fine. There will come a time when you can't sleep on your tum though and for that I recommend a pregnancy pillow - as a fellow tummy sleeper I found it the only way I could sleep after my bump arrived!

My sister didnt show until 6 and a half months and slept on her belly until then. Me on the other hand, had a bump at 14 weeks and was told not to sleep on my back or right, my sister was with me at that midwife appointment and jokingly said what about her belly and the midwife said well obviously thats not a good idea, clearly not sensing my sister was joking. Im 24 weeks now and i sleep on my side but do tilt over so i sleep with a pillow under my bump, only because im scared of squishing him haha. If your not showing and it doesnt hurt then i dont see why you cant sleep on your stomach but maybe get used to sleeping on your side for when you do start showing and you cant sleep on your belly anymore, use a pregnancy pillow if you're worried. That will support you and keep you in one place:) x

Thanks guys - I really didn't put much thought into it until my husband pointed it out and then I got google paranoia!

X

I'm almost 19 weeks and often sleep on my front. I'm finding it having to offset myself slightly with my knees though as it's beginning to get a little uncomfortable

Sleep in whichever way you feel most comfortable for as long as you possibly can, whether that is on your back/side/front/head

That is the message from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in response to studies recently.

Any studies suggesting otherwise have been extremely small and there is no clear direct link between sleeping positions and the health of the baby.

I'm 30 weeks and still end up on my front sometimes. If it doesn't hurt you should be ok still. You can always use a pillow to cushion your belly so it props you up from fully sleeping in your front.

You can sleep on your front until it becomes uncomfortable. Donut pillows can be good if you like sleeping on your front - the bump goes where the hole is!

I wouldn't worry too much. I'm 35 weeks and still end up kind of half on my stomach some nights! With both pregnancies I've inevitably ended up on my back a lot too. I really struggle on my side to sleep. The back thing isn't about any harm coming to the baby, it's pressure being put on your internal organs which may make you feel lightheaded. To be honest, that's never happened to me.