Sleeping on your back - is it a really bad thing to do?

[Stefka]

I am having back probs and haven't been able to sleep the last few nights. Last night I gave up and just slept on my back. I have read that this is bad when you are pregnant though. Is it a really awful thing to do? I am 26 weeks at the moment.

Dh would tell you it's bad in our house - I'm nearly 17wks and sleeping on my back makes me snore like a walrus

lol - I don't have to worry about that. My husband would never hear anything over his own snoring!

They tell you that because on your back the baby puts pressure on a vein/artery that carries oxygen to the heart and so can make you feel a bit faint or dizzy. However in my book it does say if you lie on your back and feel fine, carry on!

((waves Edie!))

As Edie said it's to do with the main vein that returns the blood to your heart from your legs. Occasionally I feel a bit breathless when I sleep on my back. But TBH I often wake up and find that I am on my back!! I should imagine that if it really really was a concern then we would all be supplied with some sort of magical wedge cushion from our midwife that would stop us rolling over!!!

Just do what you feel comfy doing. Good luck and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.

Hi HIWBB!

Yes as I said, if it's comfortable, go for it, and like HIWBB said, if it was that dangerous, it would be made clearer to us. I also tend to feel breathless when on my back too so it's not that comfy for me. I find sleeping with pg cushion under bump and one under/inbetween legs is comfy.

I think you can sleep on your back til you get uncomfy. (Ie when the weight of the baby is too much on veins etc). I slept on my back until about 34/ 35 weeks but now its too uncomfy. Can't wait to sleep on my front again!
PPS (38+5) X

I also read that it was bad to sleep on your back when pregnant. However, somehow I always ended up sleeping on my back whilst pregnant.

I would go to sleep on my side, but would turn onto my back in my sleep. It is a pain in the backside to get up and out of bed from that position with a huge bump in front of you.

It never did me or my babies any harm.