Sleeping on my back!

[kidsareok]

Hi! So before I was pregnant, I used to sleep on my back with my arms stretched up high. I've always been a very deep sleeper and have always slept on my back. I am 24 weeks pregnant now and have bought a pregnancy pillow to stop me sleeping on my back, however, I wake up in the night and am on my back again 😫. The pregnancy pillow is usually thrown to the side and I'm stretched out!! I don't know what to do - it's not comfortable and it does wake me up slightly but I'm such a deep sleeper that I go back to sleep and wake up on my back again. I can also hold my wee in all night and sleep through the pain of my baby pressing on my intestines etc due to being such a deep sleeper. I'm just worrying about it. I can't seem to stay on my side, I wedge myself in with the pillow and try my best. Any tips would be welcome! Any way I can become a lighter sleeper?! I've thought about setting an alarm every few hours but my OH might not be a fan of that idea 😂

I think sleeping on your left is recommended from 28 weeks, so don’t be too worried just now. I am also a back sleeper (currently 30 weeks), and have been putting my pregnancy pillow under my back so I’m tilted. xx

Any way I can become a lighter sleeper?!
Wait till the baby comes, you learn to sleep but always be alert!

I think the advice is to go to sleep on left and if you wake up in the night, to get back onto your left again. I regularly wake up on my right or back and just roll back over, you'll probably find you wake more as you get bigger and need the bathroom more. It does seem like a bit of an impossible task though!

I asked my midwife about this, she also said just make sure your head is raised on a pillow so if you do end up on your back your not flat if that makes sense? X

Don’t worry too much right now, it’s mostly from 28 weeks they encourage you not to sleep on your back as that’s when your bump starts getting too heavy (but good to start getting into good habits now).

They says as long as you start by sleeping on your side, don’t panic if you wake up on your back, just move back on to your side when you wake up. This is because you tend to stay in the position you start off sleeping in the longest.

As pp said, use pillows behind your back so you are tilted if you roll onto your back so at least your not putting pressure on the vena cava which is the whole reason for not sleeping on your back. You will most likely find once your bump is big enough laying flat on your back isn’t as comfortable anyway and can make you go light headed.

My midwife also said as long as your propped up with pillows at a 45 degree angle at least your are not flat on your back if you do roll over.

I’m 34 weeks now, and normally a stomach sleeper (back is my 2nd choice). I have to wake up every time I want to change the sides to sleep on, as it eventually hurts my hips and legs - isn’t pregnancy fun! 😂

As PP said, don’t worry until 28 weeks, and you’ll start findng it uncomfortable to be on your back anyway. Just go to sleep lying on one side or the other and if you wake up on your back, turn to your side again.
Not sure about propping up on pillows but staying on your back - pretty hard to get to a 45 deg angle and anything less will still have pressure on IVC so I don’t think that’s such a good aim...
and definitely don’t set any alarms! Won’t be long before you’re waking several times at night anyway