Right side sleeping pregnant

[newmumtobe1998]

36 weeks pregnant. Do I have to lie on my left side only to sleep? My hips hurt so much that I struggle to stay on one side all night.

No, just try to avoid sleeping on your back. I usually rotate throughout the night, just try to start on my left side since its supposed to be better. Are you using a pregnancy pillow?

Yeah main thing is to avoid your back. Left is slightly better than right due to the set up of your blood vessels, but it's avoiding your back that reduces the risk of stillbirth.

Is there any evidence for this?

There is only one study that shows benefit from left Vs right. The others show no difference. I wake every 30-60 minutes to roll over at the moment. There's no way I could stay on my left all night; I'd be in absolute agony!

I believe right side is fine too but you might get more heartburn/reflux than on your left. Are you using a pillow between your legs at night for the hip pain? I'm only 22 weeks and need 2 pillows between mine or I'm in pain the next day.

Thank you! Anything about back sleeping?

I think that even if you tried to sleep on your back, you'd find it uncomfortable (I certainly did) - but I seem to remember from my c-section that they slightly propped me up on one side, so that whatever it was that could get pinched/cut off a bit if you were flat on your back, didn't - so I'd think that if you did the same - put a wedge so you were kinda 3/4 on your back rather than flat, it would be the same.

Of course, being awkward, my favourite position was with the bump in a hollow surrounded by pillows so I could sleep on my front like normal.

In fact when I was starting labour, I managed to nap kinda leaning my top half on a yoga ball, hugging it and with pillows so it couldn't roll away, and a cushion behind my thighs so I wasn't quite kneeling back - it was the only even slightly comfortable position I could find.

It doesn't matter what side you sleep on just try to stay off your back. Sleeping on your back reduces circulation and doubles the risk of stillbirth.