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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

When do you have to start sleeping on left side?

26 replies

yellowflowers · 04/05/2010 10:35

I keep reading in baby books to sleep on your left side. I am only 8 weeks so no bump etc - do I have to worry about this yet. If I sleep on my left side that means facing dh who sleeps on the left of bed but faces inwards when asleep, and him breathing out on my face while asleep is pretty uncomfortable.

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addictedisinthesecondtrimester · 04/05/2010 10:48

i'm 13 weeks and am parinoid and also find sleeping on my right side uncomfortable so me and dh have swapped sides of the bed so he doesnt breathe on me

runnybottom · 04/05/2010 10:55

You don't have to at any point. If you want to do, if you don't, don't.

Such shite written in those books.

seeker · 04/05/2010 10:57

Didn't know you had to - do they tell you why? Sleep on whichever side is comfortable.

mears · 04/05/2010 10:57

There is no need to sleep on the left side if you find it uncomfortable. Lying on your back can make you feel uncomfotrable or even faint in the latter stages of pregnancy. Just sleep whatever way feels comfortable to you.

EmmaKateWH · 04/05/2010 11:08

Every one of my baby books (all written by doctors) say that you should try and sleep on the left if you can. I have been told this by my midwife and doctor too. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss this as "shite", they are presumably administering this advice for a reason! One of my books says that if you are more comfortable on the right then that is ok, but you could try not to sleep on your back. If you wake up on your back, just roll onto your right side. I don't think you need to worry about sleeping on you back until you have a bump though.

seeker · 04/05/2010 11:13

What reason do they give?

heather1980 · 04/05/2010 11:14

the reason you are supposed to sleep on your left is that your femoral vein runs down your right hand side. when you are huge the weight of the baby can then lie on it and make you feel feint.
i wouldn't worry too much about it when you get to that stage what ever position you lie in you will be uncomfortable.
i'm 23 weeks with dc3 and still just about able to sleep on my front and i have quite a bump.

Mishy1234 · 04/05/2010 11:15

I've heard this advice too and think it's to try and encourage your baby to end up in the most favourable position for labour, so I guess it's most important in the early stages.

However, my yoga instructor who was really keen on the sleeping on left side thing the first time I was pregnant recently said that the jury is now out on this advice, but to try not to sleep on my back.

mears · 04/05/2010 11:16

As a midwife I can reassure you that you do not have to sleep on your left. The theory about lying on your left side is that it poromotes good blood flow through the placenta because the majot blood vessels do not have the pressure of your uterus lying on them. In labour women are encouraged to lie on their left sides if the baby's heart rate tracing isn't very good. However some babies have worse heartrates then and women are encouraged to move onto their other side or sit up. Any position is OK except lying flat on your back. HTH.

Mishy1234 · 04/05/2010 11:16

Sorry- should read 'most important in the LATE stages'.

Mishy1234 · 04/05/2010 11:17

Just read advice from Mears and Heather and their info sounds much more accurate than mine!

DuelingFanjo · 04/05/2010 11:19

it can also help with painful veins in the legs I have read!

2ndDestiny · 04/05/2010 12:34

At 8 weeks you can still sleep any which way so enjoy it while you can! I am almost 19 weeks and was worried about the sleeping on my back thing, asked my midwife last week, she just laughed and said I have ages before I need to worry about that, and anyway you can still sleep on your back as long as you're well propped up with pillows and not totally flat.

strawberrycake · 04/05/2010 12:34

I've slept on my left after forcing myself to avoid back and front which I find natural. Interestingly I only have stretch marks on my left, I do wonder if it's linked or just a quirk of mine

Jayfer · 04/05/2010 12:45

I'm 40+5 and just desperate for sleep I would even try hanging upside-down at the moment.

dolphina78 · 04/05/2010 12:54

I'm 36+2 and am such a fidgety sleeper, I wake up in all different positions and am conscious when on my back (which does happen every night), I turn onto my side but my right is more comfortable, i think you're best to do what feels most comfortable

SqueezyB · 04/05/2010 13:26

oh god don't worry about things like that - you're not going to harm your baby by sleeping on your right side/stomach!

I slept on my stomach for as long as it was comfortable, as that's what I have always done. Now I'm 35+2, I usually toss and turn all night from left to right to on my back, surrounded by pillows, and eventually collapse from exhaustion!

Lovethesea · 04/05/2010 13:31

I've also been told that at the end of pregnancy your liver (on your right side) gets a bit more squashed by the bump so if you can lay on your left it helps that have a break too.

The back is the main artery thing - but it feels weird and would wake you if it was a problem. Stomach has been impossible for some time! I miss my recovery position sleeping posture.

I can recommend one of those pregnancy curve pillows. Mine is a lifesaver for bump and back support. I can't lay down on my side without something under the bump - too much strain. I just spend all night wriggling from left side to right side and back again adjusting the pillow between my legs. It also stops me rolling completely flat on my back which means I'm not waking up uncomfortable with that.

FrazzleRock · 04/05/2010 13:33

I've heard it all now!

Original poster

yellowflowers · 04/05/2010 13:39

that's all really helpful - thank you

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hazeyjane · 04/05/2010 13:52

If I sleep on my left side it makes the varicose veins in my left leg really achey, so I tend to sleep on my right, my MW said this was ok. If I lie on my back it makes me dizzy and want to vomit.

I can't wait to have a good nights sleep (and by that I mean proper sleep interrupted by dds - 4 and 3, taking it in turns to wake up, and having a newborn baby of course!)

gingertoo · 04/05/2010 13:57

I'm expecting my 4th DC and I'd never heard about sleeping on a particular side during pregnancy! You learn something new every day, I suppose

mampam · 04/05/2010 14:27

I'm just over 36 weeks. I sleep on my right side, left side and on my back. TBH all that matters to me is getting into the comfiest possible position.

DuelingFanjo · 04/05/2010 14:47

It is medically true though that as the uterus grows in pregnancy it does put pressure on your inferior vena cava which is a large vein on the right side of the body, and this puts increased pressure on the leg veins.

Sleeping on your left side or with your legs slightly raised helps ease the pressure and releives the vein of the weight of the uterus and therefore decreases pressure on the leg veins.

I learned this something new the other day when I started getting major vein pain behind my right knee

mears · 05/05/2010 18:32

That is certainly true duelingfanjo. However, for those pregnant women who prefer to sleep in a different position, there is no problem with that.

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