bed rest "rules" ?

DavezWife

I'm on "couch rest" for now, but curious if I'm laying right. (as lame as that sounds)

I know laying on my left side is best... but can I lay on my SIDE side... or basically on my back tilted left? The babies (twins) seem to really be on each side, and the left one gets pretty pissy when I "lay on her" too much. lol.

And is laying on the right side "bad" or just not as good as the left?

I just want to make sure I'm not messing things up. Any tips on how to lay, be comfortable, etc. are most welcome. I'm in this for the long haul ;-)

 

hoping4more

From what I was told if you lay on your back but prop a pillow or 2 under your right side so you are laying more on your left side then you are okay. They just say not to lay flat on your back (or right side too much) since you can put too much pressure on a blood vessel and pass out. So as long as you are not flat you are okay. If you feel uncomfy or start feeling faint then definitely move to a new position! 

Hope that helps! 

OfficiallyHollyC

Just don't lay flat and you should be ok. If you are concerned however you can always call your dr.

lisac1017

I made the mistake of telling my husband that my OB said laying on the left side is the best and now he'll wake me up if he finds me on my right side and almost redecorated the living room so the couch would be facing the other way allowing for me to be on my left on the couch when I watch TV.  Yes, the left is supposedly the best, but from what I've been told the right side is OK too, and I spend hours every day with my legs straight out and my back propped up and everythings been fine (I only have a singleton though).  Even my MFM said to change sides so that you don't get sore from being on one side too much.  Good luck & keep cooking!

Lisa

lydiarose2001

I have also heard that left is "better," but either side is fine. I HAVE to switch because my back and hips begin to ache after being on one side for too long.

sunnybrook.

I just asked my MFM this question! He said that left is better but right side is fine too. The blood vessel runs down your back and is slightly to the right, which is why they say the left side. Laying on your right side will not cause any harm though. He said no laying on your back though. Like pp said, I've found it easier to lay on my left side with a few pillows propped behind my back to lean into. It takes some of the pressure off my hip.

MrsLeanna

I'm on week 10 of bed rest and I will tell you that you need to change it up every once in a while! Like the others said, left is best but it's not bad to be on your back or your right side. If you're on the couch then you're not going to be flat on your back so there's no worry about causing any harm. You'll know you're compressing the blood vessel if your feet fall asleep. I usually take my cue from the baby though and if I'm on a side and it feels like she's right there kicking and uncomfortable, I change sides. 

ardilla

I was told left side was best, and if I couldn't do proper side, then tilted left was okay. As I got bigger and bigger, I couldn't really get on my side anymore! At first, I was told to flip sides once in a while to help with soreness, but I had more contrax lying on my right side (bedrest was due to PTL), so left it was. Strange effect from all the bedrest on my left side (14 weeks) --I wound up with probably 90% of my stretch marks on my left side! Also, when I did stand up, my bump hung left!