Sleeping on your back (no longer)

ashes1010 · November 2010

How long were you able to sleep comfortably on your back? I am nearing the end of the 1st tri, so I'm wondering how much longer I have! Did you start to notice pain or discomfort?

GenaBoBenaWife · November 2010

I still wake up almost every night on my back. I have noticed if I'm laying on the couch on my back for too long, I start to feel out-of-breath but I assume while I'm sleeping, but brain just tells me to roll over so I don't notice it.

Nechie122 · November 2010

There seem to be different theories on this one. A book I'm reading says 16 weeks, the info packet I got from my doctor says five months, and a lot of women on here have been told not to worry about it unless you're having trouble breathing. I try to fall asleep on my side (for practice, if nothing else) but always seem to wake up on my back anyway. Oh well, I'm not worried about it yet.

pregaftertubal · November 2010

i asked my dr at my 22 week visit if i had to stop laying flat on my back yet. she said no. but just in the past week, turned 24 weeks, i started to be uncomfortable on my back. i try to at least lay sort of sideways, propped up on a pillow if i don't want to be completely on my side (achey sides now, ugh)

VTbride05 · November 2010

I would prefer to still sleep on my back, and find myself that way in the morning, but my Dr told me this week to stop.

MidwestTexan · November 2010

I'm 5 weeks farther along than you and I can still comfortably sleep on my back.

SunDrop11 · November 2010

I fall asleep on my side, but I still find myself waking up sometimes on my back.

inthewater · November 2010

I'm usually a tummy sleeper. However, now that I'm almost 21 weeks, it's uncomfortable to be on my tummy, I find myself getting the most comfort being on my back - mostly because being on my side for too long causes back pain. When I saw my dr this past week she said that I shouldn't lay flat on my back...a small pillow under one hip should be more than enough of a lift. So I go to bed a little elevated. She also told me there is no harm sleeping on your right vs left side...the important thing is to be comfortable

MG7 · November 2010

Recently I start to feel crushed on my back so I just roll over. I'm pretty big for 19 weeks though so that doesn't help.

Mrs.Saxy · November 2010

third tri when the baby is just too heavy

EndeavorsInDomesticArt · November 2010

I am 23 or so weeks and I can still comfortably sleep on my back, though most of the time I prop one leg up to the side on a pillow allowing my hips to fall open.

JCragg · November 2010

I wasn't able to sleep on my back from about wk 16-20, and since baby has moved up higher I have no problems sleeping on my back again.

erin3182011 · November 2010

I still sleep on my back. My doctor said to not worry about sleeping positions.... if your not comfortable, or its the wrong position, your body will tell you.

Bexx24 · November 2010

I'm 20 and I'm still back sleeping, although I'm trying to break that habit sooner rather than later. But it doesn't bother me at all, and sometimes I'm just like screw it want to be comfortable! (but I have hardly no bump at all, and have gained barely 10 lbss, so maybe if you were bigger and heavier up front it might be more of a problem?) I'd ask your doc though. I plan on asking at my next appt.

thediarywithin · November 2010

All the books I have read said that after sixteen weeks you should start sleeping on your side.

kiley&matt · November 2010

inthewater:
When I saw my dr this past week she said that I shouldn't lay flat on my back...a small pillow under one hip should be more than enough of a lift. So I go to bed a little elevated. She also told me there is no harm sleeping on your right vs left side...the important thing is to be comfortable

My doctor told me the same thing at around 16 weeks. She told me it's not okay to sleep flat on your back after that because it pushes too much on a major artery or vein or something and it can cause your blood pressure to go way too low. She did say just to prop a pillow under one side so that you're slightly tilted and that has been working just fine for me. I'm usually more of a side/tummy sleeper, and I've found that propping a pillow under one side makes it easier to sleep half on my tummy, too. It's super comfortable.

skio · November 2010

I'm still fine on my back. I try to stay on my sides overnight to get myself used to it, but I end up on my back at least once or twice because of the hip aches - it feels soooo good to stretch out my legs after so many hours in the fetal position!

kabarbanel · November 2010

It really depends on the night. Sometimes it's comfortable, and sometimes it's not. Same with sleeping on my belly. I sleep however I am confortable, and let my body tell me when I need to switch positions.

cuadrakaren · November 2010

At my 24 week appointment OB told me I was still ok to sleep on my back. It wasn't until this week that I finally woke up uncomfortable and with my legs starting to tingle. No more back sleeping for me Crying

kapowski23 · November 2010

I just started waking up this last week with my feet tingling and going to sleep so it was goodbye to back sleeping. It's harder for me to breathe that way anyways. But I made it all the way to third tri.

Scout05 · November 2010

My OB told me not to worry about it too much - it's best to sleep on my side, but if I end up on my back, there's no reason to panic.

He told me my body would give me plenty of warning if my circulation was being compromised. And it would be well before I did any damage to myself or the baby.

Now, I get pukey if I'm flat on my back for more than a few seconds, so that took care of it for me. But in terms of needing to roll to the side, just listen to your body.

heylee · November 2010

My back aches so much more now and I am 16 weeks.

actinup23 · November 2010

My doctor hasn't said anything about it, and I figured my body would let me know when to stop sleeping on my back. Sure enough, for the past two weeks if I sleep on my back I am so stiff and sore in the morning I can hardly get up. You will know when it's time!

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