When to stop sleeping on back?

julieb00lie · April 2011

So when do I need to stop sleeping on my back? I asked one of the Assistant MW and she said, "when you start to feel uncomfortable." I know that one of the reasons you're not supposed to sleep on your back is because the baby could lay on a major atery/vein and slow blood flow to it. So I'm not sure I'd exactly feel uncomfortable by that in the middle of the night.

So does anyone have a clue when I should stop?

Lindsaywillo · April 2011

That's what my doctor said too....although he said I'd wake up short of breath and having dreams of suffocation/drowning (he's a little quirky!). I try not to sleep on my back as much as possible and when i get a little bigger I'll prop myself up on a body pillow so I'm always on an angle. I think I'm worrying about it so much that I'm constantly waking up in the middle of the night to change positions!! Annoying!

vstevens · April 2011

My doctor said to consciously start avoiding it at 20 weeks - not that you should panic if you wake up on your back or anything, just to make sure to at least start sleeping in a different position.

hoot179 · April 2011

I asked at my 16 wk appointment and the DR said i can sleep on my back for another two months max. I'm trying not to sleep on my back now so I can get used to it.

jesusita2002 · April 2011

My doctor told me at 20 weeks to try to not lay/sleep on my back anymore due to the weight of the uterus, etc. However, in the same breathe she said that I should also sleep in whichever way I feel the most comfortable, which includes my back, plus exactly what your MW said, your body will let you know when you need to change positions.

meg211 · April 2011

In the last couple days I've noticed that sleeping on my back is uncomfortable, so that it actually wakes me up. I don't feel like I'm suffocating or cutting off the blood supply or anything dramatic like that, its just uncomfortable and you will want to turn back to your side. This is when the pillow between my legs is actually really helping making side sleeping better.

Don't worry about it, your body will let you know.

Amanda&EricB · April 2011

I was just reading in a pregnancy book yesterday (so of course it must be true, right? Stick out tongue

) that 16 weeks is the magic number. But I agree you should trust your MW's advice.

eminbmore · April 2011

Your MW was right, your body will clearly tell you. For me, when I was pregnant with DS, I was comfortable on my back until 40 weeks and then all of a sudden I WAS NOT. It was completely obvious when it was time to stop doing it.

UncleBen · April 2011

I am 27 weeks and I still find myself waking up on my back occasionally. I have no idea how much time I'm sleeping on my back, but when I do wake up, I just switch to my left side.

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