stomach sleepers - how do you deal?

banana2020 · September 2014

I mean, in the grand scheme of growing a human this really isn't that big of a deal. But I'm a stomach sleeper and staying aware of my sleep position is really impeding upon my sleep. I have pillows (extras) and all of that but it's still not cutting it. I'm NOT comfortable on my side (and never on my back).

I'm a STM and just don't remember being this uncomfortable already. I can technically still sleep on my stomach (meaning, it's do-able physically) but I know that's a no-go.

WDYD to get comfortable at night?

thompnia · September 2014

I prop my leg and shoulder on a body pillow so I am slightly tilted, not really on my belly, but not on my side either

YaMrWhite · September 2014

I'm still sleeping on my stomach but I have to hike a leg up or prop a portion of myself on my body pillow. Seems to be working okay for now.

kellyfo14 · September 2014

This was a real adjustment for me in my first pregnancy. I always used to sleep on my stomach in the position of the chalk outline of a dead person on CSI. You know, one leg kind of up and arms rested beside the ears. Lol, hopefully that gets the picture across. For some reason after my first was born I could never sleep on my stomach again. Definitely a side sleeper now.

Mrs_Bennett · September 2014

I was a stomach sleeper 100% of the time before I got pregnant with DS1. I tried the side sleeping with multiple pillows, but it just never really seemed comfortable. The night after he was born, I plopped right over onto my stomach and passed out. Best couple of hours of sleep ever! After my milk came in, I wasn't able to belly sleep again....and then I was still nursing when I got pregnant again.....so, yeah, I haven't slept comfortably on my belly since that night 4 years ago. I've adjusted to side sleeping, but it took a long time!

KnitPixy · September 2014

Not really helpful for you now but I went and got myself a body pillow as soon as I found out about my pregnancy. I knew that if I put off making the switch to side sleeping from my favourite tummy position (as described so well by @kellyfo14) I knew I wasn't going to sleep at all later on!

I still wake up uncomfortable a couple of times a night but its more of a groggy barrel roll from one side to the other while hugging my body pillow for dear life. I've smacked DH a few times now with the pillow while doing the move.

longcat07 · September 2014

i bought a snoogle. i bought it for the other ways to lay with it, but i discovered that if you coil it up loosely with the thick part at the top, i can lay down on it with my belly over the center gap and my boobs over another gap and lay my head down on the thick part. i can actually sleep fully on my belly, with my legs straight and everything.

the only downside to that pillow is that, if you want to roll over and take the pillow with you, it's less trouble to actually get out of bed, move the pillow, and then get back into bed. but even doing that a couple times a night, i'm getting more sleep now than i was before i bought it.

Smelh324 · September 2014

I'm actually looking forward to my belly being bigger so that I can't toss and turn quite so much. I wake up on my back and belly and flip from side to side cause I feel guilty not being on my left. Hopefully when I'm large it'll seem like too much work.

I do also sleep stomach-ish with my leg out like pp's have mentioned. I just try to line pillows in front of and behind me. It's comfortable enough to get me to sleep. It's not waking up middle of the night that is the trick!

CoachTay · September 2014

saiven said:

I do a modified side/stomach situation that seems to work. But mostly, I'm just uncomfortable until I fall asleep in complete exhaustion.

This.

Also, I have found that if I put several pillows/extra blankets just in front of my knees when I'm on my side, I can prop my leg up on that and then I'm not completely on my side.

After B was born, I COULDN'T WAIT to sleep on my stomach again. Unfortunately, nobody told me that that's vitually impossible while breastfeeding due to your boobs being like cantelopes. Yikes!

southernyankeegirl · September 2014

I jam a knee up almost to my armpit, with two pillows wedged under, so I can "lay on my stomach" but basically the knee and pillows keep my belly sideways while my chest is flat on the bed. Sure it's terrible for my back, but at least I sleep!

banana2020 · September 2014

So I did the sideways sleep w/the pillow under my leg/knee with it up as close to my chest as possible and I slept great (until I had to pee at 2:30 am and I was up from that point on!). Thanks for the tips, ladies!

I guess it's OK to technically sleep on your stomach? I was reading online after you ladies posted about doing it. My last PG I remember the OB saying I should sleep on my side (not stomach, not back) and even said which side (I forget) but maybe that was later in the pregnancy. I swear I forget everything from 1 minute ago.

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