sleeping on your back?

hrausch1 · June 2015

I was just wondering if anyone else sleeps on their back. I try to stay on my side but in the middle of the night i usually roll over cause i find it more comfortable.

redfallon · June 2015

I sleep on my back, tummy, whatever is comfortable. When it is uncomfortable to sleep on your back, you won't be able to. You don't really need to try to sleep on any position or avoid any positions. When you can't sleep a certain way, your body isn't going to let you sleep that way. You can't avoid positions while you are asleep, anyhow.

lmorganl · June 2015

I was really freaked out about sleeping on my back when I was pregnant with my daughter but I learned pretty quickly that your body tells you when you need to roll over. You eventually get really uncomfortable on your back after more than a few minutes once the baby gets big enough to make a difference. I try to sleep on my side with one knee up and a pillow up against my tummy...but not gonna lie I roll from side to side all night. Just one of the joys of being pregnant! By the last few weeks it was the leg cramps and heartburn keeping me up!

VegetaElPrincipe · June 2015

Wait, are you not supposed to sleep on your back?

redfallon · June 2015

When you get towards the end you probably won't be able to sleep on your back. Not sure why people are trying to avoid it this early.

jennknitspretty · June 2015

I asked my doc about it because I was worried about lying in bed on my back reading. She said starting around 20 weeks I'll want to stop being directly on my back but that all I have to do is tilt a little. Luckily I am mostly a side sleeper!

mbhurst1 · June 2015

I'm all over the place right now. Side, stomach and Back. When I start using my body pillow, I'll prob stay on my side

laurabwalker · June 2015

@jonesy226 basically once you are bigger your weight (of your uterus) slows blood return and oxygen is reduced getting to baby when on your back

daylynj · June 2015

I aksed my doctor this early on, as I was pretty paranoid. She said that laying on your back means laying flat on you back. You can prop your head/etc up on pillows or even put a pillow under your bum so you're tilted. She also said that your body will wake you up if you're uncomfortable. For the most part I've just been laying on my side with a pillow between my knees to help relieve the back pain.

laurabwalker · June 2015

You can also prop up the right side of your body with pillows, I do that some times!

VegetaElPrincipe · June 2015

Thanks ladies, I was about to panic. I can't manage to sleep any other way. I flop like a fish and thrash about all night according to my fiancé. I'm looking into a new body pillow.

grkgdss00 · June 2015

I'm not a back sleeper to begin with, so even when I get on my back I move. I'm sure once it matters it will be uncomfortable to you anyways. If it works for you now I'm sure it's fine, until baby gets larger and compresses organs, etc

mac-n-cheesy · June 2015

laurabwalker said:
@jonesy226 basically once you are bigger your weight (of your uterus) slows blood return and oxygen is reduced getting to baby when on your back

Exactly this from my OB too. My perinatologist advised me to lie on my left side as much as possible because it is optimum for blood flow and I have a two-cord vessel (99% or more of babies have a three vessel cord; I'm missing the left artery) so this is of particular concern to me.
Of course I have a pretty painful left hip injury from a marathon and lying on my left side is sometimes impossible. I probably annoy the crap out of my DH from all my nighttime shifting (:|

Melissadmag · June 2015

Later on when the baby is bigger it puts pressure on a very important artery (if I remember correctly) and can cut off the blood supply to the baby and your brain, but like other posters have said you don't really need to worry about it much until you get to the point that you are uncomfortable because your body wont really let you stay in that position regardless because it's just too uncomfortable anyway at that point.

ammnam14 · June 2015

I slept on my back last night and it felt like a cloud was cradling me lol. Why oh why does that feeling have to end soon?

Can someone explain to me why sleeping on the left side is preferred over the right side?

CMDD · June 2015

AudriannaMaria said:
I slept on my back last night and it felt like a cloud was cradling me lol. Why oh why does that feeling have to end soon?

Can someone explain to me why sleeping on the left side is preferred over the right side?

See above. It's because of the weight the baby puts on the vena cava, which returns blood from your legs back to the baby, your heart, etc

ammnam14 · June 2015

So that's why the left side is better? Huh, interesting.

redfallon · June 2015

Left side sleeping is a myth, as well as no back sleeping. I can't find the specific article now, but I read during DD's pregnancy that it was something that got taken way out of proportion from one study of a woman's blood pressure or something when she was sleeping. You can sleep however you want, as long as it's comfortable.

https://healthland.time.com/2011/05/05/true-or-false-20-common-myths-about-pregnancy/

ammnam14 · June 2015

Oh that's awesome! Thanks for the article!

@redfallon

redfallon · June 2015

There may be some slight advantage to sleeping on the left, but it's not the only position that is safe for you to sleep in and you don't have to avoid other positions. I mean, who can avoid whatever position while you are asleep? Your body is going to put you in the most comfortable position for you automatically while you are asleep. Of course, that may be sleeping sitting straight up on the couch.

skyeluv51 · June 2015

I just wanna sleep like this again!

kleshelle · June 2015

Last night I guess I rolled to my back and it woke me up bc it hurt for some reason so I rolled to my left side. Your body definitely tells you. Don't worry.

ktc18 · June 2015

I've noticed lately that when I lie on my back in bed watching tv or going to sleep my hands will start having numbness and tingling. If I change positions it alleviates it.

GardenMama116 · June 2015

I have always been a back sleeper. I have not asked my doc about it, but plan to. I am failing to understand why you aren't supposed to sleep on your back yet you are supine for labor and delivery. That hardly follows logic...

kleshelle · June 2015

GardenMama116 said:
I have always been a back sleeper. I have not asked my doc about it, but plan to. I am failing to understand why you aren't supposed to sleep on your back yet you are supine for labor and delivery. That hardly follows logic...

You're elevated with pillows and such, most nurses will have you on your left side or sitting up until it's about time to push. (Left side to help the baby get oxygen & sitting up lets gravity help bring the baby down more.)

jessica122015 · June 2015

I think people need to understand that your body will decide what is best for you. And I think people need to understand that when we become very very pregnant and our bellies get very big that sleeping on our back will be pretty much impossible. The weight and pressure of our babies will weigh down on us and make us uncomfortable.

groovylocks · June 2015

I sleep on my back too. I've tried my sides but i find them very awkward right now. I think it's ok. By the time it's a concern about blood flow etc, the baby is too big to be comfortable on your back anyway.

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