Calling all stomach sleepers!

spatter1 · October 2015

I am an exclusive stomach sleeper and I'm starting to have anxiety about how I'm going to sleep when I can't sleep on my tummy anymore. I've started sleeping with a long pillow next to me to get used to it (think I'll eventually get some kind of body pillow). How are my fellow stomach sleepers dealing and at what point did you stop sleeping on your stomach? When it got uncomfortable? Or is there a certain point in pregnancy when you really shouldn't sleep on your stomach regardless of how big (or small) you are? Appreciate any insight!

ladylolly89 · October 2015

I was an exclusive stomach sleeper, and I stopped at around 11 weeks when it became too uncomfortable. I thought it would have been more difficult to stop, but honestly the discomfort became bad enough that I couldn't sleep that way anyway!
I've been sleeping with a long body pillow, and that has helped a lot with the transition.
I'm not sure when it actually becomes unsafe; my OB's nurse told me just to stop when I wasn't comfortable any more.

NachosAndPeaches · October 2015

You can sleep on it safely as long as you're comfortable! Same with back sleeping. Your body will tell you when it's time to stop that. No need to preemptively change habits.

erind228 · October 2015

I'm a stomach sleeper....I've been kicking my leg out to the side a little to take some pressure off of my belly. Eventually, it just becomes too uncomfortable and then I switch to whichever position I can get comfortable in. That gets harder as the pregnancy wears on.

JulienneNicole · October 2015

I am 17 weeks 3 days and still a stomach sleeper. I have had to start using a pillow (I have hated sleeping on pillows my whole life, idk why but I move off of them in my sleep every time) so my neck didn't hurt. Same as PPs my doc said my body will tell me if it is not a good idea and make me move. So for now I am good to go!

RoseShadow873 · October 2015

I'm a stomach sleeper too and I discovered 2 new sleep positions. There is more than stomach, back, right side and left side. There is like half stomach right side and half stomach left side. So I do this a lot, where I'm like half on my stomach but partially turned I guess. It's hard to explain I guess. I'm not totally an exclusive stomach sleeper either so I'm not that stressed (but it is my preference). I realized if I want to roll over in bed I have to roll on my back and not my stomach.

Sincera4 · October 2015

Get a snoggle or other maternity pillow and I sleep on my side but resting tummy on pillow leaning toward sleeping on belly. You will get used to it. You can switch sides too to see what's more comfy.

mrstrax · October 2015

I'm generally a "recovery position" sleeper (one knee up and head to the side, so to fall asleep I usually tuck a pillow beneath the bent knee. I woke up fully on my stomach the entirety of my first pregnancy. It apparently wasn't comfortable enough to fall asleep, but not enough to wake me up.

Joness11 · October 2015

I'm in just the opposite boat - I've always slept exclusively on my back (if you watch the Big Bang theory I sleep just like Sheldon lol - like a mummy or a vampire lol) and I don't know how I'm going to cope with changing positions! I guess it will eventually be too uncomfortable to sleep on my back but I've been trying to sleep on my side with a bunch of pillows around me to keep me from rolling over on my back.

AmadorRose · October 2015

I was a stomach sleeper until about 11 weeks when my boobs became so tender that I couldn't take the pressure on them. My body just turned itself, if that makes sense. Now I can't fall asleep on my stomach because it's so uncomfortable- and makes me feel like I have to pee constantly.

wildtot · October 2015

I stopped around 11 weeks as well. Just started feeling uncomfortable. I switched to my back and training myself on the sides. I have to hug a pillow to be on my sides. From what iv heard and read, sleeping on the back will eventually not be good due to the weight of the baby and the large vein down the back. Im considering a pregnancy pillow at the moment.

elasticheart13 · October 2015

Like AmadorRose, I had to quit sleeping on my stomach when my boobs were sore and tender, so I shifted to a half-side/half-recovery position. Now that my boobs have stopped hurting me I'm back to sleeping on my stomach lol. I know my body will find a way to make it work once it gets uncomfortable, like it did when my boobs hurt. I am just going to enjoy sleeping on my stomach now for as long as it's still physically possible for me :P

NachosAndPeaches · October 2015

RoseShadow873 said:
I'm a stomach sleeper too and I discovered 2 new sleep positions. There is more than stomach, back, right side and left side. There is like half stomach right side and half stomach left side. So I do this a lot, where I'm like half on my stomach but partially turned I guess. It's hard to explain I guess. I'm not totally an exclusive stomach sleeper either so I'm not that stressed (but it is my preference). I realized if I want to roll over in bed I have to roll on my back and not my stomach.

This is how I slept til I delivered (38 weeks). Sort of on the side of my stomach with my hips facing the bed but then my torso gradually turning so my belly was on the side. I didn't get huge so luckily it worked for me the entire time!

NachosAndPeaches · October 2015

Joness11 said:
I'm in just the opposite boat - I've always slept exclusively on my back (if you watch the Big Bang theory I sleep just like Sheldon lol - like a mummy or a vampire lol) and I don't know how I'm going to cope with changing positions! I guess it will eventually be too uncomfortable to sleep on my back but I've been trying to sleep on my side with a bunch of pillows around me to keep me from rolling over on my back.

Keep doing it til you can't! When you shouldn't be doing it, your body will immediately tell you, trust me. By 30 something weeks I couldn't even lay down for my ultrasounds. I had to do them almost sitting up straight lol, and I couldn't lean back in the dentist chair! Trust me when you aren't able to breath you will NOT want to sleep on your back. If you're able to you could sleep on several pillows or even a comfy recliner lazyboy type chair where you're upright enough that you can breathe but still "back sleeping"

loveymay · October 2015

I haven't had to change sleeping positions yet. I still sleep on my stomach and on my back. I usually fall asleep on my stomach/side and wake up on my back. So far, no position has been uncomfortable, thankfully!

spatter1 · October 2015

Thanks for the tips ladies!! @RoseShadow873 I've started doing the half stomach half side sleep thing too actually! I guess I will keep sleeping on my stomach until I'm not comfortable anymore.

@AmadorRose my boobs are also sore but actually I think the more annoying thing is my nipples are so sensitive and not in a good way! (Sorry if that's TMI). I have to slowly wiggle into the right position when I go to bed. So, stomach sleeping might not last much longer for me if this keeps up.

AmadorRose · November 2015

spatter1 said:
Thanks for the tips ladies!! @RoseShadow873 I've started doing the half stomach half side sleep thing too actually! I guess I will keep sleeping on my stomach until I'm not comfortable anymore.

@AmadorRose my boobs are also sore but actually I think the more annoying thing is my nipples are so sensitive and not in a good way! (Sorry if that's TMI). I have to slowly wiggle into the right position when I go to bed. So, stomach sleeping might not last much longer for me if this keeps up.

I've never been chesty, but I can't wear a bra to bed and I need to fall asleep and stay asleep in the same position because the girls are just big enough to get the edges pinched under my arms, which wakes me up and then I can't fall back asleep. I honestly don't know how women with an actual rack do it.

Pinguinageddon · November 2015

It's getting to the point where it hurts to sleep on my stomach, so I'll turn to one side and the other until i fall asleep... But I keep finding myself on my tummy when I wake up, aches and all.
It worries me a bit for falling asleep while breast feeding in the future!

spatter1 · November 2015

@AmadorRose me either! I'm very small chested and my boobs haven't gotten much bigger so far this pregnancy. I don't know how ladies with big boobs deal!

jksmith87 · November 2015

Get a pregnancy pillow!!! I just recently started feeling uncomfortable on my stomach so I switched to sleeping on my sides and I would toss and turn all night, wake up with hip pain, and always just had a natural urge to roll onto my stomach. I got a U shaped pregnancy pillow for $50 on Amazon and it's amazing! It's so comfortable that I sleep through the night without waking up at all, and I'm wedged between the two sides so I don't have the urge (or option) to go on my stomach. Good luck!

ejled · November 2015

I'm still stomach sleeping (14w) but not exclusively, I can sometimes fall asleep on my back. It is generally most comfortable on my stomach, and neither boobs nor belly have gotten in the way yet. But, I am definitely NOT a side sleeper. I should probably start half side sleeping (or at least dream about it) so I can be prepped to do that in these next couple weeks. Glad I checked this thread. Thanks for the suggestions!

Dmurphy10 · November 2015

I am also I stomach sleeper and not looking forward to the day that I can no longer sleep on my stomach. I do normally wake up on my back though as well. Looks like I will have to look into a pregnancy pillow once sleeping on my stomach becomes uncomfortable. Does anyone have any recommendations on pregnancy pillows?

K&Elizabeth · November 2015

The last 2 nights were the first where it actually hurt to sleep on my stomach. Seriously no other position is usually as comfy as stomach sleeping. With DD I got one of those boppy sleeping pillows, but it was so cumbersome to move every time I moved in bed. This time, I've started wedging (cute) a pillow in between the belly and bed while on my side and it *almost* is as comfortable. Almost.

AmadorRose · November 2015

spatter1 said:
@AmadorRose me either! I'm very small chested and my boobs haven't gotten much bigger so far this pregnancy. I don't know how ladies with big boobs deal!

Seriously. I'll never wish for boobs again - I don't know how people handle this on a daily basis and I'm still shy of a C cup.

cmjenkies · November 2015

Oh, life with D's. I sleep in a bra (usually a sports bra) pretty much every night. They don't really bother me but total stomach sleeping can get uncomfortable for sure because of them. Wooo

pinottoparenthood · November 2015

My doctor told me not to sleep on my back after 20 weeks. I would say sleep on your stomach as long as it's comfortable. Also with the body pillow, you can still sleep sort of on your back or stomach but just wedge the pillow under you so you're sort of halfway on your side. That's what I did during my last pregnancy because sleeping directly on my sides gave me intense hip pains.

melandyga · November 2015

I've moved into the "recovery position" now, too. I pulled out my body pillow from my last pregnancy, but haven't used it that much yet and I'm 18 1/2 wks. You don't have to spend big bucks on a pregnancy pillow. I bought two cheap body pillows at Walmart and put them both in a silky, body pillow case (also from Walmart). One wasn't "tall" enough to keep from really sleeping on my stomach, but two is just right!

kaitlyn592 · November 2015

I'm not an exclusive stomach sleeper but I do find myself preferring my stomach while falling asleep. I'm 16w5d and my remedy is to hike one leg up so it's bent at the knee. This essentially lifts my stomach off the mattress so I don't feel uncomfortable. I guess it's similar to what a body pillow would be doing since it somewhat puts you on your side while still having your head and top torso facing down.

efflerc11 · November 2015

AmadorRose said:

spatter1 said:
@AmadorRose me either! I'm very small chested and my boobs haven't gotten much bigger so far this pregnancy. I don't know how ladies with big boobs deal!
Seriously. I'll never wish for boobs again - I don't know how people handle this on a daily basis and I'm still shy of a C cup.

Haha! I used to always think "I could have bigger boobs, that would be cool" then I told DH the other night "my boobs feel heavy! Is this what it's like for all my friends with D+??"
It's a weird feeling to have heavy boobs.
Edit:
I had to stop stomach sleeping pretty early on, just because my nipples were too sore to lay on them! I'm glad that has calmed down a little.

spatter1 · November 2015

So now I'm finding that stomach sleeping isn't necessarily uncomfortable because of my not-really-there bump, but more bc I've been getting really gas-y at night and being on my stomach seems to make it worse. My husband is so lucky

I'm still using my king size pillow and basically hugging that all night and it's definitely getting easier. Might need a real maternity pillow when I get bigger though!

andrag44 · November 2015

I use a long body pillow it helps. With the big boobies- Ha, not pregnant I am a DD. Last pregnancy I was an E!! yea, that means ELEPHANT!

Haha you gotta do a sports bra at night to keep those girls in place, it doesn't have to be a tight one, but you can't go all National Geographic.

emgee27 · November 2015

efflerc11 said:

AmadorRose said:

spatter1 said:
@AmadorRose me either! I'm very small chested and my boobs haven't gotten much bigger so far this pregnancy. I don't know how ladies with big boobs deal!
Seriously. I'll never wish for boobs again - I don't know how people handle this on a daily basis and I'm still shy of a C cup.
Haha! I used to always think "I could have bigger boobs, that would be cool" then I told DH the other night "my boobs feel heavy! Is this what it's like for all my friends with D+??"
It's a weird feeling to have heavy boobs.
Edit:
I had to stop stomach sleeping pretty early on, just because my nipples were too sore to lay on them! I'm glad that has calmed down a little.

Same for me. I had to stop stomach sleeping (exclusive stomach-sleeper here) around 6 weeks because my boobs would ache so badly the rest of the day from the pressure. Mine feel heavy now too, very dense, even though I'm the same bra size.

I do the half-stomach sleep sometimes like other ladies described, but I also enjoy this half-back-half-side thing I've been doing. I essentially wedge the pregnancy pillow behind me, under my rear and back so I'm partly on my back but it's raised on one side like I can almost roll to the side. Does that even make sense? I wedge another pillow under my belly too. My poor DH is left with about 1/4 of the bed.

whitleytk23 · November 2015

I am a for sure stomach sleeper. But, I switched ends of the bed (random) and sleep on my left side. Both legs bent with a pillow between them. I woke back up in the same position. I was shocked myself.

seasidesweete · November 2015

I haven't had any issues sleeping in any position since the boobs quit hurting. Although I wake up a lot but not sure if that is due to time change or pregnancy! With dd I got the huge pregnancy pillow and made it like a nest so I could sleep on my stomach still. I just fit my belly in the hole with the pillow all around me!

SN: As a large chested woman I have always wished for smaller ones! Grass is always greener!

AmadorRose · November 2015

andrag44 said:
I use a long body pillow it helps. With the big boobies- Ha, not pregnant I am a DD. Last pregnancy I was an E!! yea, that means ELEPHANT!
Haha you gotta do a sports bra at night to keep those girls in place, it doesn't have to be a tight one, but you can't go all National Geographic.

I'm National Geographic every chance I get! Free the tatas!

andrag44 · November 2015

Haha. I just can't do it! Too uncomfortable.

mumistheword · November 2015

I've been doing the one leg half up and on my belly most of the time and it has been okay still. I think the worst part is that my DH and I are very snugly sleepers most of the time and he usually likes to throw his leg up over my back or tummy. I swear now when he is half asleep and forgets and tosses it on me I panic because it's so uncomfortable. I don't think the baby appreciates it either, because it always moves around like nuts when he does it. And I miss the snugs! Although, I suppose its all worth it because after the 9 months I'll get snuggle time with the hubs and the baby. What could be better than that?!

Calling all stomach sleepers!

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