Best Sleeping Position at This Point?

EricaLeeann · November 2015

Hi there! I have read a bit on sleeping positions while pregnant; left side legs bent is best, avoid back sleeping is essentially what I've gathered. My question is, does anyone know when exactly you're supposed to follow this? I frequently turn from side to back to find a comfy spot, but don't want to do anything wrong. I figure being only 11 weeks, back sleeping should be fine still though... right?

VikingGirl12 · November 2015

I think the reason you shouldn't back sleep when pregnant is so that you dont cut off circulation of blood to the baby due to the weight pressed on a nerve in your back. Baby won't be heavy enough to put any pressure on any nerves or veines yet. My dr always told me to sleep how I am comfortable. You'll find sleeping on your back isn't comfortable in the coming months.

Forgive me if my answer isn't medically correct. It's just along those lines

goldie987 · November 2015

I believe the general rule is 20 weeks but like @VikingGirl12 said, you'll be uncomfortable in the unsafe positions long before it becomes dangerous for your baby.

june2016baby · November 2015

I don't understand this either. They say left is better than the right side, but that the right side is still fine. I want to know if there are any studies on women who slept exclusively on their right sides versus their left side during their pregnancies. Every time I roll on my right side, I feel guilty. I wish I felt more comfortable with it.

jerseygirl9090 · November 2015

I always wake up in the morning and I'm on my back. I toss and turn a lot now when I sleep though so I bought a body pillow and that helps me stay sleeping on my sides. I already feel uncomfortable when I'm laying on my stomach.

itsbronte · November 2015

With my first, I knew it was definitely time to switch from sleeping on my back to sleeping on my side when I woke up on my back, and both my legs were numb from the weight of the baby ha. I've adopted the "sleep whenever I can, in whatever position I can" mentality. I think our bodies are pretty good at telling us what is best if we listen to them. I'm usually a back sleeper, so with baby #1 I didn't switch to exclusively side sleeping until probably around 18-20 weeks. This time I'm at 12 weeks and my body is already letting me know it's more comfortable to sleep on my side. Like PP said, getting a body pillow can really help keep you on your side if you're worried about it.

CopperLane · November 2015

june2016baby said:
I don't understand this either. They say left is better than the right side, but that the right side is still fine. I want to know if there is any studies on woman who slept exclusively on their right sides versus their left. Everytime I roll on my right side, I feel guilty. I wish I felt more comfortable with it.

Right side is fine

left side is suggested because it is the most up right position of the valve between your esophagus and stomach (aside from standing) which minimizes heart burn. Sleeping on your right side you are more prone to heartburn because the sphincter points down more than up.

arteduc8 · November 2015

When I asked my doctor, she said I'd be uncomfortable sleeping on my back before I'd need to make the switch. She said the weight of the baby puts pressure on an important artery and that's why to avoid it. She made it sound like I'd wake up and have trouble breathing before it caused damage if I did roll onto my back. She said that laying on the left side may let more blood flow to the baby and if LO isn't moving around a lot to try that. She said right side is fine. I think she said 20 weeks.

adiaz132003 · November 2015

Actually sleeping on the left is supposed to be better because it doesn't allow pressure to be put on a certain vein. Arteries have higher pressure and therefore lower risk of getting pinched. It's just a theory though and I don't think there is proof that sleeping on your right is damaging cause, while sleeping, our bodies will naturally adjust to fix blood flow issues.

ashleyrobertson0113 · November 2015

My doctor said its because the Vena Cava is on the back right and is more likely to get compressed if you lay on your back or right side. However they said that if it was getting compressed you would know if something was wrong because you would start to have a loss of feeling in your extremities from poor blood circulation long before it would harm the baby.

likeabel · November 2015

I had to go to the cardiologist around 30 weeks with DS for some tests. I thought my heart would randomly start racing but the dr determined I had one of the most boring hearts he'd ever seen.

At any rate they did an echo which is a US of the heart and had me lay on my left side for the majority of it. Not sure if that's because blood flows better or that's just the side of the room they put the bed on. Then they had me roll on my back for a few measurments and my heart rate immediately went up 30bpm. The tech was fascinated.

At some point in the next 10ish weeks you'll hit the point where it is more comfortable on your side. My OB has never specified a side, not even for tracking fetal movement. Maybe the left is slightly better but not life changing better. Plus you getting as much sleep as possible will be better for LO than you exclusively staying on your left side and being miserable.

michelle_shelle · November 2015

@june2016baby, I believe the reason they say left side over right, has to do with reflux, heartburn and ingestion. It makes it harder for acid to move upwards when you are on your left side. Don't quote me however.

Emztron500 · November 2015

Last pregnancy I had to lie on my back for an ultrasound at 38 weeks and it took like an hour. No one had any concerns about me being on my back that long. Except for me, because I was INCREDIBLY uncomfortable. Like, it was so bad, I was having this dramatic internal monologue about "how am I going to survive labour when I can barely survive this goddamn ultrasound!?" Anyway what I'm trying to say is yes, you will definitely be aware when back sleeping becomes a problem. It hurts just to have the weight of your baby pressing down on you, and it will make you feel short of breath and your legs will go numb. If you roll onto your back and feel A-OK, then you're A-OK to be in that position.

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