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I keep waking up in the night and find I'm laying on my back. I'm 16 weeks so into the 2nd trimester where they say to limit laying on your back. I'm a bit concerned as I've read it can cut off supply to the baby (either blood or oxygen) due to one of the arteries being compressed when on your back. How do you prevent yourself from doing this?
I do it too and I'm almost 37 wks pg! It's really uncomfy now but that's the way I normally sleep. I try not to do it but can't help what I do when I'm sleeping!! I just roll over and go back to sleep. I sleep with a pillow behind me if DH is at work on night shift, but most nights, I just have to accept it and rool over, otherwise DH wouldn't fit in the bed, LOL.
I wouldn't be too concerned. You would know if it was causing a problem because you would also feel unwell...dizzy. At 16 weeks the baby isn't really big enough to cause too much compresion. So don't be concerned, they do push this issue a lot (and freak a lot of women out unnecessarily), not all women have problems with compressing the inferior vena cava. So stress less, enjoy your pregnancy and enjoy your sleep in whatever position you find comfortable.:)
1timemum - I'm with Kellie lately I have been waking up on my back too. Not alot you can do and I havent really been too concerned about it anyway.
Only thing I could suggest is to maybe pack some pillows around you - I always place one behind me before I go to sleep that way if I do roll over I'm at least not laying completely flat.
I also wouldn't worry, I used to roll onto my back at night, it wasn't until I was a lot bigger (about 30 weeks +) that it was an issue because I got dizzy from being on my back.
If you're really worried you could sleep in a large t-shirt and tie a tennis ball onto the back of the t-shirt using a rubber band, that way if you roll onto your back you'll end up with a ball in the spine! That'll wake you up to roll back onto your side??
I'd just sleep with a pillow behind you so that if you roll over you are not flat. As long as you are on a slight incline you will be fine.
I agree with the girls. Don't lose sleep over it.
Since being pg I just can't seem to get off my back at night. I keep waking up on my back, but tbh atm it's just so comfy, I'm hardpressed to turn over on my side *sigh*
Me too!!! Just last night I woke up on my back and I was comfy but of course rolled onto my side then tried to wake bubs up to make sure he was alright - paranoid hey!!!
I put a pillow behind me too, but somehow still get there - even if my DD crawls into bed I still have enough room to find my way onto my back.
Makes me stress, but it doesn't make me feel sick so I try to think positively about it.
Bubs is moving this morning ;););)
I wouldn't stress too much, you'll generally know if blocking the artery cos you'll start feeling funny - dizzy and woozy. Well thats what happens to me. I always end up on my back (well used to until it started taking conscious effort and much physical exertion to roll over in bed PMSL) and would always wake up if I started to feel funny. I'd just roll back over onto my side, no harm done. Sometimes even now the most comfy spot is on my back for a little while because my hips just ache and I have a little pillow under my right hip and just turn a bit if I feel funny.
I found the exact same thing so I asked my Obstetrician. He said if you're not feeling dizzy & unwell then it's not a problem. But once you hit 26weeks you should avoid being flat on your back all together & make sure you roll to your side once you wake up. He said your body will react if it's doing you harm & you'll naturally roll out of that position, though once you wake up & realise you're on your back, turn on your side (after 26weeks). I now sleep on a incline so that when I wake up on my back I don't need to roll over. I have only been doing this for a few nights, but I'm sleeping much better since I put the extra pillows under me. I have also found that my sinus is a bit clearer from doing this too. Though occaisionally I wake up with a little bit of a sore neck.
Thank you so much for all those replies. I feel a lot less stressed now.
i often am in the same situation, thanks for the releif, i dont feel so worried now.
OMG Why did nobody ever tell me about this back lying thing??? lol
I just used a pillow behind my back and between my thighs...Mind you I slept on my tummy until I was 6.5 months...
Lay however you are comfy! :)
I sleep on my back. I can't sleep on my sides because it hurts my back. I told my ob about it, and he said it's fine but if you can put a pillow on one side underneath you just to slightly tilt your back its better. But its the most comfortable i can get at the moment.