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I know that at some stage I'm not supposed to lie on my back anymore (when is that?). So anyway, I've been trying to sleep on my side, but I keep waking up lying on my back (in pain). Do you have any suggestions for how I can keep myself lying on my side while I'm sleeping?
Im not exactly sure when u should start sleeping on ur side..(i started as soon as i found out i was pregnant) As i sleep on my tummy it was hard for me to adjust, i would lay on my side place a pillow behind my back and put a small one infront of me and one in between my legs!! it was the only way i could get comfy!
if your waking in pain I would definetly try not to sleep on your back.
You don't have to sleep completley on your side iether though.
You can sleep with a pillow under half your bum, just to prop you on a little angle.
It's mainly to take the pressure off your back and the blood supply that goes to your legs and bubs. I think it's the inferior vena carva. Although sleeping on your side can encourage bubs to move into position.
I have been lucky an havn't had too many problems with sleeping. I wake up on my side, no matter how I go to sleep.
Pillows, pillows, pillows, LOL. Arrange them however you are most comfy. If you like sleeping on your back you can prop yourself up into a semi reclined position with pillows - just a little bit is enough to take the pressure off aparently.
You can buy moulded pregnancy pillows too - full body ones that you can arrange a few different ways to keep yourself comfy. (I didn't find out about them til late in my pregnancy... I'm going to get one for my next one for sure!)
It's not so much a big deal, I sometimes still wake up on my back, but unless you feel light headed, nauseas, pain etc... I dont think it's an issue!
BUT as you say you wake in poain, I'd stuff pillows wherever are comfy for you so you can sleep without pain^& maybe on your side!??
I got one of the body pillows. It is fantastic!! it was only $15 from spotlight, and is almost as long as your body. So you can wrap yourself around it & get comfy! I think I'll keep it even after I've had the bub ;) DH calls it 'Mr Long' LOL
The reason you're not meant to sleep on your back is as the baby gets bigger it can put pressure on your spinal cord (I think this is what I was told). So it is in the last trimester.
But as Tracey says... I don't think it is a huge deal. I found that side sleeping was getting really uncomfortable when I was first pregnant. I put pillows under my legs to raise them up and it took pressure off my back.
Like others said, I got one of those 'V' pillows (just a cheapy from a department store) - and I would put one side under my belly, and the other side between my legs. It also became a good feeding pillow when the baby arrived. To prevent you from rolling onto your back, you can also wedge a pillow along your back as well.
Yeah.. I asked my OB about it last time, and he said while it's true that it can cut off blood supply to bub/legs or whatever.. he said you'll feel sick and will instictivley change position anyway before anything dangerous happens.
I would doubt any pg woman would be taking sleeping pills or drinking alcohol, putting them into an unnatural sleep where you wouldnt' wake if it was uncomfortable.
I find myself still sleeping on my back. I wouldnt' worry too much about it yet. But as you get bigger, definitely invest in some pillows! hehe. I had to have one under my belly when on my side.. it felt like it was pulling otherwise.
I think it is after 26 weeks .........
Thanks everyone! It sounds like it's time to go get a body pillow!! I've been meaning to for a while, but just haven't gotten around to it?
A question - with all those pillows around you, do you ever feel like you are on an island in bed? I usually cuddle up close to DH when I'm sleeping - but it sounds like he will be kept at a distance by the pillows!!
Hey Ezz,
Sometimes I use DH as my pillow, draping my leg over him instead of having the pillow in bed. He can't fall asleep with me touching him so we usually snuggle for a while and then I grab the pillow.
As for the sleeping on the back issue, the physio at the hospital said it was fine if you are not waking in pain. She said she slept on her back her whole pregnancy as that was comfortable, so don't stress if you wake up on your back. Like the others said, I use a pillow under one side (of my bottom :)) and it kind of makes me lean over a bit, which is more comfortable.
Good luck!
LOL - Dragonbub - I use DH as the pillow under my leg too! I have a pillow on one side of me, and DH on the other :) Altho, at the moment, I have a 1 year old between us most of the time.. so not sure what I'll do this time around if he's still in our bed! hehe
I'd love to sleep on my back again but I feel like I am being smothered by this big ball on my stomach! This bub is waaay to heavy... I did sleep on my back sometimes until about 30 wks I think, I just moved when I got uncomfortable.
They tell you to sleep on your left side. ATM I am comfortable on my left, but have a sore neck and it only stops hurting if I'm on my right! If I can, and I feel comfy enough to, I put a pillow behind my back to prop me up. But then I wake up with reeeealy bad back pain and paaainful hips. Or without the prop pillow, my hips are in so much pain. Takes forever to roll over coz they feel like they're about to break. I have a body pillow but dont use it coz I'm uncomfy and theres' not much room left for my dh.
hth
I use a body pillow and it helps me sleep on my side... i must say it is like havng 3 in the bed though!!!! Poor DH does not get a lot of room!!! I also put another pillow behind me which stops me rolling too much and keeps me comfy. The bosy pillow is great and sometimes i even find DH snuggling into it from his side!!!
I found sleeping on my side to be the most comfortable, especially late in my pregnancy. I made a pillow fort and took up most of the bed (poor hubby had no room!) and I basically stuffed a skinny pillow in behind my back for support, a fat pillow between my knees and another skinny pilloe under my belly and I lay on my side. I found that when I was on my back, especially during my third trimester that I would feel very dizzy, short of breath and my back would hurt. I was advised by a physio and my yoga teacher to try to avoid sleeping flat on my back after about 15 weeks (and to really make an effort not to after 30 weeks), but that it was ok to sleep on my back if I was in a reclined position. They both said it was to do with how your babys weight can put too much pressure on a particular blood vessel or vein or something (sorry cant remember now) and this can make you feel light-headed and ill.
this is confusing, as so many ppl have been told many diff things!!
i am a tummy sleeper and back sleeper and stil find myself waking up on my tummy.
i can fall alseep on my side but wake up in pain in my hips half way thru the night,
we have a huge bed but hubby always sleep int he very centre on his back spread eagle so i wake up hanging out of bed!!!
dont know how this wil work when i get bigger hehe
Lying on my side feel's like I'm lying on the baby and after awhile I wake up with really sore hips, so basically I roll around from side to side all night long!
I find lying on my back in bed most comfortable its a bummer to have to avoid it!
I have finally found a comfortable way to sleep!!
I have bought a body pillow and I wedge that behind my back and between my legs (that stops me from rolling onto my back). Then, I put a small pillow under my belly.
I've successfully slept like this for a few nights now (YAY!). Thanks everyone for your suggestions!!
I was always told that if you wake and are on your back to roll over.. it has only been this week that I wake when I am on my back and feel uncomfortable.. the reason you wake is because your body knows you shouldn't be on your back kwim?
Relax and just roll on your side when it happens.. Or if you are waking to often sleep slightly elevated so there isn't as much pressure