Sleeping while Pregnant

It has to do with where our heart is and blood flow I think. I've read it a few times, but of course can remember exacts. Hopefully someone on here can. I do both sides. I start on my left, but do switch. As long as it isn't your back, you are fine. I also slept on my tummy until there was a bump. Doc said all was fine with that! :) Take care and believe me......whatever way you can sleep is great in the beginning, b/c by the time you get to my size sleeping is not great and not often! Hugs!

I asked about this at the OB- he said its not really an issue until you are uncomfortable in certain positions- and obviously you would move. He said being on your back can be uncomfortable once you get big and that being on your stomach is nothing to worry about until like you start feeling uncomfortable... he didnt seem stressed about it-

Basically just get comfy soemhow. Ive been laying a pillow along my body and kinda laying on that- it has helped?

Thanks ladies! So uncomfortable move...I can remember that...haha.

I use 3 pillows at night, one at my head, one at my arms, chest and belly and one inbetween my legs. Im going to order a big body pillow off ebay here soon. Its great and can be used once the baby is here to set them in and stuff. I cant wait :)

Thanks again ladies :)

Jolene, I always tossed and turned and sometimes ended up on my back and when I did, I would just roll over :)

Unfortunately it's gonna get harder to find a comfy position but I used a body pillow and loved it. Jay hated it cause it was big, but it worked well for me and my comfort especially in the later part of my pregnancy :)

Ive seen those- I kinda make something similar with all my pillows... LOL it is somewhat cumbersome in the bed- and takes up a lot of space, but aAHHHHH if I could just be there now...

Good thing is that as soon as you deliver, you get really good sleep and you're not up peeing every hour. lol :) oh and the heartburn goes away too :)

Thanks Sarah, I might just have to order one now, but I just remembered I have a HUGE body pillow in our guest bedroom. I can soo totally use that for one side and my other body pillow for the other and work out great. I think thats what im going to do...haha. Im surrounded in pillows at night...haha.

Im soo glad to hear all the peeing and heartburn goes away, and I bet the sleep is just amazing cause you probably just go right to sleep :)

Lori I so want to be in my bed now too. I could but I HATE HATE HATE sleeping during the day especially if its sunny outside, I dont know what it is, I think its I feel like im missing something, plus I have work to do and well im about to head out and go shopping for some maternity pants, and cute babydoll tops :)

My doctor just told me to do what is comfortable and never put any restrictions on me!

Same with my doctor Liane.

Does anyone else get heartburn if they sleep on their right side? It's so odd. Left side, no heartburn. Right side, heartburn. Maybe it's my body's way of making me go to the left side.

Jolene, I can totally understand how you are feeling.. I have heard that sleeping on your left side is better, especially as you get into the 2nd trimester, but honestly my dr has not mentioned a thing about it. I tend to toss and turn a lot in the middle of the night and sometimes wake up on one side and my hips just ache.. I will lay on my back from time to time for just a little bit and love every minute of it. We can only do the best we can, but getting some sleep in a comfortable position is better than none at all.. Have you tried any body pillows.. I have the Snoogle pillow and really like wrapping it around me. Acutally, I should say part way around me because I am about 6' tall. :) So happy for you and DH and know you are going to be a great mommy. Take care of you...

Hey! No big deal to end up waking up on your back in the middle of the night. It only really starts to be a concern after 20 weeks, when the weight of everything can compress major blood vessels in the abdomen. But even then, you'll wake up hurting and needing to roll over before any damage is done! (Happens to me nightly! :o)

Its good tht you are getting used to laying on your side. I usually put a pillow between my knees and that helps a bit.. but, I wake up about every 1 to 1 1/2 hours to swtich sides, b/c laying on one side too long makes that whole side ache from all of the weight on it.. haha.

Oh wait.. the reason its "best" on your left side is b/c that gets the most blood to the baby the easiest.

If you have bad heartburn, laying on your right side is best b/c it helps digestion. ;)

Yeah it is best to sleep on your left side because that is the way your body circulates...blood and your bowel movements all move down your left side..and also they said that breathing is best on your left side i am not sure about that but they said that it has to do with circulation and everything..at least that is what they teach us in nursing school to lay people on their left side because that is the way the body circulates..so i am not sure though..

so its not okay to sleep on your back while pregnant?

I was the same thing, Jolene. I would always find myself sleeping on my back a lot, then just turn when I started to feel uncomfortable. I started sleeping on my left when I was already feeling the weight on my lungs when my tummy was getting too big around the second trimester.

Anyway, the explanation of sleeping on the left instead of the right is the superior vena cava that is found on the right atrium of your heart. That's the vein that returns blood from the head and neck, upper limbs, and thorax. To make it short, if you sleep on your right, it can block this vein and can block the blood flow to your baby too. But so far, my doc hasn't really specified to me to sleep on my left all the time. According to her, your body will know when you think you're putting your baby in danger. Just don't be too pressed about it. Keeping a relaxed mind and getting enough sleep is important, so don't let it bother you as much. :-)

yep I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, the only problem now is that the baby wakes for a feeding every 2hours and when you're in a dead sleep it's soooo hard to open your eyes and get out of bed. But once I am up and feeding him, I wake up :)

Thanks ladies and I thought about buying one of the big body pillows for pregnancy, but I have a huge one in my guest bedroom, and then my king pillow on my bed and then 2 smaller queen sized pillows, so I will be totally surrounded like the other pillow, so if that works I will continue to do that if not then I will buy the big body pillow :)

Thanks for all the info I wont worry to much if I sleep on the right side I guess as I do sleep on left more then right. All this talk about bed and stuff is making me exhausted :)

LOL!! I hear ya! Esp. now that it's been gloomy and rainy for the past few days now...picturing fluffy pillows really makes you want to snuggle up and sleep...and you're in the stage where you are always exhausted. I've heard that the Boppy Body pillow is great for pregnant women. I haven't used it, but I've heard a lot of good stuff about it. Well, I'm sleeping a lot on my right side, then I just switch when I feel sore from being on that position for a long time. hehe!

those big pregnancy pillows are the best!

Aww Lexie you are soo lucky to have rainy weather its been soo sunny here well this weekend was kinda gloomy but for the most part sunny I think...haha.

Im bringing in my big body pillow from the guest bedroom tonight into the master bedroom I cant wait. Its sooooo BIG and if that works I will be happy if not then Im getting a pregnancy pillow :)

good luck jolene!

Thanks sweetie :)

yw :)