Sleeping position in pregnancy

[anicca79]

Hi everyone, I'm seeking to put my mind at rest on this one. The advice seems to be to sleep on your left side from 16 weeks and though I attempt this I always wake up on my back! Hard to break sleeping habits of a lifetime. I guess later on it will be more uncomfortable to sleep on your back anyway but wondered if others were worried by this advice? Thanks

 

[GF91]

As you get bigger laying on your back causes the weight of baby/placenta/everything else can cause restriction to your arteries- however my consultant always told me to sleep however I was comfortable as when you become uncomfortable you'll change position anyway meaning you'll never spend long enough laying on your back to cause an issue. Sleeping on your left side maximises blood flow but I would honestly sleep however your comfortable. By the time you wake up you probably haven't been on your back for a long period of time x

 

[candymycandy]

The theory is that your body will wake you up if sleeping on your back is causing any physical issues, or as GF says you'll change positions anyway. I found it too uncomfortable when I was big enough for back sleeping to cause issue and was always on my left because I suffered terribly with heartburn!

 

[anicca79]

Thanks very much for your reassurances. I thought that must be the case that you would naturally move but wasn't sure

 

[Kimi89]

I always try to fall asleep on my left but I've been struggling with hip pain (especially my left) for 3 months so I end up rolling on to my back when I'm asleep anyway, this is most comfortable position for me. Trying to move back on my left is actually painful with my hip and carpal tunnel in my left wrist ☹️

 

[Blank_Page]

I'm concerned because I've always been a front sleeper with one leg up so that my knee reaches my face and the other leg out long. I've tried to make myself lie on my left as much as possible but its the most uncomfortable sleeping position for me, and I usually wake up on my front. Hopefully as bump grows I won't be able to even go near my front but at the moment its tiny as I'm only 14 weeks with my first

 

[firstfreakout]

Blank_Page, I was the same. Kind of like a recovery position sleeper, but more on the tummy. I found I was still waking up like that/only able to get comfortable in that position until well past 20 weeks - and I had a big bump by then!

I'm 33+1 now and I sometimes wake up on my back. Because of sciatica-type pain which also affects my legs and shoulders sometimes, I find it super hard to get comfortable.

I kinda view it as if we feel comfortable, then it can't be that bad for baby. Sometimes if I'm lying on my back for a short time, I start to feel a bit sick because baby's weight is then leaning into my back, so I'm sure if that was the case during sleep too, sleep self would move - if that makes sense?

 

[JoeyClare]

I try to sleep on my left, but I'd be uncomfortable sleeping on that side all the time, so sometimes move to my right. I used to sleep on my front.

 

[Belfa]

I'm a front sleeper too and the pregnancy pillow really helps as i roll on to it and get kept on my side rather than my front. I got a fright the other morning as at 16weeks with my second baby I have a bump already and it was sore from sleeping on my front so I knew it was time to get the old pillow out!x