Accidentally slept on back last night...

[StrawberryFields]

I am 37 + 4 weeks and last night my ds woke up screaming about his legs hurting. I laid down to help him by rubbing his legs and putting my arm underneath him. I must have shifted onto my back and the next thing I knew I was waking up about 2 hours later. Flat on my back, arm still under ds. I rolled over right away and when I rolled over it felt insane, I could feel the whole baby lift off my back and move back into my belly. It definitely felt like I had been there for awhile because everything had really settled into place onto my spinal cord. This morning the baby seems to be moving normally but my lower back where he/she was sitting is super tingly and strange feeling.

Normally I am not very alarmist when it comes to pregnancy but I admit I am feeling a little worried about compromised blood flow to the baby for such a long period of time... I feel like I am so far along to be laying on my back!

Thoughts? Reassurance? Slaps upside the head?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I slept on my back all the time later in pg. I figured unless I was uncomfortable things where OK. Both kids came out healthy and happy

I really wouldnt give it another thought personally.

[Bluegoat]

If there was a problem, you wouldn't have been able to sleep that way, you would have felt funny from your compromised blood flow. People managed for a long time before books like WTEWYE started to tell them not to sleep on their backs.

[Cativari]

Don't worry about it. I'm almost 38 weeks and am still comfy on my back most of the time. It was the same the last two times around. The only time it became too uncomfortable to be on my back was during labor with DS, turns out his cord was wrapped 4x times around his neck (everything was fine he still had a jumprope cord even with it being wrapped so many times)

[StrawberryFields]

Whew! Good to know. I have never been able to lay on my back in later pregnancy. It always makes me really breathless and I feel like I am suffocating. I always thought that was probably my body's way of telling me that the baby wasn't getting enough oxygen. So waking up to discover that I had been passed out on my back for hours freaked me out... especially with how weird it felt to roll over and feel all that pressure release when the baby moved back into the right place.

[staceychev]

I actually talked to my midwife about this at my last appointment because I've been finding that laying on my back periodically throughout the night helps relieve the pain in my hips. Anyway, she said that the concern isn't actually with the fetus but with me, and that I'd know right away (dizziness, shortness of breath) if I was actually putting too much pressure on that vein (the name escapes me). She said as long as I feel OK while I'm on my back, to stick with it. So, I think you're fine.

[LemonPie]

Basically what everyone else said--you'd have woken up if the blood supply was compromised.

I had to go in for dental work with my first when I was 30-something weeks pregnant and they tipped the chair waaaay back. So uncomfortable. We were fine but I wish I'd spoken up and said something.

[cocoanib]

Originally Posted by Bluegoat

If there was a problem, you wouldn't have been able to sleep that way, you would have felt funny from your compromised blood flow. People managed for a long time before books like WTEWYE started to tell them not to sleep on their backs.

You would not have been able to sleep if something was wrong. Maybe you woke up when you did, because of it.
It also depends on your body. There is no way that I can lay on my back for more than 5 minutes, much less fall asleep. Immediately my body feels all wrong.

[Gray's Mommy]

Originally Posted by staceychev

I actually talked to my midwife about this at my last appointment because I've been finding that laying on my back periodically throughout the night helps relieve the pain in my hips.

It has been nice the few times I notice I am in that back position.

[kitteh]

I'm 37 weeks now and sleep on my back all the time. As everyone else said, I trust my body to tell me when it's not right to do so.