When do we have to be careful how we sleep?

[julesinottawa]

At what stage does the uterus become big enough that you shouldn't sleep on your back? Is sleeping on your right side actually bad? I'm finding that sometimes when I sleep on my right side my right arm goes numb...what is that?

[anonymousk]

I asked about that myself the other day. My physical therapist says it's very unlikely that you would compromise your blood flow and not know it, and that medical advice in other countries is different. America is lawsuit crazy and doctors make a big deal about it to protect themselves. Does anyone have any information or studies on this? I'm curious to know just how risky it is.

Regardless, I've found that lately my hips are too sore to lay on my back for very long, so I've been sleeping on my side more. Mostly on my left, so I'm afraid that's not much help on your side issue. Do you have a pillow that supports your torso as well as your legs?

[wendy1221]

When it gets uncomfortable you should stop sleeping on your back. It usually becomes painful for me around 7 mos or around there sometime.

[Khourtniey]

Originally Posted by wendy1221

When it gets uncomfortable you should stop sleeping on your back. It usually becomes painful for me around 7 mos or around there sometime.

Ditto

I say take advantage of it as long as you can..

Im still halfway sleeping on my stomach.. Sometimes its uncomfortable so I move but as long as I feel ok then I sleep whatever way I can get comfortable.

[mrs rockstar]

I can't sleep on my back, it's too uncomfortable but um, I am still sleeping on my stomach.

[mhaddon]

Well I have slept anyway that I could get comfy w/ my last two pregnancies and my DS's turned out normal. I figure once you get further along sleep is hard to come by and if I was able to sleep on my right side that is where I slept

[DawnaRose]

If I am in a cuddling mood I'll sleep on my side spooning DH. But sometimes I need my space and I'll move, or as DH calls it "sprawl" he says I'm a bed hog,

I sleep mostly half on my stomach and half on my side, sorta supported with pillows, but I've woken up on my back as well.

I say, sleep how ever you are most comfy! We mamas need all the sleep we can get

[prothyraia]

Short answer: when it stops feeling comfortable, stop doing it. You don't have to worry about it too much, it sort of takes care of itself.

There was a certain point in my last pregnancy where if I rolled over onto my back when I was sleeping, I'd wake up and feel a little icky. So I'd roll onto my side and go back to sleep. Ta da!


Edited to add: And sometimes my arm goes numb too, depending on if/how it's bent. So you're not alone!

[Emily12581]

My arms and legs go numb, I mean completely limp while sleeping all of the time. I have poor circulation and low blood pressure, so that probably has something to do with it, so of it is increased blood flow, and some of it is how hard I actually sleep these days.

I sleep half on my stomach, half on my right side (though my belly really is too big to be sleeping on my stomach at this point). I find it hard to sleep on my left side, always have. The only thing that helps is a snoogle full body pillow.

[madiesmommy]

I asked my OB at my last appt this exact question. He said sometime in the 3rd trimester, but that I should go ahead (since I'm a back sleeper) and train myself to sleep mostly on my left side.

Coincidentally, when I sleep on either side my arms AND hips are falling asleep by the time I wake up on my back to go potty

[bluebirdmama]

I agree with everyone else - do what you can to be comfortable. There sometimes seems to be too much advice out there to scare a poor pregnant mama out of doing anything!!

When I was pregnant with ds, I slept on my back until one night I woke up flat on my back and my toes were completely numb like when you are sitting with a leg tucked under you for too long. That seemed like a good sign to me that it was time to switch it up!

[Sunshine4004]

Originally Posted by prothyraia

Short answer: when it stops feeling comfortable, stop doing it. You don't have to worry about it too much, it sort of takes care of itself.

Exactly the answer I got from my doctor.

[Spark]

I'm just starting to have trouble on my back. There are times when it's fine, but then others where I just feel like I can't catch my breath or feel too crampy. Your body just knows & will wake you up... of course then you feel like a turtle trying to figure out how rotate off your shell, but you know, you get over to your side somehow.

[Tenk]

If I wake up and I'm on my back I find it's harder to breath, but I'm not really in pain. I also still sleep on my stomach, sometimes all the way, and sometimes, half on my stomach and half on my side with pillows there. I'm going to have to agree with everyone else, when it bothers you don't do it any more.

[KC in KS]

Originally Posted by Sunshine4004

Exactly the answer I got from my doctor.

Mine too.

I asked exactly what degree of recline constitutes "on my back". I often sleep propped up on the couch to combat heartburn, and wasn't sure how flat I could go without harming the babe. The response was simply that I'd notice unpleasant feelings and want to move long before the baby took injury.

[HidaShara]

I've always been a side sleeper, so this hasn't been much trouble for me, but I have to ask:

Why do they recommend sleeping on the left side? I naturally sleep on the right, and because of a deviated septum I can't breathe at all when I'm on the left. Does it matter much?

Charlotte

[madiesmommy]

I understood there to be several reasons:

1. Mother uncomfiness. The weight of the uterus, along with the movement of organs, over time will cut off an amount of blood flow to the lower extremities.
2. Placenta blood flow. For some reason, sleeping on your side, particularly your left side, maximized blood flow to the baby. Now, remember, they are floating so it isn't like they are laying right on top of the placenta when you are on your back...but further in pregnancy due to their weight and the shrinking home, it is possible.
3. Blood Pressure. I learned in my last pg that being on your left side keeps your blood pressure its lowest. So, my doc always said if I could focus on my left side at night, it would help it stay lower during the day...whether that is true or not I don't really know, as I don't follow directions very well

[JenMidwife]

Just want to add that I would not survive sleeping through pregnancy w/o a body pillow. LOVE IT!

Originally Posted by HidaShara

Why do they recommend sleeping on the left side? I naturally sleep on the right, and because of a deviated septum I can't breathe at all when I'm on the left. Does it matter much?

my understanding is that if you don't have issues w/ your blood pressure or your placenta, it doesn't make much difference. You can double check w/ your provider though.

[Tiffanoodle]

I always sleep any which way I feel comfortable. With dd, I could NOT sleep on my left side. Just couldn't. (then again, I had low bp back then, so maybe there's a correlation?) With ds, I slept mainly on my stomach the entire pregnancy. I did get a couple body pillows and do a modified tummy sleep (resting on a pillow in front and then one in back in case I rolled to my back). This time, I have an awesome mattress, 2 body pillows, a leg pillow, and a head pillow. I'm set for however I can sleep.

[quarteralien]

My understanding is the left side is recommended because your left lung is slightly smaller than your right, so if you're going to compress one, it ought to be the smaller one. But my understanding is also that the no-sleeping-on-your-back thing is bunk, that the blood flow compression talked about only applies to labor (good thing most hospitals are so good about getting you to change positions often ) However you get sleep, I think that's the most important thing. For me, it's a choice between sleeping on my back and lying awake on my side. Not a hard decision.