I'm in my second trimester and had heard that once you're in your fourteenth week, you should start sleeping on your side. When I do this, I can't seem to fall asleep. I was never the type that could fall asleep fast (takes me 25-45 minutes each night) and now that I'm pregnant, I'm constantly up, tossing and turning. When I lay on my back, I'm suddenly comforted and can close my eyes and relax. I just hate doing it, thinking that I'm sufficating my baby.
If I'm comfortable on my back and I can breath, then does that mean the baby's safe, or should I still avoid it? How do I relax in a position I'm not comfortable in? Also, I was wondering why you are told to sleep on your left side. What's the difference between left and right?
Oh and I also had one other (not related) question about drinking tap water. This is safe, right?
Laying on your left side means better working kidney's and maximum blood flow to your placenta. Sleeping on your back won't suffocate your baby but beacuse the whole weight of your uterus in on your intestines and back it can make some pg symtoms worse such as back pain, indegestion,hemorroids, and possibly low blood pressure. The only way I managed to get used to it was to sleep with my right leg thrown over my left leg and on a pillow. Now the baby can't stand it if I lay on my right side lol and I get a good kick in the ribs everytime I do! Try not to loose to much sleep over this though, after all there's nothing stopping you from turning over on your back even if you do eventually manage to fall asleep on your side, and you need your rest. Good luck
Last edited by ~PJ~; 11-18-2004 at 02:49 AM.
Reason: forgot some words! lol
So good to know i'm not the only one that feels like this. For as long as i can remember I've always slept on my stomach. Now in my 17th week...that's a no no. I too find comfort sleeping on my back, but also feel like the baby can't breathe. My right side seems to make me feel comfortable for awhile, but then I start feeling a little sick until I turn to my left side and suddenly feel quite alright. Just so happens I'm up tossing and turning half the night because the left side isn't what i'm used to. I've always heard that a pillow in between your legs should help also. I tried it and it helped a little. Didn't toss and turn so much during the night.
I've ALWAYS been a side sleeper ALWAYS. So I figured the 'sleeping' part would be a cake walk. uh huh wrong. That's when I decide I can't sleep in any position but my...BACK...Figures...
So I've taken to putting my body hug slanted under my back so I'm 'kinda' on my side.
I used to be a stomach or back sleeper but had to revise my sleeping patterns when I was pregnant. The reason they don't like you to sleep on your back is because the main artery that supplies the placenta runs along your spine and when you lay on your back the baby and organs all put pressure on that artery in turn decreasing it's functioning abilities. I bought a full size body pillow and slept with that so I was kinda on my side but the weightt of the baby was being supported and my legs were comfortable resting with the pillow between them. Goodluck. Comfortablness decreases as you get closer to term.
Last edited by kierrasmommy; 11-18-2004 at 10:19 AM.
My Dr. said you can feel free to lay on your back just prop one hip so that it is not level with the other one. I use a Moshi pillow. They have them at Linens N Things for around $10, it's super squishy.
I lay on my back, then stick the pillow kinda half under my hiney, works great for me. AND an added plus of the squishy, soft Moshi pillow is I can wack my DH with it when his snoring is just WAY out of hand!!! hee hee
AND an added plus of the squishy, soft Moshi pillow is I can wack my DH with it when his snoring is just WAY out of hand!!! hee hee
LOL! I have a small-sized pillow that I've been using between my knees, except it isn't helping me get comfortable. Maybe the 'behind one butt-check' method will work better.
I had also posted a second question on my thread and am just assuming that no one saw it down there. I heard that tap water was bad and I just think that's over-doing it. Does anyone else think that sounds dumb? I still drink it and I don't see what's wrong with tap water.
I think the problem with tap water is if you have city water there are a lot of chemicals in it, and ifyou have well water there can be bacteria in it. We have well water, but I have always gotten my drinking water out of the thing on the fridge and it's filtered, btu when I mix up lemonade or whatever I use regular water.
As for gettign comfortable, they told me at the dr that at the time it would start gettign bad for you to sleep on your bed you wouldnt' want to anyway, so you probably wouldnt have to worry about it. I sleep onmy stomach, and I have been trying really hard not to, I am afraid I will smush the baby or something, but I always wake up on my stomach! I figure that will stop once i get farther along, lol. I read to sleep in a recliner, or a comfy chair.
I fall a sleep on my side and end up on my back. When I first started with the sciatica I put a pillow behind me and one under my right butt cheek! It worked wonders. Just think, the bigger you get the more uncomfortable it will become.Ahhh The joys of pregnancy. At least, if I don't sleep well neither does my partner!
Yeah, I had never heard about the tap water thing.. until my mom told me last night not to drink our water. We have city water and there is a slight chlorinated taste to it... Should I not drink it? I didn't know, and now I'm worried about my baby!
I also was in a hot tub when I was about 4 weeks preg. I didn't know I was preg yet though. I thought I MIGHT be.. so I thought it was ok if we put the temp low, I didn't sweat or feel too hot in there.. it was like a reg. bath water.
Lying on your back can cause pressure on the pelvic vein/artery that pumps blood from your legs back to your heart. Anywho, I have tried everything, pillows everywhere, even sleeping ina recliner. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Putting a pillow under onside and sleeping on your back is something I have heard is ok to do. I takes the pressure off that artery/vein (whatever it is). It is still uncomfortable for me, though. I haven't tried it, but I have read you can get the same relief if you fold a dish towell in half (long ways) then tri-fold it and stick it under one hip. It is suppose to elevate the one side enought to take the pressure off. Even if I do get comfy enough to sleep, I ams till up every 2-3 hours for a pee break !
I had my big ultrasound on Tuesday, and it lasted longer than normal (I think) because they found a relatively serious problem. About 30 minutes into the ultrasound, I just sort of muttered "I think I'm going to throw up"," and the tech immediately put me on my left side. She brought me a wet towel for the back of my neck. I couldn;t figure out why shy did this, until I realized my forehead felt feverish and I was actually dripping sweat. I had to have dh unbutton my cuffs and roll my sleeves up for me. I was hot, dizzy, light-headed and sick, all from being on my back for so long. Of course, the fact that I was receiving bad news at the time didn't help anything, I'm sure.
Later that day at the hospital, same thing again. As the doctors were performing the u/s, I actually started to get a little bit of tunnel vision. I was scared to say anythign, though, because I didn't want them to rush the ultrasound.
I think my experiences are kind of the extreme version of what can happen if you lay on your back too long. I would think that at least to some degree, it depends on each of us individually, and where that vein is in relation to the way our babies are positioned in our body, etc.
It's probably no big deal if you find yourself on your back once in a while when you wake up, but I just wanted to share what had happened to me as inspiration to suffer on your side. I'm a back or tummy sleeper, myself, so this side-sleeping crap has been a real adjustment for me too. Happy sleeping, everybody!
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Married 8/16/2003
Identical boys, Max and Jack born 3/19/05!
I have always been a side sleeper, but while I was pregnant the only comfortable position was on my back. Atleast until the third trimester. Then I wasn't comfy any way that I tried sleeping. Natures way of getting you ready I guess. The only way that I could sleep was with a pillow between by legs and rolled onto my side almost to my stomach. On the couch ofcoarse. Lauren would adjust her position so she was also comfy. It was so funny watching my belly move the the side. If she couldnt get herself comfy she would let me know with a big kick to the ribs.
I cant get comfortable 
I have a small-sized pillow that I've been using between my knees, except it isn't helping me get comfortable. Maybe the 'behind one butt-check' method will work better.
!
I'm a back or tummy sleeper, myself, so this side-sleeping crap has been a real adjustment for me too. Happy sleeping, everybody!
