MJamison`s poll Show results | Hide results

candace3 (230.3 days ago)
You may not be far enough along to notice yet, but once the baby gets bigger you won`t be comfortable on your back at all. the weight of the baby will compress a major artery that runs vertical down your midsection. When that artery is compressed it will leave you very faint and possibly cause you to pass out. When I was 34 weeks with my 2nd one, I was on my back for an ultrasound and passed out right there on the ultrasound table due to being on my back. Hope this helps.

omymummie (240.5 days ago)
I am 39 weeks and i don`t sleep well at night. I can`t sleep on my back because i can`t breathe so i prop pillows behind me. I`m sooo sick of sleeping on my left side. It feels like im getting bed sores on my hips. But any other position i can`t breathe.

kkat32 (240.9 days ago)
I have trouble sleeping on my side too.I always end up rolling onto my back in my sleep.Once you get real big though it becomes very hard to breath when you sleep on your back.I have actually woke up gasping for air. I would try to get used to sleeping on your side in case you aren`t able to sleep on your back at all.

twebdup (241.1 days ago)
It`s about pressure on your major blood vessels. Check out babycenter.com

jeanette (241.2 days ago)
It`s perfectly safe. I don`t sleep on my back because it`s uncomfortable, and I know from expirience that my body deffinately adjusts it position during sleep to create the best circulation. The only way I wouldn`t roll over is if I was in a coma. If you`ve ever visited a woman on bed rest in a maternity ward, you`ll notice that she`s permitted to sleep on her back. You`ve got to trust your body. Getting ample sleep is the most important thing. If you sleep best on your back, then do it as long as you can. If you sleep better knowing your following all of the modern rules, then do that. It`s up to you.

naomijane (241.2 days ago)
well my sister in law just had my nephew about a year ago and I asked her why you cant sleep on your side and she said it was because the baby gets less oxygen in that position and that its ok to lay that way for short periods of time and while your awake so just make sure your not sleeping in that position all night. good luck I have sleeping problems to so hopefully we survive!

abrinasay (241.2 days ago)
I was told that.. reality is, we live in a world where many people can`t go to the doctors. This is pretty new information. My doctor told me I could sleep whichever way I wanted too. If it was bad/putting too much pressure on things/or uncomfortable... My body would let me know.

Niamh-Jo (241.3 days ago)
My midwife told me that is a really American thing and that there is no rule about that -- just sleep comfortably and you will of course move naturally in your sleep. It may be uncomfortable for you when very late in your pregnancy to lie on your back, because you might feel faint, but sometimes lying on your back is the only way you can be comfortable! don`t worry, sometimes I have noticed on this site people can over-medicalise things and look for potential problems where there aren`t actually any....

monica9 (241.4 days ago)
i agree with them, and doctors say you will wake up before there is harm, but what happens if you dont? or what happens if you were too late? i personally wouldnt take the chance b/c if i got to the point that i was numb, dizzy, and nauseous, then i can imagine how my baby is feeling. i would suck it up for the next few months. it sucks and i couldnt sleep for first few weeks but i am actually getting used to it.

whitneyc (241.4 days ago)
Ok I did ask my doctor about this... and he explained it to me. I asked him if it was bad to sleep on my back, and he said that the uterus can put pressure on the vena cava and reduce the blood flow, causing dizziness and low blood pressure... HOWEVER he said if it were actually doing it to where it might hurt the baby, that you`d be way too uncomfortable to actually stay on your back. He said I`d probably just wake up dizzy and nauseated and would just roll over, causing no harm to the baby. He pretty much told me he had never heard of anyone losing or harming their baby from sleeping on their back. But with all this said, I still do try to sleep on my side JUST to be safe.

Nan639 (241.4 days ago)
It`s not good! I found this on-line: Sleeping on your back is safe during your first trimester, especially if you`re healthy and your pregnancy is normal. But once you hit about 20 weeks, lying on your back can cause your uterus to press on the inferior vena cava (a major vein that returns blood from your lower body to your heart), resulting in dizziness, low blood pressure, and a possible reduction in blood flow to your uterus. As your pregnancy progresses, try to lie on one side or the other, and support your hip with a pillow. This allows for better blood flow to your developing baby.



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