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laying on left side.
Added: 107 days ago.
Added by: mommy2be2122
Section: Pregnancy.
Status: This question is Closed. (Questions will be closed after 10 days.)


hi ladies. im in my 18th week of pregnancy, and i have a question. i have been wondering...is it like totally crucial that i sleep on my left side at all times??? is it really that horrible to sleep on my back??? i am just really confused and can`t find that much information about it. why hasn`t my doctor talked to me about it?? help from you would be awesome! i just want to do this right!

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MelissaJoanne - 98 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) It's not crucial, but it is best for baby. As you progress in pregnancy sleeping on your back won't be at all comfortable. As much as you can, try to get into the habit of side sleep.

niki - 99 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I slept every way possible - most of the time on my side - i avoided lying on my belly though.

RandiLee - 105 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) Not crucial at all....they tell you that for your benefit....not for baby's. Baby is fine however you sleep. You will find though, when you get to about 30 weeks....that the only way you can breathe is if you're on your left side, if you can breathe at all!!! lol

Melanie07 - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) Early on you can sleep how ever you feel comfortable. The reason for not sleeping completely on your back is because of the pressure your baby puts on your organ which have all moved around to weird places in your body. If you put a pillow partially under one side then you can sleep on your back. It keeps some of the pressure off.

windchime - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) My doc said I can sleep whichever way I'm comfortable throughout the whole pregnancy.

Mommyof2boys - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I'm 34 weeks and I still wake up on my back sometimes, just try the best you can to prop pillows around you and stay on your left/right side and try to avoid sleeping on your back, its a lot worse for baby when you are further along because of how big he/she is and laying on things that don't need the extra pressure.

firsttimemomtobe - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) My doc said sleep however you can and however it is comfortable. I'm 25wks and still find myself on my back at times. If you wake up with dizziness or short of breath from laying on your back then it's time to try sleeping on one of your sides. This is just your body waking up and saying hey, roll over...your baby will be just fine though. The bigger you get the more uncomfortable it is going to be lay on your back anyway..just get some rest! lol.

Baby3OnWay - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) sleeping on your back would be uncomrotable for your baby as its like sleeping on rocks because of your spine, and can lead to him sittins/sleeping ona nerve and hurt you more then anything. sleeping on your left is suppose to help with the blood flow and circulation as well!!!

asutori - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) My doctor says that left side is best for circulation, however she said that it's not super critical if you end up sleeping on your back until the 30 week mark (like you catch yourself doing it) , then you should really be sleeping on your side to prevent blocking the vena cava (main artery).

njstewy - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I know that your supposed to start sleeping on your side after 13 or 14 weeks. .If you lay on your back your cutting off cirulation to the placenta and the baby. .as for the left side you'll get more cirulation. .but I know that I have a hard time staying to one side so I switch every now and then but do my best for the left

lindamc - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I slept on my back a lot. I later read that laying on your back raises blood pressure... I ended up being induced because of it... I would try as hard as you can to lay on your left side!

SRHMKP - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I KNOW THE DOCS ALWAYS TOLD ME IT WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE TO SLEEP ON LEFT SITE BUT NOW THAT IM ON MY 3RD I SLEEP WHATEVER WAY I CAN TO GET SLEEP! AND NOW PROBLEMS! LOL

gr8scottswife - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) In all the other positions your uterus is on top of something.

brandi j. - 107 days ago Rating: 5 (1 votes) The best sleep position during pregnancy is "SOS" (sleep on side). Even better is to sleep on your left side. Sleeping on your left side will increase the amount of blood and nutrients that reach the placenta and your baby. Keep your legs and knees bent and a pillow between your legs. If you find that you are having problems with back pain, use the "SOS" position and try placing a pillow under your abdomen as well. If you are experiencing heartburn during the night, you may want to try propping your upper body with pillows. In late pregnancy you may experience shortness of breath; try lying on your side or propped up with pillows. These suggestions may not sound completely comfortable, especially if you are used to sleeping on your back or stomach, but try them out and you may find that they work. Keep in mind that you may not stay in one position all night and rotating positions is fine. The positions your should try to avoid are: Sleeping on your back: This can cause problems with backaches, breathing, digestive system, hemorrhoids, low blood pressure and decrease in circulation to your heart and your baby. This is a result of your abdomen resting on your intestines and major blood vessels (the aorta and vena cava). Sleeping on your stomach: When you are farther along in your pregnancy, your abdomen undergoes physical changes and makes it more difficult for you to lay on your stomach. If you wake up on your back, don't panic, just turn back over on your side, it's not a big deal. Also, propping up w/ pillows will help you to stay in the side position better.

Madisons-Mom - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) they don't you to sleep on your back because it buts all the weight from your uterus on a main blood supply (I can't remember which one) and that can depleet(can't remember how to spell either haha)the blood/oxygen to the baby......

mommy-of-3 - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) They like you to lay on your left side because the right side is where the main blood flow is being supplied to the baby and they worry about the weight pushing down on that. As for back sleeping that's mainly when you get a little further along and the baby weighs more, it's going to weigh down on your organs but trust me when you hit like 7 months you aren't going to want to sleep on your back anyway because with all the weight it feels like it's hard to breathe laying that way.

kathleen - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) i slept in what eva way i felt comfy back, side and belly b4 i got 2 big

LMO - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) i would sleep on my back because it was more comfortable for me.

kaylasmommy - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) i am 39 weeks and 3 days and i find it alot more comfortable to sleep on my sides it doesnt matter the right or the left. you will find out when you get further along its far more comfortable sleeping on your side. the baby will get his/her feet up in your rib cage and put lots of pressure on all your organs,back ect.

mzmommy2b - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) It shouldn't be that bad since you are only 18 weeks. It is more for when you are further along and your stomach weighs more because it puts pressure on your lungs and other organs. Not to mention once you are big enough for it to be an issue, you will not feel too comfortable laying on your back anyway. It IS best for you to lay on your left side as much as possible, as that allows for the most blood flow, which the baby needs as well as you. The reason you shouldn't lay on your right side too much is because your sciatic nerve is on that side, and by laying on your right side, you can put pressure on it, and it will become really bothersome to you. When I was in my last months of pregnancy, I found that in my sleep I would rotate from left, to back, to right, and it was fine. Laying in one position for too long is when it would become an issue. Hope this helped! Good luck with your baby!

totallykatalicious - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) Doctors will not mention anything, you have to ask all the questions if you want the answers, like seriously ... when you get further along it is gonna be hard to sleep on your back, but if you do, just prop yourself up with some pillows ... you can even sleep on your right side...

amandapmills - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) i completly agree with brittany1621.... You really shouldnt lay on your back due to all the extra weight pressing against nerves and etc.... and you dont have to stay on your left side all night long.... once you get further along and you want to lay on your back, prop yourself up with some pillows... thats what i do...

brittany1621 - 107 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) Hi! I started wondering the same thing around 16 weeks after reading in all my books that sleeping on my back could cause decreased oxygen flow to the baby etc. I even asked my doctor about it at my 16 week check up. He told me that what happens is your heavy uterus lies on top of some major arteries and that is what most people worry about. However, he informed that I was not even close to being big enough to worry about it yet. Finally, around 28 weeks I began to understand why they tell you to sleep on your sides! I can't even lay on my back for more than 30 seconds without feeling like I am suffocating. It feels like my body has finally said ok, now it's time to stay off your back!