Sleeping on the left side

[Neska]

Hi ladies.do you sleep just on your left side?i know it helps blood flow.but my back is killing me if i lay on one side for longer than 2hours.i'm nearly 20weeks now and not that big yet so surely sleeping on my back wont do any harm yet?i'll bought some back&bump pregnancy pillow but tbh its not helping...any advice?thanks xx

[Kazzacollie]

Hiya, I'm having trouble lying on my left side too I think I'm lying on a nerve or something which sends a pain down my leg if I lie on it for too long, but I can't lie on my other side as I have a rare bone disease on my right pelvis. So the only choice I have is sitting up against the headboard ( which is padded) which at first was a bit of a nightmare but I'm now getting used to it. From what I've read it's not recommended to lie of your back from 16 - 18 weeks due to the weight of your uterus on the main blood vessel. Another idea can your partner lie up close against your back to give you a bit more support or prop some pillows between you both? I hope you get sorted as theres nothing worse when you are so tired. Good luck xxxx

[Neska]

Thanks for your answer.i use the pillows when i go sleep.my partner is useless lol as he snores and then i cant sleep at all lol.so i sleep on the sofa as i get support for my back but it still hurts.i had a look for prenatal massages.i think i need one.but firstly i'll ask mudwife if she could send me somewhere like physio.its not fair we have to suffer all the time lol.hope you get better sleep too xx

[Kazzacollie]

I tried physio, but she really hurt me and put me off! Seriously some of thing things she had me doing I'm sure I shouldn't have been doing when I'm pregnant haha maybe I'm too much of a winge. So it's really my own fault now so I have no excuses at all. If my husband snores normally a loud cough sorts that out haha. Good luck hope you get sorted xx

[LunaD]

I try and sleep on my left side because I have heard it is best, but I can't stay like that all night, unfortunately I am comfier on my right side so I just change position when I feel I need to. I was beginning to get a numb leg when I forced myself! Anyway, I'm kind of of the opinion that mothers haven't always known the left is best and babies have been fine in the past, so I wouldn't worry about it too much there's too much to worry about in pregnancy as it is! So don't worry. Most important thing is to just be comfy.

[Hidden]

I lay on whatever side is comfy, usually my right but I toss and turn all night anyway..I'm def, going to see an osteopath soon as my siaticia is starting to play up! and bless u kazzacollie can't u Get loads of pillows like they do in the hosp to prop yourself up? wish I had one of them electric beds they have in hospital

[belle143]

i sleep on what ever side i can, up until recently i even slept on my front but bump is just a bit too big now so its not comfy. Thought i was strange by not just sleeping on my side and propped up, but turns out my sister slept on her front the whole time with her 4.

Think go with what ever position your comfy and can sleep. and with the toilet trips getting more often you'll end up changing during the night.

[Skyblueboston]

I sleep with six pillows propt up, like sitting up, sometimes I try and lay in my left side too, but end up on my back, I noticed my body wakes me up and I roll over again!

Follow the advice given, left is best, but just think of all those women over thousands of years that had successful pregnancies sleeping however they did! Sometimes I think the advice is a bit over the top!

[Hidden]

I agree with Skyblue boston's comment that you can start sleeping on your left side but ultiametly you're going to fall asleep wherever you feel comfortable. I'm currently in the middle of the 1st trimester of pregnancy & i feel my body wakes me up in a uncomfortable position now. When i do get to the 20wk stage i'll be using several pillows just to lie down.

xx

[Kaleidoscope]

It is quite a challenge to teach the body to sleep differently. Before this process started I always slept on my tummy. Never on my back and very very rarely on my sides. I put a pillow between my knees and through the night have adapted to sleeping first on my left side and normally wake up with really unpleasant hip pain which prompts me to do the wondrous task of rolling over. Squiggly doesn't like it sometimes if I lay on the right, she protests by not getting comfy so I sometimes have to go back to the left. The relearning is an arduous process and I think that either being propped upright could be worth exploring but perhaps avoid the sleeping on the back. I would recommend speaking to your midwife about this as she may well offer a suggestion that you haven't considered yet. Good luck and I hope that you find a comfortable way to sleep. It's awful if you can't get comfy. xx

[AmesHk]

Been quite lucky last few weeks as oh been away and had bed to myself to toss and turn and choose my own sleep pattern! Now he's back bed feels tiny

I always try and sleep on lhs but agree after while it hurts so lie on rhs for bit. At 33 weeks on my back makes me bit breathless! Agree that best you get comfy and get sleep above all.x

[nirvanca]

Don't worry too much - like the ladies said above, i asked the doctor about this and she said it is better to sleep on the right but when the belly gets bigger it will be more uncomfortable to sleep on your back anyway. I fall asleep on my left but wake up few times at night as my hips ache so i have to constantly change positions between right and left side, but i do need to roll on my back for a bit too, as this is the only position that gives me some relief. Don't worry, just sleep how you are most comfy! all the best x

[sa4ahlh]

I would sleep whichever way you find the most comfy. Don't think too much about what side is right or wrong. Your body or your baby will tell you if there's something amiss about the way you're settled. Agree with the above, actually getting sleep is the most important

I've been told that sleeping on your back makes some women lightheaded because of the bubba putting pressure on something (as Kazzacollie mentioned) and prohibiting blood flow but that's never happened to me, i often end up on my back even now!

I am 32 weeks now and can't seem to get comfy which ever position i'm in. Never tried my front though because it would be like sleeping on a football!

It's so frustrating - i'm tossing and turning all night, not helped by the fact that i've just started getting heartburn and little beanie keeps kicking me in the ribs in the middle of the night and waking me up when i have finally drifted off. Plus hubby snoring doesn't help.

I don't find the pregnancy pillow really helps me either so you're not alone there. Usually ends up on the floor by the morning!

If you are most comfy on your back i would just sleep on your back hun.

x

[laurah123]

i toss and turn all night. i also sleep on the sofa. i try sleeping on my side but its not comfortable and end up on my back. i prop myself up though with a few pillows so not laying completely flat on my back. (have done since i been in hospital with hyperemesis).

sleeping on your back was never an issue before so i wouldnt worry. xx

[chartclinic]

Hi all,

If you feel you want to sleep on your back then try placing a cushion underneath your right pelvis (above your bottom). This reduces the chance of baby compressing your Vena Cava, which can lead to you feeling light headed. It's also often good to elevate your legs slightly to help with the return of blood back up to your heart.

Hope this helps!