Do you prefer sleeping on your back, stomach, or side? Based on how you enjoy snoozing through the night, you might need to rethink your preferred position when you are pregnant. Experts recommend side sleeping as the perfect position for boosting blood flow to the fetus.
If lying on your stomach is your favorite sleeping position, don’t worry. According to Sara Twogood of the University of Southern California, you won’t need to switch things up within the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy unless you are experiencing breast tenderness. As your pregnancy develops, resting on your stomach for a long time will become uncomfortable. This is an ideal time to try the side position.
A pregnancy pillow will provide maximum comfort in the side position. Conduct an extensive online search and buy a quality pillow from a reputable maternity supplier. Conventional wisdom holds that sleeping on your left-hand side is better than your right-hand side. The left-hand position is believed to reduce the pressure placed on major blood vessels that run down the right-hand side of your abdomen. However, if you feel uncomfortable lying on this side for a longer duration, you can switch sides.
As your uterus increases in size and adds pressure on neighboring blood vessels, you may start to feel some unpleasant sensations, including low blood pressure, lower back pain, and dizziness. Sleeping on your left-hand side and hugging a pregnancy pillow can get rid of pressure from those blood vessels. Adopting the left position early in your pregnancy can be instrumental in edging off morning sickness.
Contents
- 3 Tips to Halt Sleeping on Your Stomach While Expectant
- Improving Sleep
3 Tips To Halt Sleeping On Your Stomach While Expectant
- Support Yourself with Pillows
Place a couple of well-padded pillows on each side of your body, particularly right at the ribs. The pillows will not only keep you from gently tilting on your stomach but also improve your level of comfort.
- Sleep on the Sofa
If you can’t stop sleeping on your stomach even after propping yourself with pillows, consider sleeping on the sofa. However, you should ensure it has sufficient cushioning and support. The reduced surface area of the couch will force you to sleep on your side until morning. Once you get used to the side sleep position on the sofa, you can go back to your bed.
- Seek Assistance from Your Partner
If you are married or share a bed with your spouse, ask them for help if they wake up at night and find you are resting on your stomach. Tell them to offer you a soft nudge, so that you can shift to your side.
IMPROVING SLEEP
An expanding belly isn’t the only thing that may prevent pregnant women from having enough night’s sleep. Heartburn is a prevalent issue during pregnancy. The muscles between the stomach and the esophagus relax due to hormonal changes and force stomach acid to gurgle up, resulting in heartburn or acid reflux. Other factors that may cause poor sleep among expectant moms include frequent urination, weight gain, and leg cramps. Here are ideas to help you improve your sleep.
- Get the most out of supportive cushions and pregnancy pillows. Put them where you feel you need additional enclosure or support.
- Try to relax for several minutes before bedtime. You can sit alone in a room and prepare your body to sleep.
- If you can’t seem to fall asleep, consider playing some soothing and relaxing music.
- Taking a warm bath several minutes before bedtime can also work wonders for you. It will relax your exhausted nerves and allow you to sleep better.
- Request your significant other to give you a gentle massage. Tell him not to concentrate on specific points on your body. Instead, he should give you a soft massage.
- Adopt a constant routine: Make sure you go to bed and wake up at the same time on a daily basis.
- Take most of your beverages earlier during the day and lower your intake before bedtime.
- Avoid stress by putting into practice the breathing exercises you study in your parenting classes.
- See your doctor for a checkup on a regular basis even when you feel healthy.
Sleeping on your belly is fine only when you are in your first trimester. As your bump bulges, resting on your stomach becomes more difficult and uncomfortable. If you need help and assistance with your pregnancy make sure to ask your gynecologist or surrogate agency in case of a surrogate mother else train yourself to sleep on the side in the early days of your pregnancy so that you will have an easy time in your second and third trimesters.