am i hurting her?

Question

i know that it isnt good to sleep on you back when your pregnant. i am 32 weeks pregnant and everytime i wake up in the middle of the night im on my back... am i hurting her because i heard your not supposed to lay on your back for more than 5 min and m sure that when i sleep on my back its for hours. is she ok? im worried

Answer 1

I'm the same way, I'm 40 weeks and 3 days and I always end up sleeping on my back, I find it the most comfortable. I asked my doctor she said it's ok if I do it in my sleep and don't realize it, but try to lay on my left side. She said it won't hurt the baby but it does help blood flow to be on your side. I'm always worried too!

Answer 2

No your not hurting baby...yes they tell you not to lay on your back when your over a 20 weeks I think it is. But if you think about it some people don't even know that there preg till..in some exstreme cases till like 6 months and more than likely they were sleeping on there back too!! Your baby is very well protected in the womb and it will take a lot to hurt them. I was in a bad car accident at 32 weeks and my little girl turned out just fine!! They suggest that you don't and you shouldn't do it in a conscious state of mind but if it happens while your sleeping and you wake up and realize it then just roll over..its not a big deal. Good Luck and congrats!

Answer 3

Laying on your back is not dangerous to the baby. If it were the human species would never survive, all the babies would be born dead, or with severe brain problems.

Laying on your back for more than a few minutes, especially if the baby is centered directly over the aorta atery, can result in your lower limbs falling asleep, but mostly it just results in pain in your back from the weight of the uterus, and also in your kidneys from the same.

While a major part of the blood vessles responsible for the uterus run from the aorta, laying on your back is not going to deprive your baby of oxygen in such a way that it would cause damage or distress. The most might be a termpoary drop in the infants blood pressure. BUt thats from laying there for an entire night or day, as though you were on bed rest and never moved.

But as it is, you wake up at night on your back because its uncomfortable, and you roll over. Tehre is no damage done.

Iam an advid back sleeper and had the same concerns as you when I got pregnant. After much studying, asking three different doctors, countless midwives, and a handful of nurses, I learned its simply not true that you're harming your child by sleeping on your back.

Your natural reaction to that position is to wake up and roll over. Especially the farther along you get.

Answer 4

Don't worry about it!! The advise as to which side to sleep on or not is a dime a dozen and changes all the time. You can't possibly be expected to always sleep on a particular side - it's not comfortable and hard on your joints and muscles. And you can't control what your body does when you're asleep. Baby will be absolutely fine. There's just no point in getting sleep deprived about it now - you'll have plenty of that after baby arrives.

Answer 5

Supposely when you sleep on your back you stop the blood flow from a large vain located on your back to your baby,is this true?It is actually true. Just dont lay on your back for long period of time, try to lay on your side as much as possible.


Depending on how far along you are, you can become very dizzy and pass out if you lay on your back in the third trimester of pregnancy. You cannot hurt the baby doing this, but you don't want to pass out.

But it doesn't mean that you can never be on your back. It just means that you should not be on your back for a prolonged period of time (a long time such as overnight). Don't panic if you wake up in the middle of the night and you are on your back. Just go back to being on your side, and you and the baby will be fine.

Answer 6

My doctor told me it can compress the blood and oxygen supply to the baby. She recommended getting a maternity pillow to help keep me on my side. She also said starting off on the sofa would keep me from moving so much at night. I slept on the sofa for a week on my left side, then moved back to bed with a maternity pillow and it worked great for me. Check with your doctor for further information though. I know some doctor's actually say back sleeping is fine and it was done for thousands of years and everything, but then some doctor's support the recent studies that show the ill effects. Good Luck!

Answer 7

You aren't hurting the baby. A lot of times the reason you can't lay on your back is because of oxygen. Chances are you are waking up while on your back because you are having a hard time breathing. So really if you wake up simply just go back to your side...left is best...and be worry free. You're baby is fine.

Answer 8

Sleeping on your back is a position that puts the full weight of your uterus on your spine, back muscles, intestines, and the inferior vena cava (the vein that transports blood from your lower body to the heart). Back-sleeping can also put you at risk for backaches and hemorrhoids, inefficient digestion, and impaired breathing and circulation. Lying on your back in the second and third trimester can also cause changes in blood pressure. For some women, it can cause a drop in blood pressure that can make them feel dizzy; for others, it can cause an unwanted increase in blood pressure.

Answer 9

I think you are fine... but ask the doctor to make sure... I would always end up on my back as well... and my son turned out perfectly healthy - 9lbs 10oz healthy! lol He's only been sick once the entire 14 months- and that's because we all had a nasty virus. My entire family got it around Thanksgiving. Anyways, what it does it cut off oxygen to the baby sometimes - I think it also depends on where exactly the baby is positioned. But I truly think you are ok. Just keep track of the movement of your baby.

Answer 10

Don't worry - you are sleeping as is most comfortable for you. The reason for you not sleeping on you back is more of a detriment to you than the baby - you can block some of the blood flow to your legs.

The not sleeping on your back is for babies, after they are born - and even that changes every decade as to how you should let them sleep.

She's fine - stop worrying, and be glad she's letting you sleep! ;)