Pregnant women in their 2nd trimester....?

Question

Lately at night I have a hard time sleeping because I cannot sleep on my stomach or back.. I have to sleep on my side.. They say its best to sleep on your left side but after a couple of hours on either side I get pain inside my leg and I usually have to get up and walk around for a little while and then get back in the bed and lay on my other side for a few hours until I have the same problem.. Has anyone else experienced this pain before and if so do you know of any other way I can lay that is safe for the baby?? HELP..

Answer 1

pains in ur leg are normal so I read
I get cramps in my legs
and its hard for me to stay sleeping on my side i end up sleeping on my back... in the middle of the night i guess i move to my back
cuz sometimes i wake up on my back
the side sleeping is the only other way i have heard safe for the baby
try using a body pillow

Answer 2

I am 18 weeks and I have trouble sleeping as well. I try to sleep on my sides..they say the left is the best for you. I have had a hard time as well since I am used to sleeping on my stomach and back also. I have read that you can lie on your back but prop a pillow under your right hip and bottom and this takes the pressure off. It is quite comfy actually. I dont know if anyone feels this, but if I move too quickly..like change positions, I get pains or cramps on the sides of my abdomen. Sleeping is not easy these days....Hang in there!!!

Answer 3

Hi There:)
You are certainly not alone! I am 26 weeks with my first and can relate exactly to how your feeling. I'm tossing and turning everynight because of the pain in my hips and legs. Add to that bathroom breaks and heartburn and it makes for a terrible night's sleep! I have found that placing a fluffy pillow between my legs and having support behind my lower back helps tremendously. I think it's mostly the weight and things shifting that causes the pain in the legs so if you can relieve that with pillows and such it does help. Good luck and Congrats!

Answer 4

I just started my 3rd trimester and I know how you're feeling. I have always slept on my back and it's been very dificult to sleep on my side all night! I always go to sleep on my side and then every single time I will wake up on my back! I just roll over in my sleep. I will tell you this though, the doctors say that it's best to sleep on your side, however, i have not had a single problem from sleeping on my back! In fact it's the most comfortable position for me. Since you're in your second trimester, the baby and everything isn't quite heavy enough to be uncomfortable. Try propping yourself up with a couple pillows so you're not completely flat on your back. My husband will also roll me onto my side if he wakes up and sees that I'm on my back.

If you do end up waking up on your back, don't worry though. The likelyhood is that it won't cause problems.
Good luck!

Answer 5

I had pain in my legs during my first pregnancy. It just awful. First of all, not laying on your back is a myth. You shouldn't go through labor flat on your back. If you are concerned, prop yourself up on some pillows so you aren't laying flat on your back. Second, get yourself an egg-crate foam mattress. They sell these anywhere (Target, Walmart). They will help. Third, pillows. Use pillows to keep the pressure off your legs and hips. Experiment until you find what works for you. A body pillow may also help.

Answer 6

Lay however you are comfortable the baby is surrounded by a bubble of fluid! i use multiple pillows! especially in between my legs and one under my hips. The leg cramping can be caused by a few things, lack of fluid(water!), not enough calcium, or too much or too little potassium. Hope that helps good luck. If it makes you feel better i have not had a full nights sleep since i got pregnant.

Answer 7

Ah, yes. As I sit here in the classroom I immediately recall what a restless night I had last night. I switch positions every few minutes, which really messes up my sleep cycle. I used to sleep on my stomach but now I can't...it's normal to have sleep problems as a prego lady. What has helped me most (aside from my hubby rubbing my tummy), as a full lendth body pillow. It keeps me on my side and is comfortable. I think it's just a way our bodies get us ready for the sleepless nights and 4 am feedings...

Answer 8

Use a pillow for between your legs. Get a body pillow to lay under your growing tummy (soooooooooo very comfy). And I hate to tell you but you will probably be flipping yourself from side to side about once every couple of hours until you get to big to do it your self and then you husband/partner will have to help lol. It just goes with the territory.

Answer 9

I am 19 weeks and I have found that I can only sleep on my side with one of those big body pillows. It really helps when I hug it and have it between my legs. It seems to relieve some of the pressure on them and I tend to not get as many cramps in my legs. From what I hear from my friends who are farther along in their pregnancies than me, leg cramps come with the territory and anything you can try doing to help is a blessing! Good luck!

Answer 10

I bought a Snoogle pillow and it works great, I love it! I didn't like having four pillows surround me on the bed especially when there's my husband trying to sleep too (it was just too crowded). The Snoogle pillow fixed all the discomfort and took away the crowdedness on the bed, now I sleep great. I would look into it if I were you.