I have been sleeping on my tummy and on my back. I still feel comfortable doing it. But today, I read that if you do lay on your back it restrict oxygen to your baby. I'm quiet scared cause I am still not feeling the baby move and I'm 20 weeks pregnant.
When did you stop sleeping on your back and tummy? At what weeks?
I sleep on my side now, since I found out the restricting the oxygen thing.
2007-03-23 08:35:24 · 19 answers · asked by ~mother of 2 beautiful girls~ 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
It is adivsed to stop sleeping on your back by weeks 17-18.
You can sleep on your stomach as long as you are comfortable. Which probably won't be too much longer as you are growing bigger by the day. Your baby is well cushioned in your belly.
The recommended side to sleep on is the left side, but either side is fine.
2007-03-23 08:40:00 · answer #1 · answered by hollilynn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sleeping on your tummy isn't harmful, just uncomfortable - if it's not uncomfortable, then don't worry about it.
Sleeping on your back, yes, CAN restrict blood supply to the placenta. However, people make far more fuss over this than they need to. You don't need to sleep right up on your side (and for heaven's sakes not the left side only as some people say, unless you have a medical condition and your doc has told you to). In the hospital they simply put a folded towel under one hip or the other - not even a stack, just maybe four or eight layers - and I could lie on my back.
Don't fret about not yet being able to feel your baby move. I know women who didn't feel that until 25 weeks! If your placenta is at the front, then that makes it harder. If you're not used to focusing on your body, that too might make it harder to feel those flickers. When I had my ultrasound done at 21 weeks the tech didn't believe that I could feel my baby moving - until I looked away from the screen and said, "There, he kicked. There. There. ..... and there." So if a tech who works constantly with women at that point in their pregnancy was surprised, then that means it must be pretty common to not feel the baby moving yet.
2007-03-23 09:01:17 · answer #2 · answered by melanie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When it is not good you will know cuz it will not be comfortable. Try sleeping on ur side if you are used to sleping on ur tummy then use a pillow in between ur legs and kinda propped under ur belly a little and this will help it feel like ur laying on ur tummy without actually doing it. This is how I slept through all of my pregnancies.
Research is there to help explain things that happen. Just because they tell you of a finding... doesnt mean thats going to automaticaly happen. They are just saying.. that in the times that there have been babies that have had restricted oxygen- they have found that the parent had been sleepin on their back or tummy.... If you are healthy then you should not worry yourself. Feeling the baby move is something you should talk to ur OB about .. they will take a sonogram to be sure if the baby is ok.
2007-03-23 08:45:43 · answer #3 · answered by Christal 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I got scared about the same thing and started sleeping on my side around 16 weeks. This caused some issues with my hands and carpal tunel as per my doctor. He advised that I shouldn't worry about the back/side or which side is better (most books say left side). He said not to sleep on stomach once it feld uncomfortable, which was right away due to boobs growing rapidly. I would try to start getting into the groove of sleeping on side little by little so it is more comfortable for you, but check w doc. If you are scared, call doc and let them know. They may move next appointment up and do doppler so you can be reassured with baby's heartbeat. Good luck, no pregnancy is "normal" and the books make people worry about way more than they should.
2007-03-23 09:04:07 · answer #4 · answered by #2 in the oven 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You know, if you listen to all the wives tales- everything can hurt your baby. Do what feels comfortable. It's just as important for you to get adequate rest to maintain a healthy body for your baby as it is to be careful about what side to sleep on. Personally, I never stopped sleeping on my back or stomach- I really counldn't help it if I wanted to! By the time sleep came each night in my later months I was so exhausted I would fall into a deep sleep and not be able to control my positioning. There has been some supporting evidence that it's best to lay on your left side to relieve pressure from your aorta- but this is typically recommended to women who are suffering from high blood pressure during pregnancy. Keep yourself rested- if you are still comfortable your baby will be too.
2007-03-23 08:41:20 · answer #5 · answered by Nickster 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You'll know when to stop sleeping on your tummy, it will become uncomfortable. You'll learn to sleep in whatever position is most comfortable for you. While sleeping on your side is the optimal situation, you'll still roll around in your sleep. Try placing some pillows behind your back as you lay on your side to help remind you to stay there. While most will say "I slept on my back and my baby turned out fine," just know that there is a risk associated with back sleeping in pregnancy. Best of luck
2007-03-23 08:44:09 · answer #6 · answered by duckygrl21 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not going to hurt your baby to lay on your back. The greater danger is to you. It is best to lie on your left side because blood flow is best that way. If you lie on your back the weight of your uterus presses on the vena cava compressing the area and slowing the blood flow. It can make you dizzy and feel as though you will pass out. This will happen long before the baby is in danger. If you are sleeping when on your back your body will signal you to make a position change, you will probably wake up or just roll over with out even realizing it. I wouldn't worry too much. Just try to sleep on your side but don't panic if you wake up on your back. Just realize you probably woke up because your body told you that it was time to change positions....turn to the side and sleep some more.
2007-03-23 08:41:21 · answer #7 · answered by pack513 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As long as you're not strapped down on your back so you stay in that one position forever, you're fine to fall asleep on your back. You don't stay in one position the whole night you're asleep, and while there's a slightly higher chance of possibly cutting off a major artery while laying on your back (because of your baby's weight), it's not an absolute. You can also help prevent this by laying propped up with pillows.
As for the stomach sleeping, you can sleep on it for as long as it's comfortable. The baby is well cushioned by amniotic fluid and will not be harmed.
Myself, I slept on my side the whole pregnancy only because that's how I normally sleep (plus I have hip problems).
2007-03-23 08:43:51 · answer #8 · answered by alimagmel 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can sleep on your tummy as low as it is comfortable to you. Most people though get uncomfy after they start to show. Your back def. quit sleeping on. It does restrict oxygen. I stopped sleeping on my tummy as soon as I found out bc Im a paranoid person and just stopped. And I stopped on my back about 16 weeks to get used to it when it becomes important.
2007-03-23 08:45:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am 31 weeks and now CANT sleep on my back... it hurts too much. I still, however, still fight to sleep on my tummy.
A good solution is if you sleep on your tummy use a body pillow between your legs and lean on it... so youre still on tummy but not completely flat.
For back sleeping, if you put a little pillow or something under just one of your hips, you wont be completely flat on your back, but it still feels close to the same.
Good luck, and dont worry... (I didnt feel my baby move until 22 weeks)
2007-03-23 08:44:47 · answer #10 · answered by shugarmagnolia420 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋