Can You Sleep On Your Back While Pregnant
Olivia Luz
Pregnancy was supposed to be an opportunity to stock up on sleep before the newborn period.
Sleeping on your back isn t the end of the world but it can present problems especially in the latter stages of pregnancy. If you normally sleep on your back it s safe to continue doing so during the first trimester but as your womb uterus gets heavier in the second trimester it s best to lie on your side by the third trimester sleeping on your back more than doubles your risk of stillbirth though the risk is still low. When you lie on your back the weight of your uterus and the baby presses on your inferior vena cava which is a vein that carries deoxygenated blood to your heart from your lower body. But previous research has suggested that sleeping on your back when you re pregnant may increase the risk of stillbirth as it compresses the mother s major blood vessels and alters the baby s heart rate.
Doctors don t advocate pregnant women in their third trimesters to sleep on their backs. You may want to get used to a new sleep position now since you shouldn t sleep on your back after 20 weeks of pregnancy. In this trimester you obviously are large so when you sleep on your back your uterus which is heavy now can limit the blood flow to the uterus and your growing foetus. If you typically sleep on your back it s safe to continue doing so through the first trimester.
After 20 weeks of pregnancy try not to spend the entire night on your back dr. But as your uterus womb gets heavier in the second trimester it s best to lie on your side ideally your left side. If you normally sleep on your back it s safe to continue doing so during the first trimester. Sleeping on your back is generally considered safe throughout the first trimester.
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After 16 weeks of pregnancy sleeping on your back isn t such a good idea. But as your uterus gets heavier around mid pregnancy it s best to choose another position. She suggests putting a pillow between your back and the mattress as insurance. When you lie belly up the weight of your uterus can compress a major blood.
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