Sleeping on the left side with the legs slightly curled is considered the best sleeping position in pregnancy. This position facilitates blood flow to the heart, kidneys, and uterus, and improves the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus.
What Sleep Positions During Pregnancy Should I Avoid? Sleeping on your back: This can cause problems with backaches, breathing, the digestive system, hemorrhoids, low blood pressure and cause a decrease in circulation to your heart and your baby.
Pregnancy-Safe Alternatives
Back sleeping is no longer safe after 28 weeks gestation, but there are a few other comfortable positions for you to safely doze in.
Zanotti reassures expectant mothers not to stress if they accidentally find themselves on their backs for a brief spell. “We do know that short periods of time ― even if you were on your back for an hour or two ― probably do no harm to your child,” she says.
The most common sleep disorders that tend to occur during pregnancy are obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and gastroesophageal reflux disorder. Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Weight gain and nasal congestion lead many women to start snoring.
Most pregnant people feel the need to urinate two or more times at night, which can be disruptive to sleep. Heartburn: Many pregnant people experience heartburn at night, especially in later pregnancy, which can make it difficult to sleep.
Background. Many physicians advise pregnant women to sleep on their left side. Previous studies have linked back and right-side sleeping with a higher risk of stillbirth, reduced fetal growth, low birth weight, and preeclampsia, a life-threatening high blood pressure disorder that affects the mother.
Sleeping Propped Up
Nobody wants to sleep sitting up, but it might be the best way to get some shut-eye while you're pregnant, especially if sleeping on your back is your go-to position. For this sleep position, grab a few pillows and make sure the top part of your body is propped up.
Early on in pregnancy, you can sleep on your stomach. Eventually, that position can become uncomfortable. But it's OK to sleep on your stomach if it is comfortable. Lying on your back is not recommended because of pressure on the inferior vena cava.
Most experts agree that once the abdomen starts to expand, it is best to sleep on the left side with knees bent. Not only is side sleeping more comfortable, it also helps improve blood flow for the pregnant person and the fetus.
Positions in the womb
Left occiput anterior: The head is down, the fetus is facing the pregnant person's back, and they are in the left side of the womb. Right occiput anterior: The position is the same as that above, but the fetus is in the womb's right side.
Pregnant women may find relief by snoozing with a pregnancy pillow or a pillow between their legs. A huggable pillow to wrap the arms and legs around can help release tension on the legs, knees, and lower back.
Depending on your stage of pregnancy, your body type, and even the time of day, sometimes your belly will feel soft and other times it will feel tight and hard. The reality is, there's no normal to compare yourself with. Pregnant bellies come in all shapes, sizes, and firmness.
Sleeping for more than nine hours per night, without disturbance, during pregnancy may be associated with late stillbirth, according to US researchers. Their study suggested that maternal sleep habits, including lengthy periods of sleep without waking more than once in the night, may be associated with foetal health.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, though frustrating, insomnia during pregnancy is completely normal and affects around 78 percent of expectant women. It tends to impact moms-to be most in their first and third trimesters due to hormonal changes and less so in their second trimester, Mustaleski says.
“A pregnant woman is more likely to have comfort with positioning herself on top of her partner, or with her partner behind her.” Options include lying on your side, getting on your hands and knees, and sitting on your partner's lap. Put safety first.
Reduced snoring: Sleeping with one leg bent often calls for someone to be laying on their side, or on their stomach. This helps alleviate the issues that come with back sleeping, such as sleep apnea, which many snorers suffer from.
Try experimenting with pillows to find a comfortable sleeping position. Some women place a pillow under their abdomen or between their legs. Also, using a bunched-up pillow or rolled-up blanket at the small of your back may help to relieve some pressure. In fact, you'll see many "pregnancy pillows" on the market.
Certain uterine conditions or weak cervical tissues (incompetent cervix) might increase the risk of miscarriage. Smoking, alcohol and illicit drugs. Women who smoke during pregnancy have a greater risk of miscarriage than do nonsmokers. Heavy alcohol use and illicit drug use also increase the risk of miscarriage.
Pregnant women carrying girls have a greater chance of experiencing nausea and fatigue, according to the results of a study from the USA's Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Therefore, pregnant women can work 40 hours a week if the working conditions are safe for them to do so. If a pregnant employee begins to work over 40 hours a week and is subject to a lot of stress, it could be harmful to their health and the health of their unborn child.