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.
Why is that? The major blood vessels in the body (the aorta and the vena cava) run just next to the spine on the right side of the body. After about 20 weeks, the weight of the uterus can compress these vessels and decrease blood flow back to your heart and the fetus.
Either the left or right side is fine,” Professor Gordon said. “After 28 weeks of pregnancy, lying on your back presses on major blood vessels which can reduce both the blood flow to the woman's womb and oxygen supply to the baby.”
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.
Sleeping On Your Left Side
The result of venous compression is slowed blood return to the heart, and less blood circulation to the body, including the uterus. Because of the change in blood flow you may start to feel nauseous and light headed, like someone is choking you or like you are about to pass out.
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.
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.
It's best to avoid lying on your back, especially in late pregnancy, when the weight of the heavy uterus can press on the large blood vessels in your belly. When lying on your side, keep your body in line, with your knees bent slightly, and avoid twisting.
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.
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.
Why Should You Avoid Sleeping on Your Right Side During the Third Trimester? Sleeping on your right side during the third trimester puts the weight of the uterus on your liver, and sleeping on your back can block the inferior vena cava and cut off blood flow.
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.
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.
The results from a 2003 study suggest sleeping on the right side can help people with heart conditions. In this sleeping position, sleepers may feel less pressure on their heart. The results also indicate that right side sleeping helps stabilize blood pressure and heart rate.
At around 12 weeks in pregnancy, your uterus is low in your abdomen or at your pubic bone. When you're 20 weeks pregnant, the top of your uterus (fundus) is at your belly button. This means you won't feel movement much higher than your belly button until after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
If you're in your second or third trimester of pregnancy and you notice that sometimes your pregnant belly gets very hard, feels tight, and even causes mild discomfort, you're probably experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions.
A hard spot on your abdomen during the early part of the second trimester is likely to be your fundus, which is the top of your uterus. The uterus is a muscular organ, shaped like an upside-down pear, and the fundus is the curved upper part that's furthest away from your cervix.
Many women find that 34-36 weeks of pregnancy is an ideal time to start parental leave. So, if you want to start parental leave at 36 weeks, you need to tell your employer about your plans by the time you're 26 weeks pregnant.
For most pregnant women, at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise is recommended on most, if not all, days of the week. Walking is a great exercise for beginners. It provides moderate aerobic conditioning with minimal stress on your joints.
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.
Just like newborns, fetuses spend most of their time sleeping. Indeed, throughout much of the pregnancy, your baby sleeps 90 to 95% of the day. Some of these hours are spent in deep sleep, some in REM sleep, and some in an indeterminate state—a result of their immature brain.
You will start to feel your baby moving between 16 and 24 weeks of pregnancy. The location of your placenta will not affect this sensation. It is more common for women having their second or subsequent pregnancies to feel their baby move earlier.
Or that if you feel your baby moving more on the right side, then you're probably having a boy. But there's no evidence that there's a difference between the movements of boys and girls in the womb (Medina et al 2003).
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.