The Best Sleeping Positions For You & Your Baby During Pregnancy

As your pregnancy progresses, you might find your sleeping positions more difficult. Your larger size will make it harder to get comfortable or you might wake up with spasms or cramps.

Most doctors recommend sleeping on your left side when you’re pregnant because it promotes circulation and the needed blood supply to help in the development of your fetus in the womb. That being said, sleeping on your right side is unlikely to affect the baby, but it can put added pressure on the liver. Any sleep positions that could cause you some harm can also result in problems for the baby.

A study published in the British Medical Journal found a small link between sleeping position and stillborn babies. Women who slept on their backs or on their right side had double the risk of having a stillborn child compared with women who slept on their left sides. However, the risks are still small.

The effect of your position on the baby

Sleeping on your side is better for the health of the developing fetus. When you sleep on your back, blood flow to the placenta diminishes because the weight of the uterus compresses the vena cava, which is the major vein that moves blood from the lower part of your body back to the heart. When you sleep on your right side, your baby’s weight presses down on your liver, which could lead to urinary problems for mummy. Frontal sleeping is very rare, but for the women who try to, this puts so much pressure on your growing baby, increasing the chance of suffocating her or even injuring her, so it is better to avoid it.

How to ease sleeping discomfort

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Sleep on your side with a large pillow tucked between your bent knees or against your back to provide some support. Try tucking a pillow beneath your belly for extra support, as well if you sleep on any side. If you suffer from heartburn or have trouble breathing, sleep in a propped-up or sitting position. A recliner might offer a more comfortable night’s sleep in the final weeks of pregnant.

Note: Sleeping on the right side is not totally frowned upon, it just increases discomfort to you and your baby because it weighs down on your liver. However, some people are used to sleeping on their right side way before the days of pregnancy, so supporting your tummy with a soft pillow, will help to relieve the strain