Is It Safe To Sleep On My Back During Pregnancy?

Some pregnant women find comfort sleeping on their backs, are they allowed doing so? The answer is unfortunately a big “NO”.

According to experts, back sleeping is not a good idea for an expectant mother and her unborn child. Why and what’s the safe alternative? Read on for more details.

Sleeping on your back may not be as bad as you think it is during the first trimester of pregnancy, but it will be during the subsequent trimesters.

In the first few weeks, you will feel tired and you won’t pay attention to your sleep position which will not matter to you in the first place. But, as your pregnancy progresses, your belly will grow bigger and your uterus will get heavier.

At this point, back sleeping will no longer be comfortable and will actually turn into a bad habit that will cause you to focus your weight on your backbone, stomach and major blood vessels, which in turn disrupt blood flow to the fetus and lead to digestive problems, hemorrhoids and breathing difficulties.

By then, you will have to start sleeping on your side, specially your left one. That’s because this position helps, according to experts, increase the flow of nutrients and blood to the placenta and your baby and aids kidneys get rid of toxins and waste from your body.

To help yourself get used to this new position, we advise you to start sleeping on your side early in your pregnancy. Slip one pillow under your tummy, another behind your back and a third one between your bent knees, to reduce the pressure on the muscles surrounding your hip and your pelvis.

In case you woke up in the night and found yourself lying on your back, adjust your position, try to get back to sleep and don’t worry about your baby; your body will let you know if he’s not receiving adequate oxygen, as you’d experience dizziness and nausea before anything bad happens!

Read More: Comfortable Sleep Positions During Pregnancy