Sleeping at the side while pregnant

Pregnancy usually comes with many discomforts, one of which is the difficulty to find a good sleeping position. The truth is that as your bump grows bigger, sleeping becomes difficult especially if you were a stomach sleeper. At this juncture, you will be forced to find the best sleeping position that is safe for you and your unborn baby.

As from the fifth month of pregnancy, it is not advisable to sleep on your stomach or on your back. When you sleep on the stomach, you lie face down, thereby making your abdomen press on your expanding uterus. Besides, as your breasts expand during pregnancy, lying on them would become uncomfortable. On the other hand, sleeping on your back is also not the best as you turn to put a lot of pressure on those blood vessels that carry blood from your legs and feet back to your heart. It is worth noting that when you put pressure on these blood vessels, you slow circulation to your body and your baby. Pregnant women might also find it hard to breathe while lying on their backs.

In fact, studies have shown that sleeping at the side is the best position for pregnant women.  This position isn’t only safe, but it’s also more comfortable giving your growing abdomen. Medical experts have actually recommended that pregnant women sleep on their left side because it improves circulation, thereby making nutrient-packed blood easily flow from the heart to the placenta where the fetus is nourished. Moreover, by lying on the left side, pregnant women are also preventing their expanding body weight from pushing and pressing too hard on their liver.

There are a few tips to help pregnant women position themselves to comfortably sleep on their sides which  includes;

•         Putting a pillow between your legs and letting it extend right under your tummy. This will definitely give more belly and back support;
•         Positioning the pillow well under your body in a bid to help keep you on your side and equally prevent you from rolling to your back and stomach;
•         Put a pillow under the side you are sleeping on. This will help to raise your chest, thereby preventing shortness of breath;
•         Propping up the head of your bed with items such as a few inches of books or blocks.

This will go a long way to relieve you from heartburn as you will be able to keep acids down in your stomach, instead of letting them burn their way up your oesophagus. In addition, many mothers find the pregnancy pillow as the best investment ever during pregnancy. The pillows can be found in various shapes and sizes that are specifically designed to provide best to the pregnant body.