Lying on your side with your knees bent is likely to be the most comfortable position as your pregnancy progresses.
Positioning While Sleeping
It's not easy to sleep soundly with your belly getting in the way. If you were a stomach sleeper before, now you'll have to switch sleep positions to accommodate your growing girth.
Best Sleep Positions
After your fifth month, your back is definitely not best. Sleeping on your back puts extra pressure on your aorta and inferior vena cava, the blood vessels that run behind your uterus and carry blood back to your heart from your legs and feet. Pressure on these vessels can slow blood circulation to your body -- and your baby.
Not back or stomach. You might find it harder to breathe while lying on your back. And because your belly pushes down on your intestines when you lie on your back, this position can also lead to tummy troubles.
How about sleeping on your stomach? That's not a great idea, either. When you lie face down, your abdomen presses on your expanding uterus -- not to mention your ballooning breasts.
Left is best. Right now, side sleeping is safest for your baby. Plus, it's more comfortable for you as your abdomen grows.
Positioning Tips
Here are a few other positioning tips to help you get more comfortable and protect your baby while you sleep during pregnancy:
* For more belly and back support: Prop a pillow under your tummy and between your knees. Buy a special extra-long pregnancy pillow, or just use one you have in the closet at home. Positioning a pillow under your body can help keep you on your side, preventing you from rolling to your stomach or back.
* For shortness of breath: Put a pillow under your side to raise your chest.
* For heartburn: Prop up the head of the bed a few inches with books or blocks. This helps keep acids down in your stomach, rather than burning their way up your esophagus.
What should be the position of sleeping during pregnancy?
