Health Tips

As your lovely baby bump grows with each passing week, you might find yourself tossing and turning in bed trying to get comfortable before finally drifting off to sleep.

And you might wonder why something that used to be so easy has become such a struggle now that you are expecting a new addition to the family.

This is because when you are pregnant, your body goes through a variety of changes. These changes tend to disrupt your usual peaceful snooze.

Reasons that might contribute to your discomfort may include:

• Increased size of your baby bump

• Back pain

• Heartburn

• Shortness of breath

So what is the best sleeping position during pregnancy?

S.O.S which stands for Sleep on Side is the safest and most recommended sleeping position for pregnant women, especially during the second and third trimesters.

When mom-to-be sleep on either side - preferably the left, it allows for maximum blood flow and nutrients to reach the placenta and your baby. 

This is true because lying on your left puts less pressure on the vena cava, which is the blood vessels that run behind your uterus and carry blood back to your heart. Pressure on these vessels can slow blood circulation to your body - and ultimately your baby.

It’s also ideal because it enhances kidney function and eliminates waste products more efficiently.

Pro Tip: If you need adjusting to side-sleeping, try using a variety of pillows to support different parts of your body. Bend your knees and put a pillow in between and another behind your back - or in front of you. You can also experiment with a wedge-shaped pillow, propping it under your side or chest.

What about other sleeping positions?

Sleeping on your stomach:

If your favorite sleeping position is tummy-down, that’s totally fine - up until your tummy grows to the size of a watermelon, at which point you’ll have to settle for other positions.

Lying face down on your stomach will press on your expanding uterus - not to mention your ballooning breasts. So it's best to avoid that.

Sleeping on your back: 

After your fifth month, your back is definitely not the best option. You may find it harder to breathe when you fall asleep on the usual back-sleeping position because your pregnant belly will be pushing down on your intestines, which not only may lead to tummy troubles, but also aggravate backaches, cause hemorrhoids, make digestion less efficient, interfere with circulation and possibly cause low blood pressure, making you feel dizzy.

The bottom line...

Keep in mind that you may not stay in one position all night, so if you wake in the middle of the night, on your tummy or your back, don’t worry. Just flip back over onto your side and don’t give it another thought.

Download our Doc2Us app from Google Play Store or Apple Store and chat with a doctor now.

References:

1. American Pregnancy Association. (2019). Sleeping Positions During Pregnancy. [online] Available at: https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/sleeping-positions-during-pregnancy/.

2. De Bellefonds, C. (2019). Sleeping Positions During Pregnancy. [online] What to Expect. Available at: https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/sleep-solutions/pregnancy-sleep-positions/.

3. Chaiyanara, D.M (2019) theAsianparent Singapore - Your Guide to Pregnancy, Baby & Raising Kids. Safe sleeping positions for pregnant mums. [online] Available at: https://sg.theasianparent.com/safe-sleeping-positions-pregnancy.

4. Todd, N. (2019). Positioning While Sleeping. [online] WebMD. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/baby/positioning-while-sleeping.

Image credits:

1. https://cdn.cdnparenting.com/articles/2018/03/360993332-H.jpg

2. https://youaremom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/sleeping-pregnant-woman.jpg

3. https://intermountainhealthcare.org/-/media/images/modules/blog/posts/2018/05/sleeping-while-pregnant.jpg?la=en&h=504&w=896&mw=896&hash=4D7268B4973196EED70A493FEAE33D489A496655

4. https://cdn.cdnparenting.com/articles/2018/02/286190906-H.jpg

5. https://media.self.com/photos/5c5349639056dc2fa7dbd882/4:3/w_728,c_limit/pregnant-woman-sleeping.jpg

6. https://cdn.cdnparenting.com/articles/2017/12/91462685-H.jpg

7. https://www.freepik.com/premium-photo/beautiful-asian-pregnant-woman-is-sleeping-bed_4250723.htm#page=1&query=pregnant%20sleeping&position=0

Written by

Dr. Jeanrette J. Nierras