What is the best position to sleep in when I'm pregnant?
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Dr. Michael Roizen answered:I know you're not going to lie on your stomach as your belly grows and you enter the second trimester, but I do want you to avoid lying flat on your back. That's because when you do so, the weight of your uterus compresses the blood vessels that are feeding the placenta, creating a drought in the blood lake.
Lying on your left side is better than lying on your right side because it allows more blood to flow to the uterus. Either side is better than lying on your back, because when you do, you compress a large vein called the vena cava. The pressure from that compression reduces the flow of blood back to your heart as if you were bending a water hose, and that decreases the blood flow to your uterus and to your baby.
Find out more about this book: YOU: Having a Baby: The Owner's Manual to a Happy and Healthy Pregnancy
I know you're not going to lie on your stomach as your belly grows and you enter the second trimester, but I do want you to avoid lying flat on your back. That's because when you do so, the weight of your uterus compresses the blood vessels that are... More -
Dr. Deborah Raines of Honor Society of Nursing (STTI) answered:In the first trimester of pregnancy, sleep position is determined by personal comfort. If breast tenderness is a concern, using pillows to take pressure off the breasts might be useful. As the pregnancy enters the second trimester, prone (lying of the stomach) positions become difficult with the growing uterus and the presence of a baby bump. During the second and third trimester a side-lying position is best. Laying on the side take the pressure of the growing uterus off the major blood vessels and increased circulation to the heart and to the placenta. A supine (lying on back) position should be avoided as the pressure of the growing uterus decreases blood flow to the heart and can lead to maternal hypertension.
In the first trimester of pregnancy, sleep position is determined by personal comfort. If breast tenderness is a concern, using pillows to take pressure off the breasts might be useful. As the pregnancy enters the second trimester, prone (lying of... More -
Dr. Carol Ash answered:Your sleep position can be surprisingly important when you're pregnant. In this video, internist and sleep medicine expert Carol Ash, DO, discusses the best sleep position for pregnant women.
Your sleep position can be surprisingly important when you're pregnant. In this video, internist and sleep medicine expert Carol Ash, DO, discusses the best sleep position for pregnant women. More
