Is It Safe? Sleeping on Your Back While Pregnant

on January 9, 2009 at 6:20 AM

sleeping on your back while pregnant

Some women are natural tummy-sleepers -- I'm not one of them. I like to sleep on my back and I always have. So when I got pregant and heard that maybe I wasn't supposed to, I was bummed. Lots of pregnant moms around here are discussing whether or not it's safe to sleep on your back, too. Here's a compilation of what women have to say.

"My doctor told me you're not hurting anything when you sleep on your back -- unless it's uncomfortable for you. She said whatever makes you comfortable." -- rlemde

"I sleep on my back if I have a pillow underneath for support." -- AireaISBuchanan

And as for sleeping on your back possibly limiting oxygen supply to the baby....

"You'll know if there's any issue with it being unsafe for the baby because YOU will feel like you're not getting enough oxygen." -- YoungTwinMommy

"However you want to sleep is fine. The vena cava is the artery than runs down your back. The weight from your uterus can compress it, and make you feel short of breath, but you aren't hurting anything. Sleep is more important than fretting about the position." -- kristichristen

Still, experts generally agree it's preferable to sleep on your side while pregnant -- What to Expect says it's not so important which side you choose, but the left side allows for optimum blood flow due to less pressure on the vena cava.

WebMD also encourages women to skip tummy or back sleep and to opt instead for a side-lying position. But don't worry if you wake up on your back -- everyone naturally shifts positions while sleeping, and you aren't harming your baby.

Talk to your doctor to get his opinion about the safest positions for sleep.

What about you? How do you sleep? And do you use a pillow for additional support?

Filed Under: is it safe

Comments (11)

xxPaulaxx

on Jan 9, 2009 at 6:28 AM

That's so true about you feeling like you can't breath. I was sleeping on my back (a normal position for me to sleep in) and I woke up almost out of breath... i was like.. hmm.. and just rolled over to my side and I was fine.

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heydooney

on Jan 9, 2009 at 11:42 AM

I'm a natural side-sleeper but I often wake up on my back, usually out of breath (8 mos preg).

CherBearCM

on Jan 9, 2009 at 12:39 PM

With my first daughter I couldn't lie on my back or I'd faint, that made ultrasounds challenging for the tech, lol. Now if I lie on my back I start to feel lightheaded. I tend to sleep on my side anyways so it's not much of an issue.

Jessmount

on Jan 9, 2009 at 4:44 PM

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I could only sleep on my back. I would feel very sick if I would lay on my side. I was told that it's bad to sleep on your back because it means the baby would be resting on your spine and putting pressure on it. I didn't feel any pain in my spine and we are both fine.

NovemberLove

on Jan 9, 2009 at 5:20 PM

You really shouldn't sleep on your back. It does put pressure on your organs and blood vessels and can limit the blood supply to the baby. I've never heard a practitioner or book tell anyone that it was OK to do so. I had a 9lb 6.3oz baby and couldn't bear the pressure on my insides from even a few moments on my back when I was pregnant. It was suffocating.

MDMomof2Cuties

on Jan 11, 2009 at 9:26 AM

Even if I wanted to, I never could sleep on my back with any of my pregnancies! The pressure on my spin was way too much! And my drs recommended I lay on my side anyway. I have found the best way for me to get comfy was to get some big pillows and prop my belly up while on my side. It works great! And I just use cheap king size pillows from Target rather than some expensive maternity pillow I won't be able to use later down the road.

njpmom06

on Jan 11, 2009 at 1:56 PM

Being over-weight and pregnant makes it hard to sleep on my side, my hips start hurting. I switch side to side, but usually end up on my back at some point to help stop the pain.

amybuddy45

on Jan 12, 2009 at 11:30 AM

I am pregnant with my 3rd now and did not have a problem with sleeping on my side with the 1st 2 but now I am always catching myself on my back. Needless to say I don't sleep very well since I am constantly switching sides and getting off my back.

amw529

on Jan 12, 2009 at 11:41 AM

njpmom06 Jan. 11, 2009 at 1:56 PM

I have the same problem. I have to be on my back sometimes just to ease the pressure on my back from lying on each side....

crazyhecticlife

on Jan 12, 2009 at 3:29 PM

A major issue w/ sleeping on your back past the 1st trimester is that it is a cause of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), a sometimes life-threatening condition where blood clots will form in the deep veins in your legs, then break free and go to your lungs. Scary enough for me to try to stay on my side!