Sleeping While Pregnant - London,KY

Isn't it quite amazing what we as moms today have been told to do and not to do. Though 20 plus years ago, when our parents were pregnant with us they were told the complete opposite! My only advice is not to panic! You're "supposed" to sleep on your left side, better for you, better for the baby, more oxygen for you and and the baby and all sorts of other reasons. However, like you, I toss and turn during the night. How can we possible stay on one side all night? I laugh when I remember what my ob told me...I was concerned about what side and if it was true about the left side theory. I told him that I woke up one morning on my ride side and was worried b/c I was supposed to sleep on my left. Well, he laughed and said not to worry and reassured me that we were ok (the baby and I) but that our mothers and our grandmothers slept on all sides and even their backs and we turned out ok. So don't panic, but try to stay on your left side. Get a big body pillow . I would use several pillows, and husband and I would sleep on our sides, (me on my left, him on his right) and we would push our backs against each other or he would push against a pillow against my back and that would help me stay on my left side. I too, like babies, liked to be wrapped tight or have that feeling of being snuggled. So having a few pillows around me at night seemed to do the trick. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy , hope that helps!
A.

It's funny to read through your responses and to see that 90% of the responses say left, and the rest say right. Hmmm....makes your wonder where we all get our information and who really is right! Talk to your dr, don't always trust the "wisdom" of others, everyone has their opinion, including myself, and you are your best judge of what you believe is right. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

You should sleep on your left side. I would also recommend a pregnancy pillow in order to sleep more comfortably on your side. I couldn't have lived without mine for both of my pregnancies! Here's the one I had: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2267435

There are lots out there but this one was great.

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

Im 3 months pregnant with "twins". I have a 6yr old son and a 3 1/2 yr old daughter - they also make a long straight body pillow that might work for you - but the main thing i want to try and help you with is the numbness you are experiencing - the same thing happened to me with both of my pregnancies - i went to the doctor only to find out that it is "carpal tunnel syndrome" it is very common in pregnancy - i thought it was weird bc it only happened when i was asleep at night but my doctors said it was normal - they gave me some wrist splints to sleep in at night and the problem was solved. I would ask your doctor about it to see if it helps. Hope this helps! Good luck and god bless

Your hands are getting numb, b/c you are getting carpal tunnel syndrome! It can be induced by pregnancy. I had it with my son and it was not fun. I ended up wearing braces to sleep ( you get these at the drug-store), but it went away a few months after he was born. I can't remember which side to not sleep on, but I do remember my doctor said not to worry much about it.
Talk to your doctor about the numbness.

I was told by my OB/Gyn to always sleep on the left side, because the baby will get the most circulation benefits that way. I sleep with a body pillow, and that helped tremedously.
R.

Definitely sleeping on the left side is best. I am now pregnant with my third child, but with my first, I went into premature labor at 36 weeks and was in the hospital for 3 days while they stopped it. They had to keep me on my back, but they said as long as you keep a pillow under one side of your back, it is ok.

Hey J., I'm a couple months ahead of you...I just asked my Dr. the same thing...Left side is the best, right is not bad. Don't freak out about sleeping on your back...try not to, but you'll be okay if you do once in a while :)

Hi J., You are under doctors care, right? Sleeping on your left side always worked for me. You just breath better on that side for some reason. Pregnant and 40 can be a great experience and a challenge. How exciting for your son to have a new brother or sister and he is at such a good age to "bring a new baby in the house"! The numb feeling you get may be from a pinched nerve or simply from the way you are sleeping. And why are you paranoid about sleeping on your back? A good pillow under your knees and a pillow under your head might be the answer. IT releives a lot of pressure off your back.
Have a blessed day and try not to worry so much. You are in good HANDS.

K.

It is recommended to sleep on the right side. They say sleeping on the left can put pressure on your blood vessels that go to and from your heart.

Hello, we are supposed to sleep on our left side while pregnant. It helps with blood circulation for you and the baby. I always found myself on my back, until my belly got bigger and it hurt, lol...I would put a pillow between my knees and under my belly while laying on my side. That seemed to help me. You could ask your doctor if there is something you can do to help the blood circulation, that could be causing the numbness. Hope you get a good nights sleep soon. Take care!

I am 24 weeks prego. The What to Expect book says that sleeping on your left side promotes healthy body functions. It also says that if you wake up on your back or stomach, don't stress, just turn back onto your side. Do you sleep with a pillow between you knees and thighs and in between your arms when on your side? This adds a lot of comfort for me.

I too experience the numbness, (even before pregnancy), and what helps me the most is going to the chiropractor and getting my neck adjusted.

Hi J.,

When I was pregnant with my youngest, I would get TERRIBLE heartburn. My obgyn told me that while I was pregnant, I should sleep on my left side. He said it was helpful for a lot of reasons, starting with less strain on the body.

I have a 2 1/2 month old son and was always paranoid about sleeping on my back. I woke up several times over those months sleeping on my back despite using a snoogle. My son is fine! In terms of which side the "preferred" side is your left because it allows for the best circulation to you and the baby.

Also, my hands (and sometimes my arms too!) would go numb. If it is your ring finger and pinkie finger, the problem is compression of the ulnar nerve in your elbow- likely from fluid build up. Not much you can do- sometimes keeping your arm straight will help. If its your thumb, index, and middle fingers, the problem is your radial nerve. Again, this can be from fluid or carpal tunnel syndrome. Wearing a wrist splint can help.

You are supposed to sleep on your left side. Don't worry about waking up on your back. I have read that if you are on your back for too long you will wake up having cramps and sick to your stomach. Try to keep your hands down to your side, below your heart as much as possible. Just everytime you wake put them down.
Good luck!

Your left side, just remember it is where the heart is. When I was hospitalized and told the OB about my troubles breathing at night he told me that sleeping on my left side is good for my and the babies circulation. It helps open you up. I went home and tried all sides and what do you know, I had more air capacity on my left. He was right. I know a lot of people say either side. I do not know about that, but I do know never on your back.

Good luck and God bless,

J.,

It is your left side the perfer but either side is fine. I just delivered the day after Christmas sor boy I remember. I would start on my left but rotate sides every time I woke up. I really think you may still be safe on you back. It isn't until you get futher along the sleeping on your back is not good.

A. M

Don't want to be redundant, as I'm sure everyone's already said these things, but...

Either side is fine, the left side is better because of blood flow but it's best to be changing position every now and again. If you tend to end up on your back without realizing it, don't stress. The U pillows and wedges are very good (so if you must sleep on your back you're at an angle and not completely flat), or sleep in a recliner (loooove recliners!!!).

By the way...Sleeping on your left side also makes digestion easier, so if you find you're having digestion issues, lay on that side.

No clue about the numbness, other than doing the brace like someone suggested...it's probably a circulation issue.

I used lots of pillows all different sizes. I would lay on either side & would put pillows right behind my back, between my legs & snuggle with one. Helped me, good luck & God Bless. Chas

They definitely suggest sleeping on your left side, but you can't sleep only on your left side...at least I couldn't. Also, they only suggest that you do the left side starting at your third trimester. It has something to do with blood flow and some vein that gets pressure from the baby.

I believe it's the left side to sleep. It's something to do with the vena cava and blood flow to the baby. I find that when I end up on my back I wake up, so I guess our bodies know exactly what to do! Good luck to you!

sleep any way that makes you comfortable. The baby is protected and can't be hurt. Try sleeping in different beds and on the sofa, use lots of pillows and keep experimenting till you get some relief. Talk to your doc about this too, there may be medicine which would help you relax.

I think it is your left side. My hands and arms did get numb I think starting on my 5th month. I just had a son 4 months ago. I still remember those nights pregnant. I read the book what to expect when your expecting and it helped me alot. T.

Sleep on your left side while pregnant. Sometimes it's better to sleep in a recliner. That's what I had to do. As for the numbness, I had that too. You can go to wal-mart and buy those braces that separate your thumb from your fingers (brown) they will go about +/-4 inches past your wrist. I had to wear them the last half of my pregnancy with both kids. And off and on after their births. That was all it took. Good luck!! And congrats!
K.

i just turn back and forth. sometime si do wake up and have ended up an my back, but once i realize it, i jsut turn over. also i find it feels better on my hips, to put a pillow between my knees and kind of wedge it under my belly.

you are supposed to sleep on your left while pregnant so that your belly does not put any weight your liver, which is full of large arteries. i did have the same problem, with my hands going numb if i slept on my side. i found that a large body pillow helped keep me from rolling all over. the only thing that i found for the numb hands, was to keep my right arm up over my head.

With all of mine I slept primarily on the left side. And like most here, I used pillows between my knees, which helped to keep my legs more parallel and reduce some stress off my back. Now the odd thing too is that often I slept really well on my back. Now I didn't stay there all night but it felt good to me. I would just put pillows under my knees.

My last child was born when I was 39 and I loved every minute of it. You're going to do great!

Supposed to be the right side but I used to end up on my back all the time and the doctors told me (with all 3 pregnancys) that it is normal and not harmful but that is what wakes you up and all you need to do is turn to your side.

I just had my second son and with both pregs I used the body pillow that is shaped like a U. The body pillow shaped like a C did not work for me because I was too tall and it just didn't "fit" right. Good luck with the sleeping...I always slept on my left side until the end and then a slept kind of at an angle (put a pillow behind my back so I could not lay flat on my back) because by the end my left hip was hurting.

I am 20 weeks pregnant and I have one that just turned 14 months today. You are suppose to sleep on your left side with something between your knees if possible, this position give you the best blood flow to the fetus. The right side is ok too just not as good as the left. The stomach isn't good for obvious reasons and the back could put pressure on a major artery reducing the blood flow to the fetus but the "What to expect when you are expecting" book says if you wake up on your back don't panic, just turn over on your side and go back to sleep. I purchased the sleep positioner pillow from babies r us and it helped me a lot!

They say its best to sleep on your left side. I woulkd switch from side to side all night long. Yes, my hands and arm would go numb that is why I would change sides all night long. I also used a body pillow and lots of regular pillows as you progress you will need them even more. I know its frustrating and uncomfortable but in the end it will be worth all the pain and suffering......

I think at this point, just try to get comfortable and sleep when you can! If you're uncomfortable, chances are, you will change position while you sleep, anyway. I ended up on my back every night, and my girls and I made out just fine! Good luck!

try sleeping on your left with body pillow or extra pillow between your knees. Supposidly it increases your breathing ability and i know it does help w/ indigestion

35 yr sahm , w/ 3 kids

The doctors tell you to sleep on you left side. I switched back and forth though through the night. It's ok to end up on your back sometimes. Is best for your baby and you on your left. You need to purchase a pregnancy wedge. It is 2 foam pieces connected with fabric, one underneath your side and one braced against your back. Because of that, I was able to get some rest while pregnant. The numbness, I'm not sure. Maybe already carpel tunnel? Are you swelling already? Mention it to your dr. Hope I helped.

I have always slept on my belly until becoming pregnant. He is now 18 mos. I had a hard time adjusting but ended up getting comfortable on my left side, the side I had read was best. I use a maternity pillow that had support on the front and back. It was essentially two pillows with velcro in the middle for front and back support. Toward the end another pillow between my knees helped.

I had some numbness, too. I have read that carple tunnel ( I have no idea how to spell that) can be a problem during pregnancy. I didn't confirm that will my dr. because it wasn't a huge issue, but annoying. I still have some of those symptoms, but not as bad. I would have numbness and now sometimes sharp pains. I also had numbness in my lower belly from the baby apparently settling on a nerve for weeks toward the end. There were no problems with the baby or my body afterwards.

Good Luck

Lying on your left side is good for you and your baby. There's no real harm on sleeping on your right side. Sleeping on your left side improves the flow of blood. Hope that helps.

Any side is fine, Maybe try and put a pillow in between your legs while sleeping this will also help with any back pain. I did that when I was pregnant and now I still have to have my pillow. J.

I would also suggest finding a good chiropractor, that works on pregnant women. If youre in the Louisville area you can go to www.birthcarenetwork.com for a list of specialist.

Hi J.! While I was pregnant I experienced the numbness in my hands too. I found out that because of the swelling I got temporary carpal tunnal syndrome. It lasted until my son was a couple weeks old and the swelling went away. I had to wear braces on both arms because of the pain. During labor I had both of my hands in cups of ice and remember that pain more than my contractions (I had a natural birth with no meds). It was very uncomfortable especially at night but it was worth the pain and it did go away on its own. The braces definitely helped me sleep. If this is the same problem you experience you might want to find some yourself.

R.

lEFT OR RIGHT IS FINE. Get a body pillow (or two!). I have seen body pillows in a "U" shape so you have pillow supporting your back & between your legs. Like this:

http://www.sitincomfort.com/baccussup.html

Or pile a bunch of little ones all around. It is good practice for being up thru the night with your little one. Don't worry, one day in the future you might get a block of 6 hours....
(ha ha?) Hang in there, you will have your body back soon.

P

Check with your OB, because they know your body shape best. Left side is best when you start carrying weight, but my OB actually told me I could sleep on my back for quite a long time (can't remember how many weeks). But ask at your next appointment so you can enjoy back sleeping as long as possible. Don't get yourself stuck sleeping left sided too early, explore your comfort options while you can! Good luck. P.S. When I was pregnant, my hands and arms always went numb when I slept on my back without a good pillow. Too much pressure on the wrong part of the neck.

J.,
you should be sleeping on your left side. It puts less strain on your heart and makes blood flow to the baby easier. Put a pillow behind your back, and one between your knees. They will keep you from rolling over, and by raising your knee, you'll have less pressure on your lower abdomen and hips. You and baby both should be comfy!

I got the numb hand and arm at times and my dr said it was completely normal and it went away after my daughter was born. As far as sleeping, I slept on my left sida with pillows between my legs and pushed up against my back. It seemed to work, if I got really uncomfortable, I slept on the couch and it kept me still. I didn't know there was one side you SHOULD sleep on. Good luck!

I believe that the left side is the best, but I can't be sure. My youngest child is 3 so it's been a while. I would talk to your dr. about the numbness. Also you should purchase a copy of What to Expect When Expecting. It is a week by week guide to pregnancy and lets you know what normal changes to expect and which one's to be concerned about. Good Luck!!

There is no real concern right now. It is actually safe to sleep on your back for now until late into your second trimester, when the baby gets bigger; by then it will be way to uncomfortable to sleep on your back anyways. It is normal for your hands to get numb do to lack of bloodflow to that arm while sleeping on that side. I would sleep semi on my back/side while i was pregnant with both my boys and had a body pillow under my stomach for support. This was comfortable for the most part, and my shoulders and hips didn't hurt as bad. It's never comfortable to sleep during pregnancy for many many reasons. All you can do is find what's most comfortable for you and get as much rest as you can. Good Luck and Congrats!!

Hi J.,
Supposed to sleep on your left side. It is the best position for you and your circulation and for the baby. However, I've also been told (by OB Dr's) that it's perfectly alright if you wake up lying on your back. Just try to turn back over onto your left side. No harm done though. Good luck with everything! Especially that last month or two, which for me was really miserable when pregnant with my second.

I am a back sleeper and was terrified when I got pregnant. I went to the relax the back store and bought a Comfort U pillow-- it's a body pillow and it was expensive, but worth it. I had trouble sleeping on my sides because I have a hip injury and I would wake up in pain-- this pillow was awesome and I stuff a bunch of it under my butt so that even if I rolled onto my back I wasn't really on my back -- more on an angle on my side. Worked for 2 pregnancies and then I donated it to a charity for pregnant women..... good luck

Mel

Whwn I was pregnant with my 2D I experienced the numbness (I did not with my first), sometimes it would wake me up, when I mentioned it to my midwife she said it maybe carpel tunnel syndrome. When I went home and researched, I found that pregnant can get CTS and come to find out some friends had experienced the same. My mid-wife suggested wearing an ace bandage, for me it was all the time that I needed on, but it really did help.

I also checked on the Dr. Sears site and Baby Book - with both pregnancies I very much felt comfortable with following what they recommended.

If I am not mistaken you are supposed to sleep on your left side. My feet would go numb and occassionally a couple of my fingers. Dr said to move around. I laid on my back sometimes because I got so tired of one side. I just didn't stay in any position long. Don't know why I did it got numb sometimes but it never hurt anything.
And I want to congradulate you for being 40 and preg. I had my baby girl when i was 45 and I love it. I wish that I had waited to have them all in my 40's.
Good luck... you will do great and you will enjoy them more at an older age. I did anyway!

Dear J.,
I am a nurse at Jewish hospital..You are better to sleep on your left side because that helps the baby get better blood supply and oxygenation. And with the numbness it may be the fluid that is extra in your body pushing on your median nerve.

like others said, the numb hands is from carpel tunnel syndrome. it's common during preg when blood vessels start to swell and get pinched. you can buy the wrist braces at any drug store/walmart etc. as for sleeping on your back. you can until after 20 weeks, so no worries. i always wake up feaked out in the am too when i'm on my back. What you can do once you get past 20 weeks is sleep with a body pillow or rolled towel etc behind you to keep you from roling over on your back.

You may be experiencing carpol tunnel syndrom. Thant happened to me in my last 2 pregnancies and lasted about 7 months after delivery. Sleeping in wrist braces (which are sold at drugstores) helps a lot!
Good Luck, all the best,
V. Mammina

Hey J.,

I thought I would share. I was ONLY comfortable sleeping on my back when I was pregnant with my second. I would start off sleeping on my left side and even at 35 weeks I would wake up on my back. My OB said that was ok because your body will naturally respond and you will roll over when you need to. Don't know if that's true, but it seemed to happen with me.

You're supposed to sleep on your left side because that's the side your heart is on. That's about the only thing I used from Lamaze class!! :)

i remember when i was pregnant 3 years ago i read many many books, probably too many! i learned about things and then worried about them! i can't remember exactly what i read but it said to sleep on your left side. whatever i read was powerful enough to me that i laid on my left side no matter what!

My doctor told me either side was fine. I too had my hands falling asleep. I told him I kept waking up on my back and he suggested sleeping with a pillow behind my back to help keep me from rolling over. As I got bigger, my husband loved this! Not only did he have very little bed, but when I would roll over I would wake him up readjusting my pillow!! But I did feel better about staying on my side. I also liked a pillow between my knees - it helped wake me up when I was rolling and helped with pain in my legs.
Good luck.

I believe we are suppose to sleep on our left side while pregnant. Because of better oxygen. Your hands get numb sometimes because we sleep on them, that is what I did anyway.. I used to wake myself up at night when I was sleeping on back more than I wanted. But my daughter is now 5 months old, and is healthy.. So, I don't really know if sleeping on your back is not healthy for your unborn baby.. I don't think I worry about it too much though.. But good luck try a wedge on your back I used to sleep with like 8 pillows including a body pillow seemed to be comfortable. Hope it helps.. Good luck and congrats on the pregnancy..

Hi J.,
When I was pregnant with my son (now 5 1/2) I had all kinds of problems and issues! One of them was numbness in my hands which not only happened while I was sleeping, but also while shampooing, drying my hair, writing with a pen, and gripping the steering wheel of the car! It was finally diagnosed as Carpal Tunnel Syndrom, I bought some ridiculusly expensive wrist braces to sleep in, and it still didn't go away until several weeks after I gave birth! I was also told (by my Doctor) to sleep on my left side because of my high blood pressure (which also went away after birth!) The reason they gave me for the Left side is because your heart doesn't have to work as hard to pump the blood and it is supposed to help keep your blood pressure from going higher. Sleeping on my back caused severe pain in my hips, lower back, buttucks and legs, so I kept MANY pillows around me and slept with a pillow BETWEEN my legs too! If you use the wrist braces to sleep in, take a soft pair of socks, cut the toes off and put a hole for your thumbs and it will feel alot better under the brace! Good Luck....and by the way, I was 41 when I had my second child (she's 9 months) and none of my "younger" Mommy friends had this problem!