How to Lay Down During Pregnancy

Having a developing baby in your womb can carry a lot of aches and uncomfortable movements. For most pregnant women, it can be challenging to find comfy sleeping positions, particularly those who are already suffering from insomnia. Although, having a few bedtime rituals to prepare before lying down can make a great difference.

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Before Heading to Bed

During pregnancy, your doctor will probably suggest that you drink plenty of water to remain hydrated. However, avoid drinking lots of water before heading to bed. This may wake you up frequently by the need of going to the bathroom several times at night. Plan drinking one hour before lying down.

Likewise, avoid eating a heavy meal a few hours before bed. Heartburn is one of the common causes of sleep problems in pregnant women as it leads to disrupted sleep and discomfort. You can avoid heartburn by skipping spicy meals a few hours before drifting off. Otherwise, you need to wait for at least 2 hours so you won’t be suffering from heartburn while sleeping. To avoid it, use a pillow to hold up your head while lying down and place a pillow between your knees or under your stomach to avoid pressure in your legs and back. This will help your body digest the food that you consumed.

Prepare to Lie Down

Before going to bed, gather two to three pillows – these can be your supporters when you try to lie down. Pile the pillows on your bed and ask your partner to assist you while positioning yourself to be comfortable. Also, a body pillow is good for you to hug when you’re lying on your side to sustain your hips.

Moreover, make sure your luxury mattress is firm and your box spring does not sag to make sure you’ll get a good night’s sleep. If the spring sags, put your bed on the ground and use a full-size bunkie board under your mattress to keep it firmer.

If you sleep on a softer latex mattress, you may find it awkward to shift to a harder mattress. If it’s what you’re used to, stick to the softer mattress and you have no problem getting a complete night’s sleep on the bed.

Choose a Lying Down Position

Carefully, get yourself into the lying down position. Sit nearer to the bed’s head rather than the bed’s foot. Then, use your hands as support to lower yourself to one side. Slightly bend your knees and bring them to the bed. When your full body is already on the bed, you can roll sideways or backward. Ask for your partner to have pillows ready so you can position yourself comfortably as you lie down.

Best Sleeping Position for Pregnant

Women are used to sleeping in any position they feel most comfortable. However, this starts to change during pregnancy as you may begin to experience frequent urination, back pain, tender breast, and insomnia. With growing belly, it makes it harder for you to settle in a comfy sleep position. Thus, here are a few recommendations to sleep soundly at night when pregnant.

Don’t sleep at your back

During the first few weeks of pregnancy, sleeping on your back is still acceptable. Because it’s when your uterus is still intact and has not yet exerted any pressure on the vein that carries blood to your heart. Place a pillow under your hips to comfortably lie on your back during your first few weeks of pregnancy and let your arms and feet roll open to the side. You can also roll back and forth one or both legs to release any lower back tension.

However, you should start to avoid lying on your back in your second semester. This may result in nausea, and can also reduce the amount of oxygen transmitted to your baby.

After your fifth month, sleeping at back is definitely not recommended. Sleeping on your back puts extra stress on your blood vessels running behind your uterus and carrying blood back to your heart from your legs and feet. This pressure can slow down the blood circulation of your body and your baby’s.

Don’t sleep on your stomach after the first trimester

If you’re used to sleeping on your stomach, you may get comfortable sleeping on it during the first week of your pregnancy. However, it can make you uncomfortable when your uterus starts to enlarge and you may feel you have a large ball on your belly.

After the first trimester, avoid sleeping on your stomach for it can be harmful to your developing baby’s health. Therefore, it’s better to lie on your side for the whole nine months.

Do sleep at your left side

The safest sleep position for your baby is side sleeping. Moreover, as your abdomen expands, it is more comfortable for you to sleep on your slide, particularly on your left side. As it helps with your blood circulation, this position will ensure that your child receives enough nutrients and oxygen.

Sleeping on your left side can also help you deal with insomnia and other sleep problems. To get comfy, put a pillow between your legs, under your stomach, and behind your back to prevent you from rolling to your back. For extra coziness, you can also add a human-size body pillow.

If you’re rolling back and forth while sleeping, don’t panic. It’s much better to let your body move where it feels comfortable than waking every minute just to remain on your left side. If you find your right side more comfortable, it’s fine to shift to your position because there are no complications with lying on your right. What’s important is to get a good night’s sleep as much as possible.

Keep in mind that while you are sleeping or lying down, your child will also experience pain and may wake you up with a kick if she feels stressed because of your sleeping position. Just roll over to your left if you wake up sleeping on your back. It is very essential to be relaxed during pregnancy.

Get Up from Lying Position

Always roll on your side, unless you’re on your side already. Move your knees toward your stomach and your feet at the edge of your bed. As you push yourself carefully into a seated position, use your arms as support. Swing your legs across the bedside.

As you stand up, take a deep breath before raising up to avoid nausea. This will also prevent you from having back pain. You can also ask for your partner’s support to help you to get up from your bed by letting them grip your forearms. From then, gently get out of lying position.

Remember

Although there are strengths and weaknesses in each sleeping position, don’t ignore the apparent indications your body gives you. If you feel pain in your back or your baby gives you little kicks, maybe you’re in the wrong sleeping position.

Changing positions multiple times at night is fine, but if you don’t move a lot, don’t freak out. During pregnancy, it is very common to have trouble sleeping, and it is much more important for a future mother to sleep well than to wake up 10 times a night to reposition herself in accordance with a cabal process that could be microscopically beneficial. Only you can find out your true comfort.