Best Sleeping Positions During Pregnancy

During pregnancy your normal sleeping positions are no longer comfortable. Several discomfort can often occur during pregnancy because various changes your body is going through tend to affect your sleeping pattern. To have a good night’s sleep, you should try some of the recommended sleeping positions during pregnancy.
Is Sleeping on Right Side While Pregnant Ok?
Yes, it is. During the final weeks of your pregnancy, sleeping on your back is not advisable due to the weight of the uterus compressing blood vessels and decreasing blood flow to the heart. Sleeping on the left side is mostly recommended as it takes off this excess pressure on the aorta and vena cava. With time, soreness may occur so there will be the need to flip over to the opposite side, which makes sleeping on the right side OK, but if you experience discomfort, just switch to the left side!
Precaution: During the last phase of your pregnancy, sleeping on the right side is fine but not the best choice due to the enlarged size of the uterus. When you sleep on the right hand side, you exert pressure on your liver. This could affect its working.
Best Sleeping Position
Side sleeping is the best position during pregnancy, both for you and your baby. Sleeping on right side while pregnant is ok, but left is the better choice due to improved circulation necessary to get required nutrients to your baby and also because it prevents excessive weight being exerted on your liver.
Positions to Avoid
Sleeping on your back – as your pregnancy progresses, this is not comfortable as your abdomen puts extra pressure on major blood vessels, resulting in the decrease of blood circulation for you and your baby. More so, sleeping on your back is also associated with problems in breathing, digestive system conditions, hemorrhoids, and backaches.
Sleeping on your stomach – lying face down is also problematic since your abdomen undergoes various physical changes and presses on your stomach making it difficult to sleep in this position.
Here are more tips concerning sleeping positions during pregnancy to add to your comfort:
-For shortness of breath experienced in late pregnancy, lie on your side while propped up with pillows to keep your chest raised.
-If you’re experiencing back pains, try sleeping on your right or left side and place a pillow under your abdomen or between your knees.
-If you suffer heartburns during the night, you may want to try propping your upper body with something to prevent the rush of acids up from your stomach.
-If you roll from side to back or front, do not panic. Sometimes it is best to let your body move to where it is most comfortable instead of waking up every few minutes to get back on your side.

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