Maternal Resources

Sleep Positions for Pregnancy

When you are pregnant, you need your rest. That rest is sometimes hard to come by because you feel uncomfortable in bed with your new baby belly or you are too nervous to sleep because you may roll onto your stomach. Here are a few ideas for getting a comfortable night’s sleep while you are pregnant.
The best way to sleep while you are pregnant is on your side. Sleeping on your left side will increase the blood flow and nutrients that reach the placenta and your baby. This may mean that you have to do some minor negotiations with your man to change sides of the bed to be more comfortable.
You should try to keep your knees bent and put a pillow between your legs. You may also want to put a pillow under your abdomen to make this position more comfortable for you. If heartburn becomes an issue, try propping your upper body with pillows as well.
If you are used to sleeping on your back or stomach, like many of us are, this position will probably feel uncomfortable for the first few nights, but it will be just fine in the end. After the baby, you can go back to sleeping on your back or stomach.
If you plan on breast feeding, your days of stomach sleeping are over for quite some time, but back sleeping will come back soon.
You do not want to lay on your back while you are pregnant because you can get bad back aches and trouble breathing. Sleeping on your back can also cause low blood pressure and decrease the circulation of blood to your baby. Back sleeping may also cause snoring and can lead to sleep apnea as you put on baby weight.
Looking for something that will make sleeping a bit more comfortable? Check out the Boppy ® Custom Fit Body Pillow. You can sleep with it, read a good book or binge-watch your favorite show on Netflix with this pillow.