Laying on back [Archive] - Bub Hub Pregnancy & Parenting Forum

shanz

15-01-2006, 19:36

Hey everyone,
I'm after advice on laying on your back whilst pregnant. Everyone seems to be saying it is a big no but WHY? when i ask why no one can answer,just that they were told its bad. My problem is before bub i was a belly or back sleeper as if i lay on my side i get a sore back. Now belly is not an option and Katherine tells me that from 24 weeks you cant lay on your back for longer than a few minutes but she had read somewhere that it is ok if you put a pillow under your back/bum on the right side to prop you up a bit. So how much do i prop myself up. Or does anybody have a magic solution for my problem. Thanks for your help.:mad:

DIANNEKB

15-01-2006, 19:43

Hi Shandi,

I raised this question with the physio in ante-natal classes.. it's because blood flow can be restricted and you may wake up dizzy.. but the physio said to sleep on your back as long as your comfortable.. I sometimes roll onto my back but now with 4 weeks to go I find I can not sleep on my back so much now cause the weight just puts too much pressure on my back and I can feel all the fluid pushing up against my back... so I would say go with what your body is telling you...

My body now is telling me not to so I dont as much now...

Hope this helps
Di.

ElectraJewel

15-01-2006, 19:45

Hey Shanz

Apparently there is an important artery that carries blood to your heart or somethin and that when you lie on your back when pregnant, you can cut off some of the blood supply. The same goes for laying on your right side (so I read somwhere). I'm not sure of the medical terminology or proper details....but I think I read it in "up the duff" (Kaz Cooke) and my obstetrician told me the same. Hope this helps.

drewid

15-01-2006, 19:46

I think its discouraged because lying on your back encourages your baby (by way of gravity and all that hoo haa) to lie face up, so that their spine is along your spine - ie. posterior.

Its really best to lie on your left side in the latter stages of pregnancy to encourage optimal positioning. If you need to lie down, you could lie on your back but prop some pillows under your right hand side, so you are supported, but on a bit of a lean, if that makes sense.

Sleeping on your belly doesn't have to be a no-no...you can prop pillows below your belly and above and around, so that your belly isn't being squished. Its actually really comfy. Its somethign that the physio recommends after birth as well.

(ps. oh yeah, and the blood thingy too - also very true!! propping up helps with that also)

HTH!

mumoftwoboys2005

15-01-2006, 19:48

I had to have an ultrasound at 37 weeks as they thought bub was breech. Thank goodness he wasn't, but I had to be helped to sit up after 10 minutes as I was so dizzy I couldn't decide if I was going to pass out or be sick. Apparently there are some major arteries that are very restricted by us lying on our back whilst heavily pregnant. I spent most of my last few weeks on my right side as my left side would go numb.

It was worth it in the end though.

veve

15-01-2006, 19:57

Goosie22

15-01-2006, 20:14

Original poster mumoftwoboys2005

Apparently there are some major arteries that are very restricted by us lying on our back whilst heavily pregnant.

Yes that right and the name of the major artery is your AOTRA your major blood vessle running directly from your heart sending Oxygen to your body and your baby. It runs directly under your UTERUS and is compressed if you lay on your back ie cutting circulation off to the rest of your body hence the dizzy feeling:)

If you put a pillow under you bum on the right it tilts your uterus to the left therefore the pressure is off, your body will tell you if your cutting the circulation off.

reAllytee

15-01-2006, 20:27

Goosie i have to say your becoming our latest guru :D
*bows*

dannii

15-01-2006, 21:04

one of the best tips I got while pregnant was to buy a body pillow. I too was a tummy sleeper... as my back aches if I sleep on my side... but having the body pillow (it is like the length of three pillows... you can get them from $20+ at pillowtalk) keeps your shoulders and hips in better alignment and you (well I didn't) get the back ache as much...

hope this helps!!!

xxx
oh i totally agree, the body pillows are the best!

as for not allowed to sleep on your back, i got told the same thing, but i wasnt able to lay on my back anyways, always made me feel sick !!

shanz

16-01-2006, 08:11

hey guys thanks for the replies,i will be going to try and find a body pillow today. Any other ideas on where to get them from. I dont have a pillowtalk nearby.

16-01-2006, 08:32

I was a belly sleeper (still am!) right up until the night before I had my c/sections. I would just sleep with two pillows under my head (three towards the end) a pillow under my chest (2 towards the end) and just added others in places taht made me feel comfortable!

My last bub was 13lb 2oz and I was carrying 6 litres of fluid, so as you can imagine ... I was huge! Bub was also incredibly active and as I spent 6 � weeks in hospital before he was born, the midwives would stand by my door and watch me bounce up and down in my sleep as bub moved about!

Just find a way to make yourself comfortable ... doesn't matter how silly it looks ... and get plenty of sleep!

uptheduff

16-01-2006, 10:39

i bought a body pillow several years ago from target....no idea if they still have them though!

DIANNEKB

16-01-2006, 18:22

I bought my body pillow from Baines.. not sure if you have one over there...

Di..xxx

justme

16-01-2006, 21:40

Hi all,
I think it's actually the blood vessel called the 'inferior vena cava' whose blood supply gets restricted when you lie on your back. The aorta is the huge blood vessel attached to the heart that takes the oxygen and blood out of your heart to your body.

I think that's right, but would welcome anyone else who could enlighten us.:confused:

ciao for now

pegasus

16-01-2006, 22:00

Hi

Justme is right - it is the inferior vena cava (and your intestines) which lying on your back places pressure on. The inferior vena cava is responsible for returning blood from the lower body to the heart. Pressure on this area can aggravate backaches and haemorrhoids, inhibit digestive function, interfere with breathing and circulation, and possibly cause hypotension (low blood pressure).

I was told to avoid sleeping on your back after 4months, however, after checking up with my midwife and physio as I was concerned about doing abdominal exercise etc, I was basically told that your body will alert you to get off your back before you have any real problems. I guess the above info is for really heavy sleepers:)

PS I'm usually a belly sleeper, but couldn't get comfy in this position, so ended sleeping with about 4pillows in lieu of a body pillow.

Kirstlea

16-01-2006, 23:46

I have seen those pillows at Big W and Myers

Best thing since sliced bread:D

Worked for me

Foxymoron

17-01-2006, 10:47

Justme is right - it is the inferior vena cava (and your intestines) which lying on your back places pressure on. The inferior vena cava is responsible for returning blood from the lower body to the heart. Pressure on this area can aggravate backaches and haemorrhoids, inhibit digestive function, interfere with breathing and circulation, and possibly cause hypotension (low blood pressure).

Yeppers all that is Spot on! And if your circulation is compromised, so is your babes!

If you can lay at all on your left side you'll be doing your body a big favour, even when not preggie ;)

Lisa&Davey

17-01-2006, 13:58

Hi Shanz, I'm from April babies too.

I love my body pillow! I've seen them at some Targets but got mine from Baines. I call it my cuddle pillow because I sandwich it between my legs and arms and lean onto it. I'm normally a belly sleeper but have found this to be an excellent alternative.

When I'm away from home and need to rest, I lie on my back but with my right leg bent up. I find this tilts my body just a little leaving me very comfy and I assume by zero dizziness, etc. it is letting the blood flow.

P.S. The artery that gets restricted is the main blood flow to the placenta I am told so it is important not to compress it.

shanz

19-01-2006, 19:32

Hey everyone,thanks for all the advice. I purchased a body pillow from spotlight and have been using it on bad nights as i find it hard to get to sleep at the best of times and toss and turn heaps,so i guess when i get a bit bigger and cant move as much it will be really handy. But thank you everyone for your tips.:D

♥Heaven Sent♥

20-01-2006, 02:28

I was also told that it cuts off blood flow and oxygen to the placenta by my OB and also the artery thing.

shereejoy

22-01-2006, 19:24

Wow shanz look at that belly you look great!!!!!

Yes the body pillow is the best, took me a while to get use too, but I don't look back now. I have been using mine since really early in my pregnancy to get use to it, as I was having troubles sleeping on my back from really early, so gathered I had better start prepping myself. I tossed and turned alot initially, from one side to the other, but now I am either too tired that I sleep through my tosses and turns or I actually don't toss as much hehe.

Apparently you can burst major blood vessels from the pressure the utero put on those blood vessels when pregnant, so you are better off getting use to that body pillow. You will love it I guarantee it.

Hope you are well!

deanbean

23-01-2006, 20:58

I'm 33 wks and generally find it most comfortable on my back. The issue as mentioned is definitely with the inferior vena cava, but you will know all about it pretty quickly if you are inhibiting the blood flow back from your legs, so if you do happen to be lying on your back and start feeling a bit off, or headachey (sp?) then roll over or sit up.

If you get nauseous but still find it more comfy on your back you can try just elevating your RIGHT hip a little to move the baby off the inferior vena cava.

just another bit of info re physical stuff during pregnancy - often women get numbness in their arms, hands and wrists due to a number of factors but often this will be at night - ie one wakes up and thinks that one has only one arm!! - not to worry though it is normally just a result of an increase in fluid through the shoulders and arms that causes a bit of nerve constriction.

Hopefully that is helpful and not too 'know all' :o - good luck to everyone

cheers

alicesmum

23-01-2006, 21:29

we have two body pillows in our bed, as DH loved mine so much, he quite literally stole it, and so i had to buy another one. now it's like there are four in the bed. we have to get marriage counselling as our body pillows have come between us and inhibited our "intimacy" (LOL. :D Just kidding. It's a private joke we have!)

Love the BODY PILLOW!!!!!!!!!! :p

shereejoy

23-01-2006, 22:00

Alicesmum - I love my body pillow too, aren't they fab, I have been flogging mine to death! And LOL re: marriage counselling, how funny is that. Wade hasn't stole mine yet thank god!

alicesmum

23-01-2006, 22:09

our body pillows even have names: Nigel and Nigella. Nigel was named after the "Pillow Talk" shop assitant told us her friend had a body pillow in place of a boyfriend. Hence, "Nigel". Go figure! And I guess DH didn't feel too comfortable spooning Nigel, so his body pilow is called Nigella. He is very careful not to mix 'em up!!! :)

how daggy, i know!!!!! :o