Laying on My Back

I know this had been posted recently, and someone said the reason you can't lay on your back is because it effects the blood flow to the baby. What I am wondering is, does it effect the blood flow only if your belly is large or does that not matter. I am almost 17 weeks and I have a belly but am not huge. I can't stand constantly sleeping on my side. Is it horrible to sleep on my back sometimes??

ive read that its okay to sleep on your back just to put a pillow under your right hip because thats where the main blood vessel is that gets cut off if there's weight on it. thats also why you arent supposed to sleep on your right side.

It's not just to the baby, its the artery (sp?) that brings the blood back to your heart.
This is a link to webmd.
http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/posture?page=3

Thanks...I didn't know you weren't supposed to sleep on your right side either!?!?! This is going to make me crazy!

Well, I read somewhere else that it doesn't really matter which side, when they first realized it was bad to lay on your back, they just picked the left side to use, but I havn't read ANYWHHERE that your right side is bad or not as good as the left. ^_^

I have this theory... my body is going to do what it wants. If I end up on my back I end up on my back.


I've never heard of a miscarriage or anything else bad happening because a woman slept on her back instead of her left side.


Granted half the time I'm on my back I get suffocated my tits so I dont do it very often.

I mean, I think its more of a thing for when you're awake, and don't lie down on your back with the intenion of going to sleep on it. If you turn over onto your back in the night, what are you gonna do really? Your body should wake you up if something like that happens so you can turn on to your side.

Thanks ladies...when I was pregnant with my son I never knew anything, so nothing ever bothered me! Now it seems like I know way too much and everything worries me!

Exactly.

Granted blood flow decreases when you're resting, but if you're worried about what side you're supposed to sleep on you're just going to stress yourself out. Stress is bad.

Sleeping on your back is the lesser of the evils that you could be doing to your body and your baby right now, so I wouldnt dwell on it so much.

Unless you're letting people do lines of blow off of your stomach..then I wouldnt recommend you lay on your back..I'd recommend a bat to the face.


Ramble much?

I wake up all the time at night on my back! Sometimes it feels like the most comfortable position, but I tend to force myself to lay on my side w/a pillow between my legs. The joys of pregnancy!!!!!  

well when you're sleeping, your body will react on its own if youre cutting off blood supply... it will start to annoy you either consciously or unconsciously and you will turn on your own. its no big deal really, liek the other girl said, ive never heard of anyone having any problems because of it, its YOUR main artery that is on your right side, not the babies. so putting weight on it cuts off YOUR circulation and your body is developed enough to recognize it and make you turn or give you a leg cramp so you wake up and roll over anyways. its just another one of those little things that people like to tell you when youre pregnant, as if you dont have enough to worry about!!   so dont sweat it. the body is an amazing self-regulating thing!!

I always end up on my back. I am most comfortable that way. I try to sleep on my left side, but my body doesnt like it for some reason!

I had no idea laying on your back would effect the baby. I just always heard that it put pressure on a major blood vessel that pumped blood to your heart. I always lay on my back though cause its just more comfortable.

 

my doctor told me that you should try to avoid it but its a bigger deal after 20 weeks. she said if you wake up and you are on your back then just turn on your side. she also said that you'll notice if it's restricting blood flow because it will be harder to breathe and you'll start getting light headed.

I would ask your doctor about that one. I try laying on my side but end up tossing and turning during the nigth trying to get comfy . But as far as laying on my back it's getting impossible cause everytime i do i feel like she migrates towards my rib cage and it starts getting hard to breathe.