Is it true you can't sleep on your back whilst pregnant?

Question

I am so worried, i was looking at those big cushions you can buy for pregnancy and on the pros list it said "The gentle back support discourages rolling onto your back during the night, which can restrict blood flow to both mother and baby"

Oh my goodness, this is my second baby and i have never heard of this, is it a well known thing that i have somehow missed? Can i really not sleep on my back???????

Answer 1

I shouldnt worry to much its more for you that your baby. I think it is bad for some women as its the weight of the baby on the organs and the restriction of blood flow.  

Answer 2

ive 3 kids and i slept on my back, front and side when pregnant. ive never heard of not being able too.  

Answer 3

I know the feeling!!  I am pregnant with my second baby and i never heard that you shouldn't sleep on your back while pregnant.  With my first daughter I was uncomfortable on both sides so i always slept either on my back or on my stomach.  And my daughter came out fine.  But with this pregnancy i found out that doctors prefer you sleep on your left side because it increases the blood flow to your baby.  So i have been trying to sleep on my left but i rotate a lot during the night because i still get uncomfortable.  Try to rotate throughout the night.  So you are not always sleeping on your back.  But if you are truly uncomfortable with it then don't worry too much.  My daughter came out fine!  Good Luck.  

Answer 4

that's what they say, but my friend who has 4 babies always slept on her back.  It hurt her to sleep on her side.  I go back and forth when I sleep so yea.  

Answer 5

They say you're not supposed to sleep on your back after 20 weeks but what they don't say is that it only restricts blood flow in some women. So they tell all of us not to just in case we are one of those people. If you get up in the morning and notice that your legs are asleep or you get really light headed getting out of bed then you should stay off your back. I love sleeping on my back and it's been really hard not to just roll to my back in the middle of the night but you don't need to go out and buy one of those really expensive pillows that wraps around you. Just prop up a regular pillow or two behind you to keep from rolling backwards.

Answer 6

you can, but whilst your pregnant, you might find it uncomfortable, most people sleep on their sides.  

Answer 7

they "say" that sleeping on your left side is better and i have heard and read this but i always think 'what about those women that dont know this?' well guess what? their babies come out perfectly fine!! ppl now a days are coo-coos. im 35 weeks and barely started sleeping only on my sides just because breathing while sleeping on my back has become heavy and good Lord my back hurts too. so there you go.

Answer 8

they say you get better blood flow if you sleep on your side:)

Answer 9

its because it can make u feel faint honest ask ur midwife

Answer 10

I have three children and never heard of that.  I didn't sleep on my back just because I felt the pressure from the baby to be uncomfy.

Answer 11

you can sleep on your back if it is comfortable for you, it wasn't for me.  Goodness my daughter was forever playing football on my bladder and squishing my eternal organs when i laid on my back.  the fact is you said it yourself 'you had no idea when it was your first pregnancy' and your first child is fine.  some people will say anything to sell a product.

Bring your children up how you see fit and remember people have been having children for thousands years, do you think they used to have these pillows in the caves? of course not.

Take care of yourself, and take it easy.

Blessed be

Answer 12

i was told u could'nt, and used to always sleep on my back b4 pregnancy, they say it puts pressure on your tummy, but i'd fall asleep on my side when pregnant and always wake up on my back, my boy was born healthy and ok, he's now 4 wks old,

hope this helps

Answer 13

You can sleep on your back, if it gets uncomfortable for you then just move. It will make you uncomfortable before it affects your baby.

Answer 14

I'm 32 weeks pregnant with my 7th baby and have never heard of this.sleep however you can get comfortable as i know its hard to get comfy

congratulations and good luck  

Answer 15

Honey, when you're pregnant, you sleep the best way you can...LOL  on your back, side, sitting, propped up, layed flat, pillow under legs, pillow under back... what ever you have to do to be comfortable.

I'm sure that little sentence on the package helps them sell more of the pillows. They are comfortable but just think of all the babies that have been born without the mother using the pillow.  

Answer 16

I was told it is because you have a 2 veins which carry blood to and from the heart in your back and the extra weight you are carrying can put pressure on these veins and restrict blood flow to yourself and the baby.This baby is an ivf baby and i was told to sleep on my left hand side for a better chance of conception working and it has but with my other 2 kids i didn't know anything about all this.