laying flat on your back?

I was just flipping through "your pregnancy week by week" and for your 16th week it says you should no longer lay flat on your back from this point forward. My doctor never mentioned anything about this... if yours did, what did they say? How dangerous is it?

A lot of times I wake up flat on my back and am not sure how to avoid doing so.

Re: laying flat on your back?

I think I am most paranoid about this b/c it's how I normally sleep. Sometimes I will prop a pillow under one side so I am not totally flat, but not totally on my side either.

Re: laying flat on your back?

Mine said I could unless I was working out, then he wanted me on an incline (I'd arrange my step on an incline for weights in class at the gym). In bed and in general, he said my body would let me know if I needed to get off my back. I'd get short of breath or pains. But if I didn't get either of those, he said it was fine to lay on my back.

He did say I had to stop sleeping on my stomach at 24 weeks.

Re: laying flat on your back?

As of about 26 weeks, I was incapable of laying goat as I wasn't able to breathe right.

It's like your body takes control. I often am woken up when on my back because I'm short of breath.

29 weeks tomorrow.....and sleep is getting less and less restful every night.

Re: laying flat on your back?

Thanks for posting this question...I am 16 weeks and 5 days and worry about the whole laying on my stomach/back thing....I don't feel uncomfortable in either position, but I was hoping that I wasn't causing harm to the baby.

Re: laying flat on your back?

Personally, it is stinking uncomfortable for me which is the only reason I don't. As well as it being a little hard to breathe that way.

There are very few positions that are comfortable for me. So I say, whatever you are comfortable with is totally fine.

Re: laying flat on your back?

Crashing...

If it makes you feel any better, I slept on my back the entire pregnancy w/ my DD. I had a severe back injury that was worse whenever I would lay on either side. My OB said that as long as you are not short of breath, it's fine. You will definitely know if it's not safe to sleep on your back, you will feel it...

What I did as I got further along in my pregnancy--I would tilt about 30 degrees to one side and have DH cram a pillow under my side. This way, it still felt like I was laying on my back, but the pressure was not directly on that artery that runs behind the womb.

HTH

Re: laying flat on your back?

I've never been told one way or another. I am usually a side sleeper, but I actually woke up on my back last night and I'm 40w2d! Everything was fine! If it isn't right, you'll wake up.

Re: laying flat on your back?

almost 38 weeks here and there are times im much more comfortable laying on my back... if im comfy more than likely baby is comfy

Re: laying flat on your back?

i am 30 weeks and still sleep on my back for part of the night. my doctor said this is fine. he said being comfortable and sleeping is most important and if i was comfortable on my back it was okay. some people say that after a certain point it was uncomfortable for them to be on their back but that hasnt happened to me yet.

i wouldnt worry about waking up on your back.

Re: laying flat on your back?

i always tend to start on my side but then end up on my back. i dont think it matters as long as you're comfortable like other posters have said.

Re: laying flat on your back?

With DS I slept on my back until probably 22 weeks.
I asked my OB and she said if it was an issue, my body would tell me. And she was right. When I stopped was when I felt like I couldnt breathe properly while on my back.

Re: laying flat on your back?

Getting comfortable is so hard these days, that if I can breathe and lay on my back -- that's what I'm doing damnitt!