How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

I never realized how much I love sleeping on my back until I was told not to do it anymore I find myself constantly waking up at night to turn to my side. It really disrupts my sleep...any advice? Ive tried a boppy pillow and it just ends up on the floor lol

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

this happens to me too! i have an anterior placenta so it doesn't seem to bother me when sleeping on my back as much. actually sometimes when i turn to my side, i feel like i can't breathe well and one side of my shoulder goes numb!

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

I have a body pillow for my front and then i use a king size, fluffy pillow for behind me as a wedge. it really helps keep me on my side.

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

I am 34 weeks and still sleep on my back for periods of time. Unless it is causing issues I wouldn't worry too much. It's more about breathing than baby health

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

I always wake up on my back. I try my best to sleep on my left side but i get a terrible terrible pain in my upper hip so i end up switching to my right side or my back. As the pp said sleeping on your back effects you more than the baby.

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

I'm normally a stomach/back sleeper, but my asthma has been pretty bad, so I've had to stay on my sides for a few weeks now. My Snoogle body pillow helps me to stay put...have you tried one yet?

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

I just say the h ell with it and however I turn during sleep is how I sleep.

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

I would just continue to do it. When it comes to the point that you shouldn't do it anymore you will know and turn to the side. After a while you feel like you can't breathe when you lay on your back. Either prop pillows so that you're sleeping kind of sitting like or use a body pillow on your back to keep you tilted to the side.

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

the snoogle just as pictured below. with the long side behind me so if I go to turn, I'm still on my side.

i LOVE my snoogle.

link here

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

I was never a back sleeper, ever. However I guess bc I'm so big, I always find myself on my back. Whenever I wake up to pee, when my alarm goes off, etc. I'm on my back. I use a body pillow on one side and a king size pillow on the other. There's nothing else to do!

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

Posted by MamaPapaBear

I just say the h ell with it and however I turn during sleep is how I sleep.

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

I keep a body pillow behind me when I'm on my side. This way when I do go to lay on my back, I'm still propped up on the pillow so at least I'm not laying flat but it's good to have a change in position and take the weight off your hip.

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

i don't prevent myself from sleeping on my back.

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

the freaking issue i have with sleeping on my sides is...even with teh right pillows...the hip i lay on hurts like crazyyy and my shoulders ache like a biotch!!! my sleeeep sucksssss lol

grrrr haha

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

Thanks ladies. I thought why we shouldnt sleep on our backs is because it causes less oxygen to get to the baby at least thats why I read in my baby book. I honestly still love sleeping on my back and I guess I will continue to do so until it just becomes uncomfortable.

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

I always go to sleep on my side but somehow always wake up on my back... Its the strangest thing bc I dont think I did this pre-preg... I heard that your body will just tell you when you shouldnt be doing it anymore... So for now, I dont do much about it...

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

Posted by Otherme

Posted by MamaPapaBear

I just say the h ell with it and however I turn during sleep is how I sleep.

yup, that's what i did
at some point, it became too uncomfortable to sleep on my back, so i think my body knew it and i just didn't turn that way.

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

Posted by bettybcafe

Thanks ladies. I thought why we shouldnt sleep on our backs is because it causes less oxygen to get to the baby at least thats why I read in my baby book. I honestly still love sleeping on my back and I guess I will continue to do so until it just becomes uncomfortable.

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

From everything I have heard and read, sleeping on your back is about restricting blood/oxygen flow to the baby. It is definitely more about being harmful to the baby than to you- the weight of the uterus puts too much pressure on the inferior vena cava, which is necessary to get to the baby. There are potential harms to you too, though- poor circulation, interference with breathing, hemorrhoids, increased blood pressure, etc. For me, it was not something I wanted to mess with, so I forced myself very early on with both pregnancies to get used to sleeping on my side, despite how uncomfortable it sometimes was. I always slept with a body pillow on one side of me, which I usually hugged and put one leg over. I put a regular pillow (a pretty flat one) under my hip, to help ease the hip pain. About halfway through this pregnancy, my husband bought me this great pillow for side sleeping. He found it at CVS, and I used it for the rest of my pregnancy, because it really did help me stay on my side.

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

If it's not bothering you to roll onto your back it's probably still fine to do it. When you notice it, just roll back onto your side if that makes you feel better.

I have seriously considered cutting a hole in my mattress so I can sleep on my stomach, so I say do whatever still feels good, because eventually it's probably not going to feel too comfortable to be on your back.

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

I finally hit the point last night where I cannot sleep on my back anymore. It puts too much pressure on my bladder and its just uncomfortable.


So you will know. I made it to 34 weeks though.

Re: How do you keep from sleeping on your back?

I don't avoid sleeping on my back. At 16 weeks I even wake up on my belly sometimes.
It really is true what every BTDT momma told me about your second pregnancy...I'm much more relaxed, apparently even in my sleep!