Pregnancy: traffic rules. How to sleep during pregnancy? Correct postures for sleeping

Pregnancy is a special time in every woman's life. In these nine months, you must be very careful with your health. Even the most ordinary trifle, for example, a favorite position during sleep, can harm the baby. So what is the right way to sleep during pregnancy?

Sleep is very important for all people without exception. During sleep, our body restores the strength and energy lost during the day. The nervous system rests from everyday experiences. A woman during pregnancy should be more at rest, especially in the first trimester, when the risk of abortion is highest. Pregnant women often experience increased drowsiness in the first few weeks. This is due to a hormonal imbalance in the body. Over time, drowsiness subsides. Don't be led by your body. You can tone yourself up with green tea or a contrast shower.

In the second half of pregnancy, women experience discomfort during sleep due to a large belly. How to get comfortable in bed in order to sleep well and not harm the baby?

Getting ready for bed properly

• Relax. To do this, you can use various aromatic oils in the shower, aroma candles in the bedroom. The husband can do a light relaxing massage. It is very important to relax, leave all worries and worries behind the bedroom doors, because nerves are the biggest enemy of healthy sleep. If a person's nervous system is shattered, then he will not sleep well. Hence the unhealthy complexion, constant fatigue and poor progress at work, even greater worries, and again unhealthy sleep - a vicious circle. Therefore, it is very important for a pregnant woman to be able to relax in order to sleep soundly and healthy.
• Satisfy your hunger. Sleeping poorly on an empty stomach. A pregnant woman should not starve at all. You should not overeat all sorts of goodies at night, warm milk with cookies or a light sandwich will be enough.
• Loose nightwear. It doesn't matter what you prefer to sleep in - in pajamas or a nightgown - clothes should be comfortable and loose. It should not restrict movement. It is worth choosing pajamas and shirts made of natural fabrics: the skin “breathes” in them. In addition, natural materials do not cause allergic reactions, have a soft texture that is pleasant to the touch and does not cause discomfort during rest.
• Cozy atmosphere. It is necessary to ventilate the room before going to bed, because it is not very pleasant to sleep in a stuffy room. The bed should suit your needs: neither too soft nor too firm. A blanket or a bedspread is also at your discretion and depending on the current season of the year.

In the early stages, you can sleep in your favorite position, even on your stomach. Doctors do not see any risks in this. But you should still think about how to immediately get used to the position in which you will sleep with a big belly. It is better to prepare for this in advance, so that later you do not experience inconvenience and discomfort during the rest.

Doctors consider the position of the body on its side to be the most comfortable and safest position. In general, doctors recommend that both men and women sleep on their right side. In this position, the human body evenly distributes the load. Especially this posture has a positive effect on the work of the heart.

For pregnant women, it is best to lie on your left side, bending your right leg and straightening your left. It is even better if the right leg rests on the pillow. Due to this position of the pregnant woman's body, better blood flow to the fetus is provided, the kidneys and liver begin to work better, as a result of which swelling of the lower extremities decreases.

Pregnant women should not sleep on their stomachs. You can harm the fetus, because it will be under a lot of pressure.

Sleeping on your back can be uncomfortable due to pain in the lumbosacral region. In this position, the child puts pressure on the internal organs of the mother, so the blood circulation slows down. This can adversely affect the work of the entire female body.

If sleeping in a lying position is uncomfortable

It is often uncomfortable for pregnant women to sleep lying down. In such a situation, doctors recommend placing several pillows under the back: a “reclining” position is obtained. The back in this position does not tense, the spine is resting. "Reclining" you can sleep on your back and on your side.

It should be noted that you should not sleep in the same position all the time. It is necessary to change sides so that the stomach does not deform. Being constantly in the same position, the stomach “gets used” to this one-sidedness, and the baby gets used to it. It is good if the amniotic space is large enough so that the baby does not feel this constancy. As a result of “one-sidedness”, the intrauterine space can be deformed, which can also affect the proper development of the baby himself.

During pregnancy, it is very often difficult for us women to choose the right position for proper rest. One of the reasons for the deterioration of sleep is an uncomfortable position of the body. Here are simple and useful tips, in such an important life period. How is it better to sleep during pregnancy in order to get enough sleep, not to harm yourself and your baby?

Until about the twelfth week of pregnancy, you can sleep as you feel comfortable and as you are used to: on your back or on your stomach, on your side or even sitting.

From the moment the stomach begins to grow, you need to choose in which position it is better to sleep. Sleeping on your stomach will be uncomfortable. In addition, the pregnant woman experiences an unconscious fear of harming the child.

The “lying on the back” position after the 12th week can provoke compression of the spine and circulatory disorders. But if the expectant mother has problems with pressure, then it is better for her to abandon such a position from the very beginning of the course of pregnancy.

Optimal sleeping position

The lot of a pregnant woman is sleeping on her side. This position is the most comfortable and acceptable from a physiological point of view. Ideally, for the health of mother and baby, it is better to choose the left side. A woman is advised to bend her right leg and place a pillow or a pillow under it from a blanket. In this position, blood flow to the placenta is optimized, the spine and pelvis are unloaded, the functioning of the liver and kidneys is normalized, and the heart rate is stabilized.

It is quite acceptable to roll over from side to side several times a night.

Experts believe that the best sleeping position is on your side. Benefits of this posture:

• internal organs are not crushed;
• improves blood flow to the placenta;
• disappear pain in the back and pelvis;
• reduced swelling of the extremities.

On which side it is better to sleep, the woman will choose herself, but it is believed that sleeping on the left side is the most correct.

If the expectant mother was lucky enough to wear two at once, then she should not have any doubts on the topic “how best to sleep with twins”. Sleeping on the left side will help reduce the load on the heart, ensure the stable functioning of the kidneys.

Can pregnant women sleep on their stomach?

Many women find this position comfortable for sleeping. Two strips on the test is not a reason to immediately abandon the habit of sleeping on your stomach. The uterus in the first trimester of pregnancy is still quite small, the volume of the abdomen increases slightly, so this position does not cause discomfort. It is also not worth worrying about the fact that the fetus may experience stress, it is reliably protected by the uterus and amniotic fluid.

Somewhere from the fourth month, the fetus begins to grow actively, the uterus and belly of the pregnant woman increase. All this gradually makes sleeping on the stomach impossible. A woman is recommended to choose a new comfortable sleeping position from 10-12 weeks of pregnancy.

Why is sleeping on your back contraindicated?

In the early stages of pregnancy, you can not deny yourself the pleasure of lying on your back. But after a while, this position becomes not only uncomfortable, but also dangerous for the health of mother and baby. By the middle of the second trimester, the fetus, which has gained weight, the uterus, enlarged and filled with amniotic fluid, presses on the vena cava, intestines and spine.

Sleeping on your back is fraught with impaired blood circulation in the pelvic organs of a woman, insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus through the placenta. A pregnant woman may experience dizziness, shortness of breath, tachycardia.

How to improve sleep

Calm walks in the fresh air before going to bed and airing the room contribute to falling asleep as soon as possible.

If you live in a noisy metropolis, then relax and prepare for a restful sleep. They can be recorded on a mobile or player. Under the rustle of leaves, the singing of birds, the murmur of the river or the sound of the surf, both mommy and the restless baby will easily fall asleep.

Of course, every pregnant woman wants to give birth to a healthy and strong baby. But, in addition to a healthy diet and a proper lifestyle, one more aspect is important in this matter - sleep. So how is it better for a pregnant woman to sleep so that both she and her baby are comfortable?

If you always sleep on your stomach

Up to 12-13 weeks of pregnancy, you can easily fit in the way you are used to and how it is convenient for you, including sleeping on your stomach. After all, the uterus at this time has not yet begun to go beyond the small pelvis. True, in this position, your chest may not let you sleep - it becomes very sensitive. If not, you can sleep peacefully on your stomach, but remember that soon you will have to change your position anyway.

After 13 weeks, even without looking at the fact that the child is reliably protected from external influences by breaking the uterus, amniotic fluid and muscles, you will most likely already be uncomfortable lying on your stomach. Yes, and doctors believe that it is impossible to sleep on your stomach from the second (and even more so the third) trimester. Let's not forget about the chest. During this period, the glands that produce milk are formed in it. Therefore, if you plan to breastfeed for as long as possible, then you should not squeeze it, interfere with the normal development of the glands.

If you like to sleep on your back

As already mentioned, in the early stages, you can choose any sleeping position that is comfortable for you. But the more voluminous and heavy the baby becomes, the more it squeezes your internal organs - intestines, liver, kidneys. Do not overload these organs when they already have to work intensively.

That is why doctors do not recommend lying on your back all the time in the second and last trimesters. With a long stay in this position, the great vena cava, which runs along the spine, is squeezed. When it is squeezed, blood flow is sharply reduced, which can cause bouts of dizziness, tachycardia and a feeling of suffocation.

The most undesirable option is when the compression of the great vena cava lasts a long time - more than an hour. This often leads to fetal hypoxia, varicose veins, and can even cause premature placental abruption! Therefore, try to lie on your back as little as possible, and better - do not lie on it at all, even if you do not have any discomfort.

What is the best way to sleep so as not to harm yourself and the child?

Doctors strongly recommend that all expectant mothers always sleep on their side, and preferably only on the left. It has been proven that it is in the position on the left side that the blood circulation in the body occurs in the best possible way. The advantage of this position is also that in it the child remains in the head presentation. If you sleep like this all the time, he will not roll over into the pelvic position, which is most relevant in the second and last trimesters.

But if a pregnant woman really wants to lie on her back, then you need to try to maintain an intermediate position. This is easy to achieve if you put a pillow on one side.

What should be the pillow

Different pregnant women like a variety of pillows for sleeping. Someone likes to put small flat pillows under their head and legs, it is more convenient for someone to hold the pillow between their legs - this is how tension is removed from the pelvic area. What is the best pillow to sleep on?

There are different types of pillows on the market. For example, there are universal pillows that are filled with polystyrene balls. In appearance, they resemble a crescent or a banana. The advantages of such a pillow are that during pregnancy it gives a really comfortable sleep, and after childbirth it can be used while feeding the baby.

If, for certain reasons, you do not want to purchase a special large, voluminous pillow, then a large soft toy can help you. On it, too, you can perfectly sleep a pregnant woman, putting it under her head or holding it between her legs. Or you can try to sew a pillow yourself. It is necessary to remember only the main conditions - the pillow should be about two meters long and a meter wide. You can stock up on polystyrene balls for it in advance at the construction market, or go to a furniture store for them. Do not stuff the pillow too tight, keep it comfortable and soft. You can also make your own cotton cover with a zipper to wash it if necessary.

Let all the tips above help you to make your sleep pleasant. May every time you go to bed, you and your little one feel great and rest 100%!

Sleep is an integral part of life, the quality of which determines the well-being and health of a person as a whole. During pregnancy, there may be some difficulties with organizing sleep - in the early stages, hormonal changes in the body become the cause, and in the late period of gestation - physical discomfort when choosing a position due to an enlarged tummy.

Sleep positions during pregnancy

Healthy sleep during pregnancy is especially important - at this time, a woman's body undergoes great changes that can lead to a deterioration in the functioning of the immune system, which leads to diseases of various kinds. A full night and day rest helps to restore strength for the successful development of pregnancy.

When choosing a body position for sleeping, a pregnant woman should take into account not only the possibility of a comfortable position for herself, but also the level of safety for her unborn baby. For this, the expectant mother needs to know about safe and prohibited positions.

I trimester

At the initial stage of pregnancy, a woman may not think about the correct sleeping position - the fetus is still too small to be damaged or oppressed by the mother’s incorrect body position.

If a woman had a habit before pregnancy, then it is worth starting to get rid of it as early as possible. Indeed, at a later date, the expectant mother may unconsciously roll over on her stomach, thereby harming the health of the baby.

But in some cases, already in the first trimester, a pregnant woman experiences discomfort and discomfort from sleeping on her stomach - this is due to the increased sensitivity of the mammary glands during this period.
In the absence of discomfort, a pregnant woman is not forbidden to sleep on her stomach for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy

II trimester

After 12 weeks of pregnancy, the stomach begins to grow and sleeping on the stomach from that time on is prohibited for the woman. Otherwise, the blood supply and nutrition of the child is disturbed.

Up to 24 weeks, the expectant mother can still sleep lying on her back. But the correct position of the body starting from the second trimester is the left side. With this position, blood circulation and the work of the heart are not disturbed, there is no squeezing of the liver. All these factors ensure the supply of necessary nutrients to the fetus and do not interfere with the normal development of pregnancy.

And also there are no prohibitions for a short sleep on the right side, especially with a transverse presentation of the fetus, when the baby's head is on the right side.

If the presentation of the fetus is breech, then the pregnant woman is recommended to roll over from one side of the body to the other up to 5 times per night.
Until the middle of the second trimester, a pregnant woman can sleep on her back without harming her health and the condition of the baby.

III trimester

This period of pregnancy is the most difficult for the expectant mother - a large belly and a limited choice of positions for daytime and nighttime rest are often the causes of poor sleep, and, as a result, fatigue and irritability occur.

In the third trimester, it is impossible for a pregnant woman (even physically it is already impossible), as well as on her back - this threatens to squash the inferior vena cava, which carries venous blood throughout the body to the heart. In case of violation of the circulatory function in a child in the womb, hypoxia may develop, which is explained by poor blood supply to the placenta. And also squeezing the vena cava as a result of sleeping on the back often provokes the appearance of varicose veins, hemorrhoids, lower back pain and a decrease in blood pressure in a pregnant woman.

In the later stages of waiting for the baby, prolonged sleep on the right side is undesirable - this can lead to congestion in the right kidney (and subsequently to pyelonephritis), which occurs due to the pressure of the grown fetus on the internal organs.

Since sleeping only on the left side of the body during half of the II and the entire III trimester is uncomfortable, you can turn over to the opposite side for a short period.
In late pregnancy, choosing the right sleeping positions is limited to the left side of the body.

Comfortable sleep aids

For a comfortable sleep, most often pregnant women use pillows - ordinary, sofa, special.

When sleeping on the left side, a pillow located under the bent right leg will help to remove part of the load from the pelvic region and prevent the appearance of swelling of the legs. In this case, the left leg should be straightened.

To eliminate the occurrence of back pain from sleeping on your side, you can lean back slightly on your back, placing a small pillow or a blanket twisted in the form of a roller under it.

A comfortable fixture can be a sofa cushion located between the legs bent at the knees when lying on one side of the body. And it is also not forbidden to put a pillow under the stomach.

In late pregnancy, women often suffer from heartburn or difficulty breathing - a grown baby displaces internal organs, which causes discomfort. In this case, you should take a reclining position - you can put several pillows under your back and head.

The use of a roller or a small pillow located under the feet helps to relieve tension, cramps and swelling from the lower extremities, which has a positive effect on sleep.

But a special place in the organization of comfortable sleep is occupied by special pillows for pregnant women. They are distinguished by the shapes presented in the form of letters: G, U, V, L, I, C. The sizes of these pillows are different - each woman can choose this necessary item for sleeping to her taste and in accordance with the dimensions of the bed. But they have one function - to provide comfortable accommodation for the pregnant woman during the rest. Such pillows support the stomach (sometimes the head), some of them make it impossible to uncontrollably turn over onto the back, it is convenient to throw the leg back on them. At the same time, special pillows for expectant mothers can also be used in the postpartum period - when feeding the baby and as support for the child's back during sitting down.

Photo gallery: types of pillows for pregnant women

The G-shaped pillow is large and multifunctional
U-shaped pillow supports the belly and head of the pregnant woman, and also does not allow her to roll over on her back
The boomerang or V-shaped pillow is compact and allows you to take a comfortable sleeping position. The L-shaped pillow is placed with the short side under the head, and with the long side under the back, protecting it from unconscious coups on it, and also makes it possible to throw back the leg. The I-shaped pillow is compact and is designed to be rolled into the desired shape The C-shaped pillow is versatile and suitable for use during pregnancy, as well as when feeding a baby

And also special pillows can be filled with various materials:

1. Sintepon. Not suitable for use by allergy sufferers and asthmatics, as it contains a harmful admixture in the form of glue. Pillows filled with padding polyester are not long-lasting - they quickly lose their shape, straying into lumps. Items with this filler can harm the health of a pregnant woman.
2. Holofiber. Soft, hypoallergenic, environmentally friendly material that does not absorb odors and sweat. Pillows with this filler quickly restore their shape after washing (both manual and machine) and wrinkling.
3. Styrofoam. Filler in the form of granules, similar to foam balls. Rigid, durable, environmentally friendly material. Styrofoam pillow cannot be machine washed.
4. Artificial fluff. Synthetic, hypoallergenic, lightweight material. Dries quickly after washing and easily restores its original shape.

On the modern market there is a wide selection of pillows for pregnant women, thanks to which every expectant mother is able to find her ideal option.

In my opinion, most pregnant women experience discomfort when choosing a comfortable position during a night's rest. I was no exception - with the rapid growth of the abdomen from the middle of the second trimester, there were sleep disturbances associated with the problem of adopting a comfortable position. I did not purchase a special pillow, but I used a lot of ordinary pillows and rollers of various shapes and sizes. It seems to me that over time, any girl "in position" gets used to her new figure and finds the best postures and devices for organizing sleep - this is just a temporary and inconvenience.

Organization of night rest during pregnancy

Often, expectant mothers suffer from sleep disorders or insomnia. Their appearance can be caused by hormonal changes, heartburn, frequent urge to urinate, itching of the skin due to its stretching, baby movements, the inability to take the desired position during sleep, as well as nervous strain, anxiety, stress, and others. These problems should be dealt with in order to normalize night rest - a pregnant woman's sleep should last at least 8 hours.

To get rid of insomnia, the following actions help:

• maintaining moderate physical activity during the day;
• exclusion of stressful and conflict situations;
• temporary waiver of daytime rest;
• limiting fluid intake before bed;
• preference for a light meal over a heavy one;
• taking a relaxing bath or back and leg massage before a night's rest;
• the use of sedatives: glycine, valerian or motherwort (after consulting a doctor).

Thus, in the fight against insomnia, there are many ways.

But for a sound and healthy sleep, as well as the prevention of insomnia, experts recommend:

1. Ventilate the room regularly and take a walk before going to bed.
2. Choose clothes that are comfortable for sleeping.
3. Settle down on comfortable pillows and a mattress.
4. Make a light snack if necessary - it is difficult to fall asleep with a feeling of hunger.

By following these basic rules for organizing a night's rest, the risks of insomnia and other sleep disorders are reduced.

After a healthy sleep, the expectant mother should feel rested and be in a good mood.

Video: sleep during pregnancy

Your tummy has already exceeded 19 weeks, you feel it not only during the day, when you have to walk and stand, but even at night, in a seemingly carefree lying position. What to do, the burden, though heavy, but pleasant. However, in order to get enough sleep on your own and keep the comfort of your bladder at any time of the day, you will have to sleep according to the rules.

The time for free poses is over

If during the night rest you are used to feel free: roll over from side to side, sleep on your back and stomach, then you can enjoy your freedom only in the first weeks of pregnancy. That is - in the first two months. And then your cute habits of sleeping on your stomach or back will have to be put aside, because your baby will wean you from them for a while.

You no longer practice sleeping in the “on your stomach” position. Weeks of commercials from the 12th. The very time when the uterus went beyond the pelvis and the tummy began to round. It's even good that he has acquired a rounded shape, which is not very comfortable for sleeping on his stomach - there is no temptation and no way to return to your favorite position.

On the back, according to doctors, you can sleep up to. But even during this period, from the 19th to the 24th, no one canceled the syndrome of compression of the vena cava. For those who do not know: the inferior vena cava is located along the spine and when it is squeezed, both the woman and the fetus may feel a lack of air. For the mother, this is fraught with tachycardia and dizziness, and for the baby there is a danger of hypoxia.

Choosing a comfortable posture

The most correct sleeping positions during pregnancy are on your side. Preferably - on the left, so as not to squeeze the kidney. In addition, sleeping on the left side is ideal for circulation. Blood in this position circulates freely and saturates the fetus with oxygen in the right amount.

And my mother, with this position, does not squeeze the liver and her back does not hurt early in the morning.

Have you tried reclining?

Of course, 19–24 weeks is not yet the time for it to even lie down. But if you can’t lie down in any way, something interferes with you all the time and creates discomfort, try to fall asleep reclining.

Put a pillow under your back, try to make the posture really “reclining” and not “sitting”. If you lie down incorrectly, the body will immediately “report” you about it.

In the “reclining” position, it will not be difficult for you to breathe, the diaphragm will not put pressure on the lungs, and the baby will receive his portion of oxygen and nutrients and will not make any claims to you in the middle of the night.

Why is the one that sleeps on the right wrong?

Sleeping on the right side is not recommended by all doctors, because this position can harm blood circulation. The uterus, loaded with a fetus that is already quite tangible in weight, presses on the arteries, blocking the full supply of oxygen and nutrients to the baby.

Naturally, it is impossible to lie on one side (right, left) all night and feel good. You can occasionally roll over, but try to get as little sleep on the right as possible.

Pillows - lifesaver

With you can already fully exploit the various forms of pillows. At this time, they will play the role of aids in finding a comfortable sleeping position during pregnancy.

Long and horseshoe-shaped, pillows will help you out if you need to carefully attach your tummy, put your feet on something or put something under your back.

If for some reason you didn’t get a factory pillow, then you can use a soft toy as it or create it yourself.

The parameters are as follows: 150 -180 cm in length and 30–50 in girth. And the design is made of cotton of the most cheerful and cheerful colors. Then your pillow will also be an antidepressant.