What is the sleeping position of pregnant women in the first three months?

In the early stages of pregnancy, pregnant women don’t need to pay much attention to the issue of sleeping posture. As long as you don’t have the habit of sleeping on your stomach, there is no problem. So what are the sleeping positions at different stages of pregnancy?

Sleeping positions at different stages of pregnancy

Early pregnancy (1 to 3 months)

Pregnant women can sleep in any position

The uterus is still in the pelvic cavity, and direct external pressure or self-pressure will not be very heavy. Therefore, there is no need to over-emphasize the sleeping position of pregnant women, but previous bad sleeping positions should be changed, such as sleeping on your stomach, or sleeping while hugging something. You can take any comfortable position, either supine or side-lying.

Second trimester (4-7 months)

Sleeping position for pregnant women: side-lying or supine

During this period, you should pay attention to protecting your abdomen and avoid direct external force. If a pregnant woman has too much amniotic fluid or is pregnant with twins, she should sleep in a side-lying position, which will feel more comfortable. Other sleeping positions will produce a feeling of oppression. If a pregnant woman feels heavy in her lower limbs, she can lie on her back with her lower limbs slightly elevated with a soft pillow. If the pregnant mother does not feel particularly uncomfortable, she can choose to lie down at will.

Late pregnancy (8-10 months)

Pregnant women's sleeping position: left side lying

The sleeping position of pregnant women during this period is very important and they should lie on their left side. Because the inferior vena cava is located just to the right of the abdominal spine, if you lie on your right side, the enlarged uterus will not only compress the inferior vena cava, but the uterus will also rotate to the right to varying degrees, pulling the blood vessels and affecting the normal blood supply to the fetus. Lying on the left side can correct the right rotation of the enlarged uterus, reduce the pressure of the uterus on the inferior vena cava, improve blood circulation, increase blood supply to the fetus, and benefit the growth and development of the fetus.

The pros and cons of different sleeping positions

1. Left side lying position

Lying on the left side is the correct sleeping position for pregnant women. Sleeping on the left side is safer and more comfortable, and pregnant women can fall asleep more peacefully. Generally speaking, after 5 months of pregnancy, the fetus gradually grows, the uterus also expands and begins to rotate to the right. At this time, if the pregnant woman likes to sleep on her side, she should choose to sleep on her left side. This can reduce the burden on the fetus and help the fetus absorb oxygen. In the late pregnancy, pregnant women lying on their left side is not only beneficial to their future delivery, but also to the growth and development of the fetus.

2. Lying on the right side

When a pregnant woman lies on her right side, the uterus will rotate to the right to varying degrees. This will put the ligaments and mesentery that maintain the normal position of the uterus under tension. The blood vessels in the mesentery are stretched, affecting the blood supply to the fetus, causing chronic fetal hypoxia. In severe cases, it can also cause fetal suffocation and death.

3. Supine

When a pregnant woman lies in a supine position, the enlarged uterus compresses the inferior vena cava, affecting blood circulation and causing edema or varicose veins in the lower limbs and vulva. It also reduces the amount of blood flowing from the lower limbs to the heart, causing ischemia and hypoxia in the brain. Reduced placental blood supply and insufficient uterine blood flow cause the ischemic placenta to release a large amount of renin. Renin enters the maternal blood circulation and can lead to increased arterial pressure, making it easy to develop and aggravate pregnancy poisoning. This will then cause pregnant women to feel symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, nausea, and shortness of breath. If the above symptoms occur, you should immediately sleep on your left side. Your blood pressure will gradually return to normal and the symptoms will disappear.

4. Lying prone

This sleeping position is equivalent to the baby being pressed under the pregnant woman's body. This sleeping position is absolutely prohibited. However, most pregnant women will not make this low-level mistake.