When should i stop laying on my stomach while pregnant

Standing or sitting up all day with the weight of your baby bump pulling your torso forward can leave you with an aching lower back and tight hips. Lying down in the prone position may help you release your sore muscles so you can find some relief.

While lying on your stomach is generally fine to do during pregnancy, always listen to your body. If it hurts or feels uncomfortable, choose another position. You also should talk to a healthcare provider if you have any concerns.

Together, you can decide the best sleeping position for you as well as discuss whether or not it is recommended for you to lie on your stomach while pregnant. Lying on your stomach during pregnancy is not considered dangerous for you or your baby. It may even help you rest better as well as allow you to avoid lying in other, unsafe positions like on your back or right side.

Once this position becomes uncomfortable, you can try using a donut pillow or bolsters for support. Or, you can try the lateral decubitus position, which is halfway between flat on your back and totally on your side. Avoid lying flat on your back or on your right side, especially after 28 weeks of gestation.

Talk to a healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns about the best sleeping position for you. Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Silver, RM, et al. Prospective evaluation of maternal sleep position through 30 weeks gestation and adverse pregnancy outcomes. An individual participant data meta-analysis of maternal going-to-sleep position, interactions with fetal vulnerability, and the risk of late stillbirth. Warland J.

Back to basics: avoiding the supine position in pregnancy: Perspectives. J Physiol. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellFamily. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

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Yes No. Join Now. It might be your go-to position, but is it safe? Laying on your stomach while sleeping during pregnancy. Laying on your back while pregnant. Continues after video …. The best sleep positions for pregnancy. Most mums-to-be find SOS the most comfortable, but it is also the safest position.

Laying on your stomach during exercise while pregnant. Read This Next Is it safe to drink coffee while pregnant? In this article, we will examine whether sleeping on the stomach while pregnant is safe. We will also look at the best sleeping positions during pregnancy and the ones to avoid. There is no evidence to suggest that sleeping on the stomach during the early weeks of pregnancy causes harm.

The uterine walls and amniotic fluid cushion and protect the fetus. However, most people find it increasingly challenging to sleep on their stomach as their abdomen grows and raises the torso, altering the natural curvature of the spine. Sleeping on the stomach may also cause neck and shoulder problems, such as pain, stiffness, and soreness. Some people experience lower back pain and pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy, which make it more difficult to sleep. Researchers have observed links between a reduction in sleep quality and several outcomes during pregnancy, such as:.

A person who prefers sleeping on their stomach may consider using a stomach sleeping pillow with an area cut out for the belly. Doctors usually recommend people sleep on their side during pregnancy. A review suggests that sleeping on either side while pregnant is safe. This is mostly due to blood flow.

A large vein, known as the inferior vena cava IVC , runs parallel to the spine on the right side. The IVC carries deoxygenated blood from the lower body and back to the right side of the heart for oxygenation. As the IVC is to the right of the spine, lying on the left side may allow optimal blood flow to the heart and blood, and nutrients to reach the fetus.

Earlier research investigating people sleeping on their right side during pregnancy found non-left sided sleeping linked with a higher chance of stillbirth. In theory, sleeping on the right side, particularly in the latter stages of pregnancy, may compress the IVC, reducing blood returning to the heart and decreasing placental blood flow. However, recent research indicates that people who sleep on their right side while pregnant are no more likely to experience late stillbirth than people who sleep on their left side.

Going to sleep on either side appears to be equally safe. The National Institutes of Health NIH funded an analysis in to examine sleeping position and adverse outcomes during pregnancy. They found no connection between going to sleep on the back or right side until the 30th week of pregnancy and complications linked to a decrease in placental blood flow, such as:.

These findings suggest that the sleeping position in early to mid-pregnancy may not increase the chances of complications. However, the study did not observe the last 2 months of pregnancy.