Good sleeping position for pregnant women

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Sleep plays an important role for everyone, especially in pregnant women. The fetus gradually grows in the womb, making the belly bigger and heavier along with many other factors that affect the sleep of the pregnant mother.

Good sleeping position for pregnant women depends on many factors such as:
Good sleeping position is the perception of each mother in choosing the right lying position for rest time according to each stage of body changes. of mom. The development of the baby is an essential factor for the pregnant woman to decide to change the lying position accordingly. The bigger the mother's belly, the more attention should be paid to the sleeping position because some sleeping positions affect both mother and baby and especially the sleeping position is dependent on back pain and low back pain.

What is the best sleeping position for pregnant women?
According to many studies, it has been shown that sleeping on your side is the best sleeping position in all stages of pregnancy because lying on your side will help you breathe better and reduce pressure on the uterus. It is best to lean to the left side when sleeping. There are many reasons to sleep on your left side. Firstly, lying on your left side will help bring more nutrients and blood to the placenta. Second, this position helps keep the uterus from pressing on the liver, as the liver is located on the right side of your abdomen without affecting liver function. Third, lying on the left side will reduce pressure on the legs and lower back, creating a comfortable feeling for pregnant women. Fourth, sleeping in this position also reduces leg edema for pregnant women in the last months due to physiological leg edema. Finally, this position also avoids the uterus pressing on the inferior vena cava, reducing blood flow to the heart, causing decreased cardiac output.

When sleeping continuously in one position throughout the night will not be comfortable, so it is necessary to change the side to one side or the other, but it is necessary to get into the habit of leaning more to the left. Elevating your legs and lying with your head high helps pregnant women avoid diseases. From the 4th month onwards, for mothers with diseases related to veins, cramps at night, they should keep their feet high. In addition, you should lie with your head high to limit reflux due to the uterus compressing the stomach. Pillows with high head and back with soft pillows create an angle of 20 degrees to the bed, which also puts pressure on the fetus's upper respiratory tract to prevent pregnant women from "snoring" while sleeping. Use a pillow specifically made for pregnant women. Most pregnant women cannot lie continuously in one position, so pregnant women should have a soft pillow to put in front and back to reduce the weight of the abdomen, keep the spine straight, reduce strength. The pressure of the weight of one foot on the other gives pregnant women a peaceful sleep. Details of fetal development week by week, every parent should learn:

As mentioned above, the best sleeping position for pregnant women during pregnancy is the left side position. However, some women have a habit of sleeping on their back or stomach for a long time that is difficult to give up, and can still sleep on their stomach or back during the first 3 months of pregnancy. However, doctors recommend starting to sleep on your side from this stage to get used to it before you can switch to a full side position. If old habits are difficult to give up, you should gradually change them day by day.

From the 24th week of pregnancy, it is not recommended to lie on your back when sleeping for the following reasons:
Lying on your back when sleeping, the weight of the uterus will press on the spine, back muscles, intestines and large blood vessels leading to back pain , hemorrhoids and circulatory failure make you uncomfortable and can cause decreased fetal circulation. The uterus can compress the inferior vena cava and impede the return of blood to the vena cava, causing maternal hypotension (discomfort, dizziness) and decreased blood flow to the placenta, causing delayed fetal heart rate. Lying on your back can also cause low blood pressure, dizziness, weight gain and can lead to sleep apnea in pregnant women. Therefore, expectant mothers should change to the left side lying position. The supine position is very uncomfortable, so avoid sleeping in this position for a long time.

When sleeping on your back, your stomach will press on your intestines and large blood vessels, causing many problems such as:
Back pain; Respiratory problems; Digestive tract problems; Low blood pressure; Hemorrhoids. Above are some tips to help pregnant women have the best sleep during pregnancy without affecting the fetus. If you have applied all of the above methods and still do not improve your sleep, you should see your doctor for advice.

From the 4th month onwards, pregnant mothers will have to choose for themselves a suitable sleeping position to help sleep better and not affect the fetus, especially, the second 3 months of pregnancy is a period of strong fetal development. . Pregnant women need:
Comprehensive fetal malformation screening by superior 4D ultrasound technique. Screening for gestational diabetes, avoiding many dangerous complications for both mother and baby. Control the mother's weight reasonably to assess the health status of the pregnant woman and the development of the fetus. Understand the signs of threatened early delivery (especially in those carrying multiple pregnancies or having a history of miscarriage or premature birth) so that they can receive timely treatment to maintain pregnancy. To protect mother and baby during pregnancy, Vinmec provides a comprehensive Maternity service to monitor the health status of mother and baby, periodical antenatal check-ups with leading Obstetricians and Gynecologists. enough tests, important screening for pregnant women, counseling and timely intervention when detecting abnormalities in the health of mother and baby.
For detailed information about all-inclusive maternity packages, please contact the hospitals and clinics of the Vinmec health system nationwide.