Pregnancy sleeping position and stillborn risk
During pregnancy, especially in the third trimester it is important you sleep on your sides. DO NOT SLEEP ON YOUR BACK! At the beginning of the night, always start by sleeping on your sides. It is important from early in pregnancy your start sleeping on your sides so it becomes a natural habit. Naturally as your belly expand as the pregnancy progresses you can’t sleep on your tummy either (not that I recommend tummy sleep even when not pregnant).
Correlation on back sleeping and stillborn
Sleeping on your back is related to an increased risk of having a stillborn. The risk is thought to be related to the foetus compressing the arterial supply between the mother & foetus. The weight of foetus compressing the arterial supply thus decreasing the blood supply to the baby, over an extended period of time. Another reason could be sleep related breathing conditions are typically worse when lying on your back. Again the weight of the foetus and gravity not helping you, creating extra pressure on your rib cage, oxygenation of blood in the lungs can be compromised and blood to the baby therefore also compromised.
Do not panic if you wake on your back. Research shows it’s the position you go to sleep in, you spend the longest amount of time in, therefore is the most important. Always, always, always start the night by sleeping on your sides.
How to side sleep
Early in pregnancy train yourself to side sleep. Do this by placing pillows behind your back & in front of you to stop you rolling over.
Find sleeping on your sides uncomfortable? How osteopathic treatment can help
Osteopathic treatment in pregnancy is aimed at guiding the body through the physical and hormonal changes that occur. Pain is very common in the outer hips when pregnant. Treatment to address that, looks at the hip muscles, joints, ligaments etc and surrounding areas to relieve all the pressure on the area of pain, making it function better and decrease pain.
Top tip!
Sleep with a pillow under your hip to ease the pressure on your hip and stop it from becoming painful at night
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