Pregnant & struggling to get comfortable at night in bed?
It is very common for pregnant women to struggle to get comfortable at night. During pregnancy sleeping on your front and back are not recommended, with sleeping on your side being the safest position. This is because it allows the growing belly to drop forwards and not compress the blood supply to the baby. Here are some simple tips to help you get comfortable at night!
1- Pillow between your knee's
By placing a pillow between your knee's, you are keeping your hips levels and not placing any strain on your hips, pelvis and lower back.
2- Pillows under your belly
Put a pillow under your belly to help support the weight of your growing belly. This helps take the strain off your lower back.
3- Pillow under your hip
A lot of women suffer from pain on the outside of their hip. Try placing a pillow under your hip to lessen the pressure.
4- Prop your upper back/neck/head up with pillows
This is especially relevant if your suffer from reflux. By being more upright, it will help keep your stomach acid in your stomach and not keep you awake all night. See my previous blog on pregnancy and reflux if you are suffering from reflux.
5- Gentle stretching before
Ask your health professional for some stretches suitable to your needs to do before bed
6- Meditate before bed
If this is your thing, then I highly recommend some mindful meditation before bed. There are a huge range of apps you can buy to assist you with this.
7- Get some treatment
Sarah specialises in treating pregnant women. There are many ways osteopathic treatment can help during pregnancy. Treatment is tailored to your individual needs and areas of concern. Rather than just treating the symptoms, treatment is holistic and looks at the entire body, as sometimes your area of pain is not necessarily the area causing the pain. Sarah uses hands on, physical therapy, including; stretching, deep tissue massage, joint manipulation and articulation to relieve those aches & pains. Sarah also has a special pregnancy pillow, allowing her pregnant patients to lie on their tummy during treatment