Can pregnant women sleep on their backs?

After becoming pregnant, pregnant women must pay more attention to their sleeping position in order to better promote the development of the baby. However, you don’t have to pay attention to your sleeping position in all stages of pregnancy. For example, in the early stages of pregnancy, the embryo has not yet grown. During this period, you can sleep in the same position as before. But if you reach the second or third trimester, you will not be able to sleep lying flat because your uterus will become heavier.

1. Can you sleep lying down during pregnancy?

Everything is normal in the early stages. During the first 1~2 months of pregnancy, you can still sleep on your back as usual. But with the arrival of the second stage, about 20 weeks later, your uterus will become heavier and it will no longer be safe to lie flat. You'd better sleep on your left side; it affects blood flow. If you sleep on your back during pregnancy, your uterus will compress the large veins, causing the blood in the lower body to not flow back to the heart smoothly, which can easily make you dizzy or even faint. It will also affect the blood flow and nutrients reaching the placenta, endangering the normal growth of the baby; avoid lying flat for too long. If you only lie flat for a few minutes, it will not cause much harm. But if you spend too much time lying on your back, or if you do it every time you sleep, it can cause problems.

2. Why is it not recommended for pregnant women to sleep lying down?

The body needs support. As your pregnancy progresses, your belly will grow and the extra weight and pressure on your body will need some support, especially when you're lying down. Lying flat on your back creates more pressure; when you lie flat on your back, the weight of your uterus presses on your spine, most major blood vessels, and your intestines. This pressure can cause you a lot of discomfort, such as fetal blood flow problems, difficulty and shortness of breath, digestive problems, and even hemorrhoids.

3. Precautions for pregnant women to sleep lying down

Pregnant women can sleep lying on their backs. In the early stages of pregnancy, any sleeping position is fine as long as they feel comfortable. Lying on their backs is also suitable. But be careful:

1. In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, it is best not to lie flat, as it will cause breathing difficulties for pregnant women. Because the fetus' head is facing down, the fetus' heart is on the right side, while the pregnant woman's heart is on the left side. Therefore, in the middle and late stages of pregnancy, it is best to sleep on your left side, which will be beneficial to the development of the fetus.

2. Especially pregnant women who are about to give birth must pay attention to their usual sleeping posture so as not to affect the fetus.