New parents are known to stay awake many nights, but you may not realize that this may begin before your baby is born. Mothers-to-be report a variety of sleep problems, from an inability to get comfortable to muscle twitches to nightmares.
Symptoms vary from person to person and may depend on what stage of pregnancy you are in. What kind of sleeping positions should mothers embrace in different stages of pregnancy? This article gives some suggestions.
Important: This article is for general information only and is not intended as medical or other professional advice. If you need any medical advice related to your pregnancy, please consult your doctor.
1 First trimester
If you have trouble sleeping or have insomnia during this stage, the main reason may be the change in mood after learning of your pregnancy, which leads to the accumulation of stress and the poor quality of sleep.
Before the 12th week of pregnancy, pregnant mothers do not need to deliberately restrict their sleeping position, as the position of the uterus is still in the pelvic cavity at this time, sleeping on the back or on the right side will not particularly compress the inferior vena cava, so basically, you can adopt the position you feel comfortable with. However, it is recommended to start learning to avoid sleeping on your stomach so that the quality of sleep is not affected by the inability to sleep on your stomach in the middle and late stages.
2 Second trimester
In the middle of pregnancy, the embryonic development in the uterus gradually mature, pregnant mothers should avoid making strong external pressure directly to the abdomen, such as sleeping on the stomach, may affect the blood circulation.
If there is no other abnormalities, pregnant mothers can still sleep on their backs occasionally, but sleeping on their backs may compress the inferior vena cava and affect the blood return to the lower limbs, causing lower limb edema or varicose veins, so you can put a Cotton Fluffy Body Pillow under your legs to ease the discomfort.
3 Third trimester
In principle, after 8 months of pregnancy, it is not suitable for pregnant mothers to sleep on their stomach, on their back, on their right side or with a soft pillow. These may lead to more compression of the inferior vena cava, resulting in poor blood circulation, and the pregnant mother may suffer from hypotension, dizziness or weakness of the limbs.
So the most suitable sleeping position in the late pregnancy is the left side, once the body circulation is good, also conducive to pregnant mothers to improve the quality of sleep.
If the pregnant mother is not quite used to the left side of the posture, you may want to try the semi-sitting horizontal sleeping style, but most people who take this sleeping position are prone to back pain when they get up, especially in the late pregnancy, the pregnant mother will be because the abdomen becomes larger, resulting in a change in the center of gravity, once the same position for a long time, it is easy to produce muscle pain and other problems.
How to improve the sleep quality of pregnant mothers?
Although poor sleeping posture will affect the blood circulation of pregnant mothers and the blood supply of the fetus, for pregnant mothers who are not used to sleeping on the left side, they will also suffer from discomfort due to correcting their sleeping posture. How to improve the overall quality of sleep is actually very simple, as long as you maintain a good routine and use the appropriate auxiliary products.
1、Adjustment of life and rest
Some life skills can help you snooze better.
Pregnant mothers should ensure a good routine and avoid sleeping too long during the day.
Try not to watch horror or sensational films or books before going to bed at night, to avoid excessive emotional ups and downs, affecting sleep at night, resulting in poor spirits the next morning, causing a vicious circle.
Half an hour after dinner, you may want to go out for a walk, the right time to burn energy, which all help to fall asleep
Start a relaxing bedtime routine. Soft music and a warm bath will help.
If you wake up in the middle of the night, try not to stress over insomnia.
Worrying about not being able to fall asleep can often ensure you stay awake longer.
If you can't fall asleep, get up and do something relaxing (listen to music, read, meditate) instead of staying awake.
2、Take a pillow to assist
If the left side lying position makes pregnant mothers feel uncomfortable, often unconsciously back to the supine sleeping position, you can put a small pillow at the waist, so that the back of the body has items to support, it is not easy to change back to a completely flat sleeping position.
3、Medication
If needed, discuss natural sleep aids with your doctor. Do not take them unless recommended by your doctor.
All the pregnant mothers,Thank you.
