Most pregnant women struggle to feel comfortable in bed until they learn these helpful tricks. Contrary to what the general public thinks, it is possible to sleep well while pregnant. How to...
It's crucial to lay on your side while pregnant
This is due to the Vena Cava, a major vein that runs up the side of your spine. This vein will be compressed while you lie on your back while carrying a large baby, which will limit the blood supply to both you and the baby. Your kid will probably kick and kick, attempting to get in a better position and telling you to move, and you'll probably feel nauseous and out of breath.
You must generally lie on your side starting at 24 weeks of pregnancy (earlier if you are carrying twins or more). It makes no difference whether the side you are on (changing sides helps your blood flow and allows the baby to move around to get comfortable).
Since starting a good, healthy labor is considerably easier when your baby's spine is on the left side of your tummy from 34 weeks on, this is the position you should aim for. Make sure to lie on your left when the baby is awake and you are on your side.
Do not place a pillow between your knees, but rather under your top leg
Placing a pillow between your knees misaligns you and puts too much strain on your lower leg.
Because your lymphatic system lacks a pump of its own, placing a cushion between your knees can cause oedema, or fluid accumulation in the feet, because your foot will be lower than your knee and hip.
The second issue is that pregnant women have 40% more and 40% thicker blood than normal (more if they are carrying twins or more), which frequently has trouble moving through the body. Placing the pillow between your knees will make it even more difficult for the blood to circulate, which is already difficult for pregnant women who already have varicose veins in their legs and groin.
A very substantial, thick pillow between the knees is shown in the image above. As you can see, it still causes the hip and knee to twist and pull. Baby won't have as much room to spread out during the night if you're twisting too much, which will result in even more twisting and you rolling forward into the mattress.
A pillow between the knees also causes your lower back to be pulled and your pelvis to be tucked in as you attempt to maintain the alignment of your knees. Your lower back will hurt if you round your back, tuck your pelvis down, or bring your knees up to your tummy. These positions also hinder the baby from getting their chin up.
Put your top leg on a thick pillow with your bottom leg free behind the pillow for the most comfortable position for you during pregnancy. Similar to the recovery posture.
Maintain the same height for your upper leg's hip, knee, and foot
You must therefore ensure that your top leg is at the proper height before laying it on a pillow. You will experience pulling in your hips and/or lower back if your leg is too high or low. This pulling sensation may be painful or simply unsettling.
The height of your leg has nothing to do with how big your tummy is; the only thing that matters is to keep it in line with your hip to avoid twisting.
Your muscles will be able to unwind in this posture, which will also help you have a wonderfully pleasant night's sleep by reducing lower back and hip pain.
Our suggestion is to place your top leg on the pillow and your bottom leg lying beneath the pillow, with two thick pillows placed inside one pillowcase (so they stay solid and don't come apart). As long as your hip, knee, and foot are all at the same height, you should feel relief in this manner. Other items, like a yoga bolster, are an option, but they are difficult to move around in the middle of the night.
Hold Up Your Stomach
From 20 weeks on, it's a fantastic idea to sleep on your side with a wedge pillow under your stomach. Your uterus and the base of your spine are connected by ligaments. As you gain weight, these ligaments may pull, causing pain in your sacrum (the area just above your butt), as well as a pulling sensation in your abdomen. You'll feel weightless if you have a cosy pregnancy pillow tucked under your tummy and have your leg up to the proper height.
The market is flooded with pregnancy belly pillows. Choose a memory foam pillow of high quality, and it will serve you well for a long time.
Embrace A Pillow
Hug a pillow (or a teddy bear!) to stop your shoulder from straining and to safeguard your delicate breasts. Hugging a pillow will stop your upper body from leaning forward and may help with discomfort in your neck, shoulders, and bra line. Additionally, it might ease heartburn.
Maintaining a Straight Neck
You'll need to switch pillows when lying on your side if, prior to becoming pregnant, you typically slept on your front. Make sure the pillow is substantial enough to support your head and neck as you sleep. You could get headaches, neck, and shoulder pain if your head is held excessively high or low.
No Universal Sizes
During pregnancy, long body pillows are not recommended. The pregnant cushion is too thin to support the leg if it is thin enough to support the area under the belly. It is unquestionably too thick for the belly if it is thick enough for the leg (will cause twisting). Little support is provided by the long pregnant pillows that sit in front of the belly.
Separating the pillows is necessary. Hugging a cushion is excellent for the shoulders, but it should be kept apart from the pregnancy pillows for the legs and belly to prevent you from curling or twisting into it. To keep yourself perfectly comfy and completely oriented, you need supporting pillows.
Normal pillows quickly lose their form. Because it keeps them firm, we advise putting two inside a pillowcase.
A Reminder Regarding Lying on Your Back While Pregnant
Normally, a pregnant lady who turns onto her back while sleeping would awaken within minutes... because she is uncomfortable and is woken awake by her baby. The above-described pregnancy sleeping posture keeps you comfortably aligned and enables you to remain in one location for longer periods of time without the need for support behind your back.
Simply roll over onto your side if you do happen to wake up on your back. A pillow behind you will increase your body temperature and prevent your companion from snuggling (or having a cuddle session) behind you.