Thursday, July 18, 2013

Pregnancy - Sleep on Side Helps Optimize Your Baby's Health


When you are pregnant your body goes through a series of changes, often making it impossible for you to feel comfortable in bed. This is obviously going to affect your overall sleep patterns, making it more and more difficult to cope. Obstetricians are now advising the pregnant women to think 'SOS' when it comes to getting more comfortable in bed: its good advice but, basically, no more dramatic than, in pregnancy, 'sleep on side'. This is great if you are having trouble sleeping due to pressure from your growing abdomen. However, even better, is their advice to sleep on the left side as it is much better for both you and baby.

When it comes to your developing baby you obviously want to do the best you can and, sleeping on your left side will provide your baby with more nutrients. As a result of extensive research it has been found that if you sleep on your left side during pregnancy the blood flow to the placenta will increase, thereby increasing the amount of nutrients available.

You also need to consider your own comfort as well and quality sleep is valuable to your overall well-being during your pregnancy: while sleeping on your left side bend your legs and place a pillow between your legs for maximum comfort. Remember, in pregnancy, sleep on side is the best advice and, even better, try sleeping on the left side.

Avoid Sleeping on Tummy

Apart from the obvious difficulties of the physical changes making sleeping on your tummy rather difficult, you need to focus on the health of your developing baby get all the nutrients it needs. There is always the possibility that your growing uterus could press down, with the weight it is carrying, directly onto the veins returning to the heart, effectively reducing the amount of blood circulating around your body. You also need to consider comfort - not just for you, but for the baby as well. So, while sleeping on your tummy is not a definite no-no, as your pregnancy progresses you are hardly likely to want to sleep on your tummy - mainly because there are more comfortable positions to sleep in.

Maternity Pillows

Following the mantra, in pregnancy, 'sleep on side' will certainly make you more comfortable, especially if you use a maternity pillow to prop you up. The value of a maternity pillow during pregnancy cannot be stressed enough. These special pillows are designed to help keep pregnant mothers comfortable and in the proper sleeping position. It is a pleasure to sleep with one of these big comfy pillows cradling your body and keeping you in the sleep position that is best for you and your baby.

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