Can pregnant women sleep on their stomachs?

With the onset of pregnancy, many women are forced to change their habits, revise the regime of the day. That is why often in future mothers there is a natural question as to whether pregnant women can sleep on their stomachs, and if not, why not. It is clear that with an increase in the length and size of the abdomen, respectively, a woman will find it increasingly difficult to do so. Therefore, most of all, this issue worries expectant mothers on short gestation terms. Let's try to answer it, considering this phenomenon from the standpoint of physiological processes and features of the development of the baby's future.

Can pregnant women sleep on their stomachs?

Answering this question, doctors most often adhere to the position, which says that it is undesirable to do this. However, at a very short time, about 1-2 months, the future mother can afford to rest, lying on her stomach. At the same time, it is also necessary to take into account the fact that at the beginning of the gestation process the uterus itself changes its position, and shifts somewhat anteriorly, which is caused by softening of the isthmus of this organ.

That is why rest in this position is undesirable, but it does not affect the embryo at all, in view of its small size. At the same time, nagging and enlarging mammary glands, also do not give the future mum to completely relax in the supine position.

In the second trimester, a woman already physically can not sleep on her stomach, because this situation will give her a strong discomfort. Also, it is during this period of pregnancy that the future mother fixes the first movements of the fetus, which often reminds her in that way that she has changed the position of the body.

Why can not you sleep on your stomach during the current pregnancy?

With this position of the body of the future mother, the whole weight exerts a direct pressure on the genital organ, as well as the fruit in it. As a result, the increase in the tone of the uterine muscles develops, - hypertonus. This phenomenon often leads to complications of pregnancy, such as spontaneous abortion on short terms, or premature birth, placental abruption - at a later date.

Given these facts, a woman, only after learning about her situation, should begin to wean herself from sleep on her stomach. In fact, there is nothing complicated in this - if this idea is kept constantly in your head, then the body will soon get used to it.

What poses for sleep are better for pregnant women?

Answering this question, it must be said that in the first trimester of pregnancy it is almost not important in what position the woman rests. At the beginning of the second trimester, as the size of the abdomen increases, sleep on the abdomen becomes uncomfortable. That's why most pregnant women rest on their backs. However, this position can also be unsafe.

This applies in the first place to women who have reached the age of 30 weeks. The thing is that when the body is in a supine position, the uterus exerts a direct pressure on the deep veins. As a result, there is a violation of blood flow, which prevents the flow of blood from the upper parts of the trunk to the lower ones.

Given this fact, all future mothers on late gestation should sleep on their sides. This will avoid the situations described above and the complications of the pregnancy process.

Thus, summing up all of the above, it is worth noting that for the fetus the choice of a sleeping posture by his mother is most important for long periods. Answering pregnant women's question about when you can not sleep on your stomach, doctors usually call the term 3-4 months. It is from this time on, the expectant mother should exclude the possibility of rest in this position.