Is it better for pregnant women to sleep on their left side or right side?

Many pregnant mothers are very concerned about the impact of their every move during pregnancy on the baby in their belly. Similarly, many pregnant women are concerned about the impact of their sleeping posture during pregnancy on the baby in their belly. For this reason, there is a lot of controversy about whether to sleep on the left side or the right side. It is well known that during pregnancy, the sleeping posture of pregnant women has an important impact on the growth and development of the fetus. So what posture is best for the fetus? Let's take a look together.

In the early stages of pregnancy (1-3 months), the fetus develops in the uterus and is still in the mother's pelvic cavity. Direct external pressure or self-pressure will not be very severe, so the sleeping posture of the pregnant woman can be arbitrary, mainly adopting a comfortable position, such as supine or side-lying. Bad sleeping positions such as sleeping on your stomach or sleeping with your arms around something should be changed.

During the second trimester of pregnancy (4-7 months), you should pay attention to protecting your abdomen and avoid direct external force. If a pregnant woman has too much amniotic fluid or is pregnant with twins, she should sleep in a side-lying position, which can make her more comfortable. Other sleeping positions will cause compression symptoms. If a pregnant woman feels heavy in her lower limbs, she can lie on her back and slightly raise her lower limbs with a soft pillow.

In the late stages of pregnancy (8-10 months), the lying position is particularly important. The lying position of a pregnant woman is important for her own safety and that of the fetus. It is advisable to adopt the left side lying position, which can correct the right rotation of the enlarged uterus, reduce the pressure of the uterus on the abdominal aorta and iliac arteries, improve blood circulation, increase blood supply to the fetus, and is beneficial to the growth and development of the fetus. But it is not advisable to take the supine position. Because when lying in the supine position, the huge uterus compresses the inferior vena cava, reducing the amount of blood returning to the heart and cardiac output, resulting in hypotension. Pregnant women will feel dizziness, palpitations, nausea, shortness of breath and other symptoms, and their faces will be pale, their limbs will be weak, and they will break out in cold sweats. If the above symptoms occur, you should immediately lie on your left side. Your blood pressure will gradually return to normal and the symptoms will disappear.

After a woman becomes pregnant, the fetus gradually grows in the uterus. The uterus, which was originally the size of an inverted pear, becomes the size of a watermelon by full-term pregnancy. The volume of the uterus increases from 5 ml when not pregnant to 5000 ml at full-term. The weight of the uterus also increases from 50 grams when not pregnant to 1000 grams at full-term pregnancy. As the uterus and fetus grow, the sleeping position of pregnant women becomes more and more important, especially in the late pregnancy, that is, 7-9 months of pregnancy. Poor sleeping position of pregnant women will not only affect the position of the uterus, but also increase the pressure of the pregnant uterus on surrounding tissues and organs, affecting the blood flow to the uterus and placenta.

The fetus exchanges gases and substances with the mother through the placenta, obtaining oxygen and nutrients and excreting carbon dioxide and waste. The adequacy of placental blood flow is crucial to the growth and development of the fetus. Therefore, after long-term clinical research and practice on the sleeping position of pregnant women, medical experts have confirmed that lying on the left side is the best sleeping position for pregnant women during pregnancy, especially in the late pregnancy.

1. Lying on the left side can reduce the pressure of the enlarged pregnant uterus on the pregnant woman's aorta and iliac artery, maintain normal blood flow in the uterine artery, ensure blood supply to the placenta, and provide the fetus with the nutrients needed for growth and development.

2. Lying on the left side can reduce the pressure of the pregnant uterus on the inferior vena cava and increase the blood flow returning to the heart. The increase in the amount of blood returning to the heart can increase the blood flow to the kidneys, improve the blood supply to the brain tissue, and help avoid and alleviate the occurrence of pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome.

Third, in the late pregnancy, the uterus rotates to the right, and lying on the left side can improve the degree of right rotation of the uterus, thereby reducing uterine vascular tension, increasing placental blood flow, improving the oxygen supply to the fetus in the uterus, and promoting fetal growth and development. This is of great significance for reducing the birth of low-birth-weight babies and reducing perinatal mortality. Especially when the fetus is growth-retarded, lying on the left side can achieve better treatment results. Therefore, it is very important for pregnant women to sleep on their left side for good pregnancy and childbirth, as well as the health of mother and baby. If a pregnant woman has lower limb edema or varicose veins in the legs, it is best to raise the legs appropriately while lying on the left side to facilitate blood circulation and reduce lower limb edema.

It is better for pregnant women to lie on their side in the middle and late stages of pregnancy. Lying on your back is not good for either the pregnant woman or the fetus. Many people only know that they should pay attention to rest after pregnancy, especially take a nap, but they don’t know that they should also pay attention to their sleeping posture in the later stages of pregnancy. Some pregnant women who work take a nap on the sofa or folding beds at noon. Due to limited conditions, they can only lie on their backs. However, this posture is very harmful to both the baby and the pregnant woman in the late pregnancy, and the result of the lunch nap is counterproductive. Huang Jianying said that the uterus does not enlarge significantly in the early stages of pregnancy and the body position has little effect on the fetus. After 5 months of pregnancy, the weight and volume of the uterus increase significantly, and the adjacent relationship between the uterus and surrounding organs and blood vessels also changes. Especially after 7 months of pregnancy, the weight of the pregnant woman and the weight of the fetus increase. The body position during this period can directly affect the blood flow to the uterus, especially the supine position, which can have a series of adverse effects on the pregnant woman and the fetus. When lying on your back, the enlarged uterus compresses the abdominal artery, which reduces the pressure of the uterine artery and affects the blood supply to the uterus, thereby reducing the blood supply to the placenta. Inadequate blood flow to the uterus causes the ischemic placenta to release a large amount of renin. Renin enters the maternal blood circulation, which can lead to increased arterial pressure, making pregnancy poisoning more likely to occur and worsen. Huang Jianying said that the best sleeping position for pregnant women is lying on the left side, especially in the late pregnancy. Lying on the left side can reduce the pressure of the pregnant uterus on the aorta and iliac arteries, so that they maintain normal tension and ensure blood perfusion of the placenta, making it less likely for pregnant women to develop lower limb edema, varicose veins of the lower limbs, and fetal maldevelopment. If a pregnant woman has difficulty lying on her left side for a long time, she can place a blanket, pillow or quilt on her right hip when lying flat on her back to tilt the pelvis to the left, which can also achieve the effect of lying on the left side.

After seeing this, do you think that sleeping posture should not be underestimated, and its impact on the fetus is crucial? Then you must not be careless in the future. A small movement of yours may affect whether the fetus in your belly can be born healthily. If you want to give birth to a healthy and beautiful baby, then quickly follow the above methods to adjust your sleeping position.