What is the best sleeping position for pregnant women?

Pregnancy is a very difficult time for a woman, so the physical health of pregnant women during this period is very important. Especially in the later stages of pregnancy, the body is relatively heavy, which will affect sleep at night to a certain extent. Specifically speaking, what is the best sleeping position for pregnant women? Which one is more beneficial to the health of pregnant women and babies? Next, I will explain it to you in detail!

Since the heart is located on the left side of the chest cavity, it is generally better for people to choose to sleep on the right side, which can reduce the pressure on the heart. In fact, the situation is different from that of ordinary people. It is better to sleep in the left side position. This sleeping position can be more conducive to the future delivery of pregnant women, and it is also very beneficial to the growth and development of the fetus.

As the fetus grows older, the pregnant woman's uterus continues to grow larger. Before delivery, most of the abdominal cavity is occupied by the uterus, squeezing other tissues and organs. Due to the anatomical position of the sigmoid colon in the lower abdomen, the pregnant woman's uterus will rotate to the right to varying degrees at this time, causing the ligaments and mesentery that maintain the normal position of the uterus to be in a tense state. The blood vessels in the mesentery that nourish the uterus are stretched, which affects the oxygen supply to the fetus. It causes chronic hypoxia of the fetus in the uterus, and in severe cases it can cause fetal distress or even stillbirth.

If pregnant women adopt the left side lying position, it can reduce the right rotation of the uterus and alleviate the condition of insufficient blood supply to the uterus. Similarly, pregnant women should not sleep in the supine position, because the enlarged uterus will squeeze the large blood vessels in the abdominal cavity, such as the abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava, resulting in insufficient arterial blood supply to some tissues and organs, venous blood reflux obstruction, and insufficient blood supply to the uterus itself. At the same time, pregnant women who lie on their backs for a long time will also have insufficient blood supply to their kidneys, which will cause an increase in angiotensin levels and promote vasoconstriction. At this time, pregnant women are more likely to develop gestational hypertension or edema due to reduced urine output.

If pregnant women lie on their left side, they can reduce or even eliminate edema or high blood pressure. Generally speaking, pregnant women will have some lower limb edema. This is because the lower limb veins are compressed, causing the capillary pressure in the lower limbs to exceed the plasma osmotic pressure, resulting in body fluids seeping out of the blood vessel walls and into the tissue spaces. If a pregnant woman lies on her left side, the pressure on the veins in her lower limbs can be reduced. This can reduce lower limb edema. In addition, experts also believe that if pregnant women change from lying on their backs to lying on their sides, the heart's blood output can increase by 20%, which can reduce the occurrence of hypotension syndrome in pregnant women. In short, pregnant women should sleep in a side-lying position.

Through the above sharing by the editor, I think for pregnant friends, you should have a clear understanding of what kind of sleeping position to adopt. The correct sleeping position still depends on personal circumstances, so it is best for everyone to choose the one that suits them.