Can I only sleep on my left side during pregnancy?

For pregnant mothers, there are many issues that need to be paid attention to during pregnancy, not only daily diet and exercise, but even sleeping posture has strict regulations. After all, incorrect sleeping posture can easily affect the growth and development of the baby. So, for pregnant mothers, can they only sleep on their left side in the late pregnancy? Actually, yes. When you are more than six months pregnant, you must sleep on your left side.

In the early stages of pregnancy, since the belly does not change significantly, the sleeping position of the pregnant woman has little effect on the fetus. However, as the belly grows bigger, the sleeping position of the pregnant woman will still have an impact on the fetus. A bad sleeping position can affect the healthy development of the fetus, and in severe cases can lead to serious consequences such as dystocia, fetal malformations, and even death. Therefore, it is necessary for pregnant women to understand the sleeping positions in different pregnancy stages.

1. Early pregnancy. In the early stages of pregnancy, the fetus is still developing in the uterus and in the mother's pelvic cavity. Direct external pressure or self-pressure will not be very severe. Therefore, the sleeping posture of the pregnant woman can be arbitrary, mainly adopting a comfortable position, either supine or side-lying.

2. The second trimester generally refers to the period from four to seven months of pregnancy. During this period, the pregnant woman's abdomen will slowly bulge, and at this time you should pay attention to protecting your abdomen from compression. Pregnant women who like to lie on their backs may gradually feel a sense of pressure in their abdomen. It is recommended that pregnant women adjust their sleeping position from lying on their backs to lying on their side, which will feel more comfortable.

3. The late pregnancy generally refers to the period from eighth to tenth month of pregnancy. Generally, the heart is on the left side, so it is best for ordinary people to sleep on the right side, because this can reduce the pressure on the heart. But the opposite happens for pregnant women, because as the pregnancy gets longer, the uterus continues to grow larger and even occupies the entire abdominal cavity. This will squeeze the nearby tissues and organs, and the uterus will rotate to the right to varying degrees, putting the ligaments and mesentery that protect the uterus in a state of tension. The blood vessels in the mesentery that provide nutrients to the uterus are also pulled, which will affect the oxygen supply to the fetus and easily cause chronic fetal hypoxia.