Being comfortable in bed can be one of the biggest challenges during pregnancy. While you may feel like trying to get as much rest as possible, to stockpile sleep before the night time feeds begin, it just doesn’t work that way. At each stage of pregnancy, there can be different reasons for tossing and turning in bed, not to mention the frequent trips to the toilet.
 
When pregnant, the advice is to sleep on your side. Sleeping on your left side, in particular, is reported to benefit your baby by improving blood flow to the placenta. It also helps your kidneys efficiently eliminate fluids from your body, which may help reduce swelling in your feet and hands.
 
Avoid sleeping on your back during pregnancy, to prevent the weight of your bump pressing onto your spine, back muscles, internal organs and blood vessels. This pressure may lead to light headedness, muscle aches, impaired circulation and even haemorrhoids.
 
 
When lying on your left side, bend your knees and place a pillow between them. This keeps the pressure off the muscles around your hips and pelvis and maintains good spinal alignment (Ueland and Metcalfe 1975, Scott and Kerr 2005). Placing a small wedge-shaped pillow or pad under your bump in bed can also help ease the strain on your back (Stuge et al 2003). You should do this from the second trimester, even if your bump is very small. During the third trimester, continue to support your bump when lying in bed with a larger pillow to avoid a pulling force across the abdomen, ribs and lower back. You may need two pillows between your knees at this stage to keep your pelvis as balanced as possible.
 
Be careful when getting in and out of bed that you do not strain your back, particularly in the third trimester. When lying on your side, let your two feet fall together over the edge of the bed and push yourself up at the same time with the elbow underneath. This technique helps to keep your back straight and supported (and is a useful one to remember after the birth too). When getting into bed, sit on the bed and go through these steps in the reverse order.
 
 
 
Please note:
If you have pain or any concerns while pregnant, please report them to your Chartered Physiotherapist, GP or obstetrician ASAP. Do not suffer in silence. If in doubt, get it checked out. Not all aches and pains are part of being pregnant and it is important to resolve any issues that are affecting your ability to go about your daily business. Don’t leave it until your baby is born, you’ll have enough to do then!
Physiotherapist & Pilates Instructor
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