At the end of pregnancy, it is difficult to find a comfortable posture that lets you rest and you will surely go around in bed and you will have to help yourself with cushions to try to sleep. Although there is a position that is not recommended too much and that is the one of sleep on your back at the end of pregnancy.
The reason is, not only in the discomfort of the future mother (if you have not gone through this experience, try to lie down with a weight of three or four kilos located in a few centimeters above the belly). Also in the possible dangers of the face-up position during pregnancy.
We already told you a few months ago that a group of scientists from the University of Auckland, in New Zealand, had studied the heart rate of a group of pregnant women and their babies while resting in different positions every 30 minutes. Specifically, they point out that lying on their backs in particular could lead to an increased risk of fetal death in some cases (third trimester of risk pregnancy).
This is because they found that during that period of time the fetal heart rate increased, while decreasing their activity status. The authors point out that such posture increases the stress of the fetus and this could contribute to the risk of fetal death in women with underlying disorders. And although it is a very small study and only measured the effects of half an hour on mother and baby, it puts us on notice.
But, apart from all the reservations offered by studies like the previous one, what is more clear is that sleep on your back in pregnancy It is not recommended, since all the weight of the uterus falls on the back, intestines and inferior vena cava (responsible for returning to the heart the blood that comes from the lower part of the body).
What real risks does this imply for the mother? As it can intensify back pain, as well as certain digestive difficulties, especially constipation or hemorrhoids (difficulty of bowel movement, inflammation ...).
The best posture to lie in pregnancy
Does this mean that I cannot lie on my back if I am pregnant? Well, obviously everything will depend on the time you do it and the type of pregnancy you are taking, but luckily this will be a position that you will not naturally choose to sleep when the gestation is advanced, although that does not mean that we adopt it at specific times to do exercises, to read or watch TV for a while ...
During the first trimester, there is no problem lying on your back, but when we begin to increase our weight and the size of the fetus this position becomes increasingly uncomfortable ...
In the third trimester, it is better to avoid falling asleep on our backs, although, as we will change our posture often (and we will also wake up frequently), we surely do not spend much time in that position that could harm the baby, our back or our digestion ...
Remember that it is better to sleep on the left side because in this way we avoid the pressure of the body's weight on the maternal vena cava, favoring the blood supply to the placenta and the arrival of oxygen and nutrients to the baby.
If the pregnant woman lies on her left side it favors the nutrition of the placenta and the renal function, reason why the liquids are eliminated better and diminishes the risk of edema.
In fact, if we refer to the aforementioned study, it was found that the posture that least affected the fetus (the most "comfortable" for him) was this position on the left side. Remember that you can help yourself with cushions and pillows to find a comfortable posture at the end of pregnancy, as well as incorporate a little to not be fully extended. And we hope you can rest your best!
Photos | iStock
In Babies and more | Not finding the position to sleep during pregnancy (and despair about it), If you are pregnant, changing the time is just one more reason why you sleep poorly
