Why pregnant women should not sleep on their backs

In the last months of pregnancy, many women complain of lack of sleep and constant fatigue. And the big belly is to blame for everything, which makes it difficult to take a comfortable pose and relax. The young mother has to alternately turn over to the left, then to the right. To put pillows and rollers from the blanket. After all, doctors do not recommend lying on their backs. But what is the reason for this ban? And is it possible to violate it periodically?

Digestion problems

Pregnant women who like to relax in the pose of a starfish in the second and third trimester are forced to abandon their old habits, otherwise they risk becoming a victim of heartburn. When the mother takes a horizontal position, the grown fetus begins to put pressure on the stomach. Hydrochloric acid and undigested food rises to the sphincter. The valve, weakened due to increased levels of hormones, cannot hold this mass, and it enters the esophagus.

Burning, sour belching and other uncomfortable symptoms prevent a woman from falling asleep or make her wake up in the middle of the night and look for a magic remedy that will calm another attack of heartburn.

The intestine continues to work during rest, because it needs to digest food and make room for new products. But if a woman likes to lie on her back, the functioning of this body is impaired. A grown child squeezes the intestines, which leads to stagnation of feces. The risk of constipation, flatulence caused by fermentation of rotting foods, and hemorrhoids is increased.

If the expectant mother regularly rolls over on her back, bowel function may deteriorate, which will lead to a slowdown in metabolic processes. A woman with a poor metabolism gains weight faster, and extra pounds increase the likelihood of ruptures and other complications during childbirth. Therefore, pregnant women are recommended to forget about the pose of a starfish and learn more useful sleep techniques.

Stagnant urine

Some pregnant women find out about the problem only after passing urine for tests. In others, due to inflammation, fever rises, swelling intensifies. If doctors do not notice the problem in a timely manner, the kidneys will begin to fail. There will be a threat of premature birth. A pregnant woman will have to lie down to preserve and undergo hemodialysis regularly to save her baby and her own life.

Of course, such cases are rare. But mothers who have chronic kidney disease or cystitis should forget about sleep in a starfish pose. Better to roll over on its side. And you can relax on your back after childbirth.

Pressure and hypoxia

In the abdominal cavity are located not only the ureters, but also the inferior vena cava. She is responsible for transporting blood to the legs and pelvic organs. If the uterus will regularly press on this area, then the blood circulation will deteriorate, and numerous health problems will arise.

Firstly, the risk of varicose veins in the legs, groin or uterus will increase. But mothers with such a diagnosis are much more difficult to have a baby in a natural way. In some situations, pregnant women are given a cesarean section to preserve the health of the baby and the life of the woman herself.

Secondly, less blood enters the pelvic organs. And the child does not have enough oxygen.Hypoxia develops, due to which the fetal brain and nervous system suffer. If the inferior vena cava is pinched regularly, the child has developmental delays. And at the next ultrasound they can diagnose low water.

How to understand that due to sleep on the back, the child does not have enough oxygen? With hypoxia, the fetus begins to move actively, trying to start blood circulation. Therefore, if the baby often kicks at night, then the mother needs to learn how to sleep on her side.

When the uterus compresses the vena cava, blood circulation deteriorates not only in the pelvic organs, but throughout the body. An additional burden on the heart is created. If a pregnant woman has had tachycardia attacks before or has valve insufficiency, sleep on her back is contraindicated. It is best to rest on the right side so as not to overload the heart.

Healthy women who have never complained of well-being also experience dizziness and arrhythmias. The reason is an increase in pressure due to a pinched vena cava. In rare cases, young mothers lose consciousness due to rest on their backs. But such symptoms are observed in the third semester, when the stomach becomes large and heavy.

Also, due to stagnation of blood in pregnant women, edema intensifies. The legs swell and it becomes difficult to walk. The face and even the hands swell. There is shortness of breath, which prevents relaxation. Some mothers wake up in the middle of the night due to lack of air, because when a woman is in a horizontal position, the fetus presses not only on the intestines and vena cava, but also on the diaphragm.

Spine

The last months of pregnancy turn into a real test, because the whole body suffers due to a large abdomen. But most of all goes to the spine, and more precisely - to the lumbar. The back is the core of the whole body, which during this period should hold not only the mother herself, but also the uterus, in which the child develops.

After a busy day, the spine gets tired and wants to relax at least for a while. But if a woman likes to sleep in the pose of a starfish, he does not succeed. After all, the fetus presses on the lumbar region, causing displacement of the intervertebral discs. Sometimes it ends with sprains and hernias.

Tips for expectant mothers

Rest on the back is not as dangerous as it seems suspicious pregnant. It all depends on the body of the woman herself, the location of her internal organs and fetal activity. If some future mothers after sleeping in a starfish pose complain of lower back pain and swollen legs, then others can only relax in that position.

Women are advised to listen to their own feelings. If a pregnant woman is bothered:

• frequent heartburn and constipation;
• panic attacks and attacks of tachycardia;
• Dizziness
• high blood pressure;
• cramps and pains in the legs;
• severe swelling;
• discomfort in the lower back.

In the later stages, expectant mothers are advised to relax in a semi-sitting position. You will need a few large pillows that are placed under the back. The body rises above the legs, the pressure on the diaphragm decreases, and breathing improves. Gynecologists also recommend turning over to the left side, but the posture is not suitable for mothers who have heart problems. Also, pregnant women should buy an orthopedic mattress, because the more comfortable the bed, the better the quality of sleep.

Women who have a baby, really can not rest on their backs in the later stages. Such a posture leads to varicose veins, heartburn, a slowdown in metabolism and tachycardia. To make the dream quality and healthy, at night you need to roll on your right or left side. And also use an orthopedic mattress and special pillows for expectant mothers.

Video: Can I sleep on my back during pregnancy?