Pregnancy and maternity is amazing. But it does cause discomfort for moms at times. Especially while trying to sleep. Moms need the proper body support by use of pillows to find relief. Read more to find out the proper way to use pillows and the right type of pillows to use to provide the proper support for a restful nights sleep.
BACK PAIN & PREGNANCY
Back pain is a common complaint of women during pregnancy. This pain can have a strong impact on women?? lives, during and beyond the childbearing years. Two common issues are lumbar pain and posterior pelvic pain. Also hormones in pregnant women, which relax their joints in order to make delivery easier, create changes in the body. If their spines are unbalanced, this can cause pain and discomfort which makes it difficult to sleep.
SLEEP ON YOUR SIDE
"Sleeping position is improved by laying to the side rather than on one's back," says Dr. Susan Sprau, a professor of medicine at UCLA. "Using pillows to support the legs, arms and side may also help." Medical professionals strongly advise pregnant women to lie on their side (normally their left side) while sleeping, once they reach 22 weeks of pregnancy. The reason for this is because you have a main vein going up the right side of your spine, and with the added weight from your belly pressing against it when you're on your back, you will find that you get short of breath and will be restricting the blood flow to your baby.
COMMON PRACTICES
Pillow Between the Knees
Many doctors, midwives and physiotherapists recommend putting a pillow between your knees while you sleep on your side to help with hip and back aches. However, this can cause problems. The first problem is that you'll be putting too much pressure on the inside of your leg with the weight of your top leg. During pregnancy your blood is thicker and prone to clotting (This is normal and healthy as clots are usually dissolved naturally), you don't want to be putting extra weight onto your legs. You'll most likely experience pins and needles and cramping by doing this.
The second problem with using a pillow between your legs is that a pillow isn't vary stable or thick enough to keep your hip joints at the proper angle. Therefore you're back will be twisting (which causes more mid and lower backache and also pressure on your belly) and your hips will be over stretching with the angle of your leg pulling down. This is not a very comfortable way to lie, and will most likely end up compromising your sleep.
RECOMMENDED OPTIONS
Proper Position
For a peaceful night's sleep, it is recommend to use something sturdy, and firm (that doesn't roll) and that is about as thick as the span of your hand; your thigh needs to be at a right angle to your hip joint and your foot supported (preventing cramps). This will keep your spine straight while sleeping and also allow your belly enough room to be comfortable, and give baby enough room to move. Your lower back ache will be releaved and you'll be comfortable enough to sleep well.
Belly Support
You will also need to put a small pillow under your belly while you sleep on your side. You have some ligaments from your uterus that are attached to the base of your spine, any pulling on those may cause lower back ache. By placing a small pillow, just big enough to stop the feeling of dragging you'll notice your lower back is much more comfortable, and you're baby will have more room to move.
Shoulder Support
For shoulder tension, you can place a pillow parallel to the pillow under your head. Allow your shoulder to drop down between the two pillows as you don't squash it while you're asleep. You can also hug on to a pillow over your chest. This prevents your exposed shoulder from over stretching when it drops down and will also protect your breasts if they're feeling tender.
ALL IN ONE SOLUTION
By this point you have probably noticed that it requires a large number of pillows to get your body aligned properly for a peaceful night's sleep. By my count it will take at least 4 to 5 pillows to achieve the desired position for restful sleep.
I recommend investing in a really good pregnancy body pillow. Especially one that supports all of the areas we discussed. Body pillows that form to the body or are adjustable tend to provide the best support. These types of body pillows also accomodate people of varying shapes and sizes.
Thanks For Reading My Guide
I hope you found this guide helpful in some way. As a parent to three children I can certainly relate to what you are going through. So enjoy your pregnancy as much as possible, and get as much restful sleep as you can. Your going to need it when your bundle of joy arrives!
Orignal From: HOW TO GET BETTER SLEEP DURING PREGNANCY
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