You found out you are pregnant and now you're one of many mothers who excitedly awaits your baby's arrival. You will experience significant changes in your life, and will need to take more care of yourself and have to change some of your daily habits. Your daily sleep is one of the things to which you will need to pay attention.

During pregnancy, some symptoms appear in your body. At night, regular urination, widening and growth of the abdominal region, shortness of breath, pain and cramps in the legs, heartburn, back pain and stress are just a few of the typical features of this period. So, to overcome these problems, did you know that your sleeping position is an important factor? Read this article on Mom’s Land and be informed about the proper sleeping positions during pregnancy, reducing the risks for both yourself and your baby.

From the second half of pregnancy – in other words, after four and a half months – it is not recommended to sleep on your back or face-down. Sleeping face-down should be avoided, as it creates pressure on the abdominal region. And in pregnancy sleeping on the back also poses a risk as the vessels that take blood from the bottom of the body to the heart will remain under pressure. Moreover, this sleeping position also disrupts blood flow to the legs and can move food in the stomach into the windpipe.

If you are pregnant, the most suitable position for you and your baby is to sleep on your left side. Thanks to this sleeping position, the amount of blood going to the heart and to the baby increases, and the liver, which is on the right side of the body, can avoid being squeezed by the growing uterus. Moreover, in this position, your kidneys work better.

If you are suffering from back pain, then you shouldn’t just sleep on your left side; you should also pull your knees towards your abdomen in the fetal position. In addition, you can support sensitive areas such as the lower back by placing a pillow between your legs. This method is also useful for heartburn and shortness of breath in pregnant women.

Even if it is said you can sleep as desired in the first three months of pregnancy, it is advisable to  start getting used to sleeping on your left side as soon as you learn you are pregnant.