Sleeping on Your Stomach During Pregnancy Sleeping on your stomach is fine in early pregnancy—but sooner or later you’ll have to turn over. Sleeping on Your Stomach. This ensures the best blood flow to the uterus, which means your baby will get maximum nutrients and oxygen. Sleeping on the stomach while pregnant is not likely to harm the fetus during the early stages of pregnancy. If you’re used to sleeping on your stomach and want to continue, try using a donut-shaped pillow to support your growing belly. Learn about the best positions for sleep. Wondering if you can sleep on your stomach during pregnancy? Research shows that snoring is correlated with high blood pressure and preeclampsia, while sleep apnea may increase the risk of maternal morbidity. We’ll also take a look at some of the common sleep conditions that can arise during the second trimester, including sleep apnea and heartburn, and provide advice on how to improve the quality of your sleep. Common pregnancy sleep problems & solutions. Medical experts recommend pregnant women sleep on their side, but what if it makes you so uncomfortable you can’t even fall asleep? There comes a point in every woman's pregnancy where it's no longer comfortable (or possible) to sleep on her stomach. Sleeping on your side is the best position for you and your baby during pregnancy, especially once you're more than halfway through your pregnancy.. Sleeping on your side places the least pressure on your veins and internal organs. It might feel like you’re trying to sleep on a huge watermelon! That’s why by mid-pregnancy, most pregnant women are sleeping on their side. Dr. Sharp also shares some tips for keeping your baby safe and getting a … We’ll go over whether it’s ok to sleep on your back and stomach while pregnant in your second trimester. You sure can — at least for a while. Some women find this allows them to sleep comfortably on their stomach well into the third trimester. A significant number of women develop snoring and sleep apnea during pregnancy. After the fifth month of your pregnancy, it’s apparent that sleeping on your tummy isn’t the most comfortable way to fall asleep, and that's because of your expanding uterus. “The position that is most problematic and potentially unsafe is lying on your back from around 20 weeks (average) as the weight of the baby and uterus can at this stage compress your aorta and decrease blood supply to your baby, ” explains Liz. What will happen if […] Stomach sleeping is OK until you reach about weeks 16 to 18. While it might seem the most practically convenient, back sleeping has the potential to cause a lot of problems in your pregnancy. A few tips to help you sleep better: You don’t like sleeping on your side. If you’re afraid that this position may end up hurting the baby, don’t be. Although often benign, this may also be a warning sign of a more severe condition. All of the following pregnancy sleep problems can make getting a solid night of shut-eye harder. “Generally, it’s okay until the belly is growing, which is between 16 and 18 weeks, depending on how big the belly gets and how quickly,” Henning says. Dr. Tom Miller and Dr. Howard Sharp, OB/GYN, answer common questions pregnant women have regarding bedtime. Place pillows between your legs and behind your back; full-body and wedge pillows, in particular, are a pregnant woman’s best friend. During the first trimester, it is safe for a woman to sleep in whatever position she feels comfortable in, whether this is on her back, side, or stomach. Is going to sleep in a different position really going to make a difference?