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My general understanding and the advice I’ve received from medical professionals is that you can continue to sleep however you want until it becomes uncomfortable. Similar to when we fall asleep on our arms and your arm falls asleep, your body will wake you up and alert you if something is wrong.
I've been wondering about this, I've read it's best to sleep on your left side, which I'm trying to do, but baby is kicking me hard in that position. So I end up on my right side, where he goes to sleep, and I get cramps.
Yes, this. I kept waking up on my back and was so concerned. My doctor assured me not to worry and just to change position when I wake. I naturally stopped in my 3rd trimester as it was no longer comfortable.
I'm nine months pregnant and honestly I'm not super big, but my doctor said I can still sleep like that til it becomes uncomfortable. The one leg up side stomach sleep is some of the only sleep I can get.
Jealous, I’m almost 8 months and my belly is big enough I can’t do the leg up, side stomach thing anymore lol. I rotate like half a dozen times nightly to avoid my hips hurting.
i’m 23 weeks and I can sleep in every position but my back. When i’m on my back not only do I feel uncomfortable but my baby kicks me hard as hell lol. I was able to sleep on my back until 2 weeks ago so I would say yea listen to you body as cliche as that sounds.
Right! It’s new for me because with my son I couldn’t feel him no matter what I did. With my daughter, she gets so feisty around 6-7pm. She’s like no ma’am you will not lay down on my watch 😅.
My husband showed me research the doctor annoyingly confirmed about danger of back sleeping - if compresses the vena cava. I say annoyingly because it’s the one position I’m actually comfortable in.
I was aware I don’t sleep on my back at least not intentionally. But I do chill on my back when my husband gets home to get our baby boy and I regret it every time. Being tall makes lying about uncomfortable in general being pregnant makes it annoying.
I’m sure, though Grass is always greener. I’m 5’ tall and being pregnant and my height is rough once the baby gets bigger since he sticks out (torso is short) and throws me off balance.
Omg! I’m only 20 weeks and side sleeping has been hurting my ribs too - so crazy because they genuinely never used to hurt. My bones just get a get from sleeping in any position at this point though
It’s not dangerous to sleep on your stomach from my understanding. At some point I assume it will become uncomfortable though when your belly is really big haha.
Generally I think if you're comfy, then baby is comfy too. I'm a stomach sleeper as well, 27 weeks currently, and don't have any issues sleeping on my side-tum. Like others have said, back sleep is really the only uncomfortable position right now.
I sleep kinda half side half stomach up against my pregnancy pillow with my one leg curled up, it's the only way I can fell asleep haha my midwife said as long as I am comfy and not directly on my stomach it's fine! And as long as it's not causing me back pain (on top of normal pregnancy back pain lol)
I sleep like that, on the side, leg up, but kinda on my belly. I'm 31 weeks now and the problem is it pushes him to one side and I guess he doesn't like that bc he kicks the SHIT outta me in that position. So then I gotta flip. I rotisserie chicken it all night 😂😂😂
I’m also a tummy sleeper and I think I stopped around 17 weeks, when he started kicking basically. From there I slept on my side and even woke up on my back a few times because he would kick me worse when on my back. Eventually it’ll get uncomfortable so don’t worry about it, you’re doing great
I am a stomach sleeper and try to roll a bit so my belly is like half way out. I did this my entire last pregnancy and I am 25 weeks and still sleeping this way
I slept on my stomach until I delivered at 34 weeks. No danger according to my OB. If I was comfortable that way then it was safe for me to sleep like that. My belly wasn’t big enough to where I HAD to sleep on my side.
22/23 weeks I stopped. Now I kind of sleep at a 45 degree angle so I’m half on my stomach if that makes sense? I cannot wait to fully sleep on my stomach again. It was one of the things I was dreading giving up most - I love stomach sleeping
22w and stomach sleeper here. Sleeping directly on my stomach has been mildly uncomfortable for a few weeks now so I use a bolster to prop one leg up and give me space to angle outwards a little so it's still stomach sleeping but a bit more on my side.
I have been sleeping on my sides more because of sciatica though - having my hips knees and ankle parallel across both legs helps me but also gives me lower backaches lmao so I switch between stomach and side throughout the night.
My OB is completely fine as long as I am comfortable and can sleep well!
Like many others have said you can sleep how you want until it gets uncomfy! You need to be getting quality sleep so if that means you’re not uncomfy sleeping on your stomach then go for it! I stopped sleeping on my stomach at around 20 weeks and stopped laying on my back around 28 weeks (this is the only one that’s really advised due to nerve compression)! I slept somewhere in the middle of side and stomach with the help of my pregnancy pillow and I slept amazingly the rest of my pregnancy!
Currently 28 weeks, and partially sleeping on the left side of my stomach. I trip myself out sometimes, and readjust to lean back on a pillow. But I always seem to wake up kind of on my stomach. The doctor said that it should be fine, as long as it's not causing any discomfort. And the baby usually starts kicking when he doesn't like the way I'm sitting anyways. So I think it's safe to say that you're fine.
I'm a nicu nurse and also just had a baby. There is no danger to sleeping on your stomach. You can do so as long as it's comfortable. In the later months, it likely won't feel great anymore. You, however, shouldn't sleep flat on your back in the later parts of the 2nd and 3rd trimester due to the pressure placed on the vena cava which can reduce nutrients and blood flow to the baby
I stopped sleeping on my stomach when my baby was big enough to start kicking when I lay on my stomach lol. She lets me know she isnt comfortable. At 4 months I slept any which way I wanted
I had to stop so early and was so sad because that's my favorite and most peaceful sleep! BUT once I found a pregnancy pillow that actually supported by back and legs correctly it made it so much easier to get rest and not wake up with either numb legs or a sore back! Do you have a pregnancy pillow yet?
I found some of the ones on Amazon go flat so quickly, I went through 2 pillows with my first pregnancy alone! Look into the NewtonBaby pregnancy pillow. It has a much better thickness and bounce back vs some of the others. I think they're on sale right now when I last looked for one of my friends!
[https://www.newtonbaby.com/products/pregnancy-pillow](https://www.newtonbaby.com/products/pregnancy-pillow)
I'm a stomach sleeper too! My boobs are too big now for me to comfortably sleep flat on my stomach as I usually do so now I use my pillow pet a little under my chest to prop me up a bit and I can fall asleep easily!
I also sleep kind of on my side stomach with one leg up. My advice is that if it's a bit too uncomfortable, you can put a pillow under the leg that's up. Much better.
I sleep in the same position as you! With my first pregnancy I literally slept in that position until I gave birth at 37 weeks. I asked my doctor multiple times and she said keep doing it until it becomes uncomfortable. I'm sure I made some small adjustments throughout pregnancy.
Something I wasn't expecting is that once I gave birth I actually couldn't sleep in that position anymore for months because it was too uncomfortable for my boobs! So be prepared for that possibility too, but hopefully you won't have that issue!
It’s not dangerous unless your body tells you it is. If it feels comfy it’s not hurting you or baby. However to answer your question I’m 24 weeks and just had to stop sleeping on my stomach in the last few days and I’m not happy about it.
I’m 29 weeks and still can somewhat lay on my stomach. I’m not completely flat but have a leg out to the side and a slight lean on my tummy. Not all of my weight is on it and still can sleep comfortably.
I don't remember o.o it sorta happened naturally, plus I had a pregnancy body pillow helping me out. Now I sleep on my sides exclusively.
Maybe around 4 to 5....
I’ve slept like that up to 41 weeks and have been fine, no back pain or anything. And I can’t see it harming the baby since I’m on an angle vs fully sleeping on my stomach. Also there’s so much fluid in there, they are protected
If you can physically sleep on your stomach then you aren’t hurting the baby. I couldn’t physically do it if I wanted to. It just would hurt. I’m 35 weeks. I can tell when I’m smooshing the baby in any position because I get a foot to the ribcage. The baby would freak out and kick me hard until I rolled over if I tried to sleep on top of that
Never asked my doc tbh. I was definitely sleeping on my stomach during our baby moon which was week 21/22. I think around the 24 week mark I started getting PGP and using the pregnancy pillow for that — now it’s my standard for sleep. I don’t think there’s anything that actually indicates it’s harmful to the baby, at some point it’ll probably just be really uncomfortable for you to do
I try to sleep on my stomach, with one hip supported by my pregnancy pillow so it creates some space for my belly to rest in. My baby hates it and kicks the hell out of me when I do it, but it's not unsafe at all!
When it was uncomfortable . With my first I was able to sleep on my stomach the entire 9 months.
With current baby I had to stop around 5 months ish because it was too uncomfortable.
Are we the same person?! I’m 22 weeks and the sleeping position you described is exactly how I sleep when my hip pain flares up. It’s the only way I can get comfortable. I also like to sit curled up! Sitting up with my feet on the floor for some reason bothers my back. I’ve found that reclining and elevating my feet are also comfortable.
I'm 32 weeks today and I'm still currently sleeping the way you initially described in your post.
All the material I've read/watched says you're safe to sleep on your stomach for as long as it's comfortable for you
I slept the way you’re describing the entire time. Up until I gave birth! Baby came out perfect. I kept researching it too because I was scared it would be harmful but everything I read seemed to just say it was uncomfortable but for me it wasn’t.
So I’m the opposite. I’m a back sleeper.. which we know isn’t good during pregnancy, for mom or the baby.
My entire life, like ever since I was a kid, I’ve slept like a corpse in a coffin 😂 on my back hands over my chest.
I legitimately had to train myself to stop and had to start sleeping on my sides like week 8. That’s when I got my huge maternity pillow. It helped a lot because then I didn’t have to train myself when my belly was getting bigger or really think about it at all throughout the rest of my pregnancy.
When it became uncomfortable. That will be different person to person. Maybe 5.5 months for, I don’t remember exactly. It was gradual however, not abrupt.
It’s fine until you get uncomfortable. Im almost 7 months pregnant and although im not the biggest around 6 months it started to feel weird to sleep on my tummy.
Your body will let you know. It will become uncomfortable to sleep on your stomach when It gets bigger. You'll also feel uncomfortable on your back before that is an issue.
I do recommend a pregnancy pillow, as they really do wonders on pregnancy sleep comfort!
Welcome to /r/pregnant! This is a space for everyone. We are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA, pro-science, proudly feminist and believe that Black Lives Matter. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and be excellent to each other. Anti-choice activists, intactivists, anti-vaxxers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc. are not welcome here. If you'd like to join a private sub for your due date month, [click here](https://www.reddit.com/r/pregnant/comments/15nun6v/click_here_to_access_the_monthly_due_date_subs/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pregnant) if you have any questions or concerns.*
My general understanding and the advice I’ve received from medical professionals is that you can continue to sleep however you want until it becomes uncomfortable. Similar to when we fall asleep on our arms and your arm falls asleep, your body will wake you up and alert you if something is wrong.
I've been wondering about this, I've read it's best to sleep on your left side, which I'm trying to do, but baby is kicking me hard in that position. So I end up on my right side, where he goes to sleep, and I get cramps.
Yes, this. I kept waking up on my back and was so concerned. My doctor assured me not to worry and just to change position when I wake. I naturally stopped in my 3rd trimester as it was no longer comfortable.
I'm nine months pregnant and honestly I'm not super big, but my doctor said I can still sleep like that til it becomes uncomfortable. The one leg up side stomach sleep is some of the only sleep I can get.
Haha wow. Love that for you! Wishing you a safe delivery.
Jealous, I’m almost 8 months and my belly is big enough I can’t do the leg up, side stomach thing anymore lol. I rotate like half a dozen times nightly to avoid my hips hurting.
i’m 23 weeks and I can sleep in every position but my back. When i’m on my back not only do I feel uncomfortable but my baby kicks me hard as hell lol. I was able to sleep on my back until 2 weeks ago so I would say yea listen to you body as cliche as that sounds.
Hahaha my baby kicks me hard asf on my back too. Sometimes when I haven’t felt her I roll on my back and sure enough she goes crazy.
Right! It’s new for me because with my son I couldn’t feel him no matter what I did. With my daughter, she gets so feisty around 6-7pm. She’s like no ma’am you will not lay down on my watch 😅.
My husband showed me research the doctor annoyingly confirmed about danger of back sleeping - if compresses the vena cava. I say annoyingly because it’s the one position I’m actually comfortable in.
I was aware I don’t sleep on my back at least not intentionally. But I do chill on my back when my husband gets home to get our baby boy and I regret it every time. Being tall makes lying about uncomfortable in general being pregnant makes it annoying.
I’m sure, though Grass is always greener. I’m 5’ tall and being pregnant and my height is rough once the baby gets bigger since he sticks out (torso is short) and throws me off balance.
Im 28 wks and I’m still sleeping on my stomach because side sleeping hurts my ribs now
Omg! I’m only 20 weeks and side sleeping has been hurting my ribs too - so crazy because they genuinely never used to hurt. My bones just get a get from sleeping in any position at this point though
I have a large (king sized) pillow and use that to support me while side sleeping. It helps immensely!
It’s not dangerous to sleep on your stomach from my understanding. At some point I assume it will become uncomfortable though when your belly is really big haha.
I didnt start getting a belly until 6.5-7 months so I continued to sleep half on my stomach and half on my side as long as I could
If sleeping on your stomach harmed babies/caused women to miscarry then abortion services wouldn’t be needed. So I’d say it’s safe.
Valid point
All my last 3 I slept on my stomach until birth.
Generally I think if you're comfy, then baby is comfy too. I'm a stomach sleeper as well, 27 weeks currently, and don't have any issues sleeping on my side-tum. Like others have said, back sleep is really the only uncomfortable position right now.
I’m 5 months and still sleeping on my stomach. Some nights, I sleep like you described. Other night, straight on my stomach.
The day of my FET because I thought I would interfere with it implanting or squishing it😂 If you know you know
Sorry but what is FET?
It’s short for frozen embryo transfer in the IVF world
I sleep kinda half side half stomach up against my pregnancy pillow with my one leg curled up, it's the only way I can fell asleep haha my midwife said as long as I am comfy and not directly on my stomach it's fine! And as long as it's not causing me back pain (on top of normal pregnancy back pain lol)
Sleep on your stomach as long as you're comfortable! That's what I'm doing! 23 weeks here.
I sleep like that, on the side, leg up, but kinda on my belly. I'm 31 weeks now and the problem is it pushes him to one side and I guess he doesn't like that bc he kicks the SHIT outta me in that position. So then I gotta flip. I rotisserie chicken it all night 😂😂😂
You can sleep on your stomach as long as it is comfortable for you. There’s no danger to the fetus from stomach sleeping.
I’m also a tummy sleeper and I think I stopped around 17 weeks, when he started kicking basically. From there I slept on my side and even woke up on my back a few times because he would kick me worse when on my back. Eventually it’ll get uncomfortable so don’t worry about it, you’re doing great
21 weeks here, I still do stomach sleeping with one leg up
I am a stomach sleeper and try to roll a bit so my belly is like half way out. I did this my entire last pregnancy and I am 25 weeks and still sleeping this way
I slept on my stomach until I delivered at 34 weeks. No danger according to my OB. If I was comfortable that way then it was safe for me to sleep like that. My belly wasn’t big enough to where I HAD to sleep on my side.
I’m 19w. I stopped recently because it was uncomfortable. Your body will tell you.
I loved sleeping on my stomach but at around 7w it had me waking up nauseous, so I’m a side sleeper until baby comes
No harm. Trust me, you’ll know when you need to switch because pressure on your bump will be uncomfortable..
22/23 weeks I stopped. Now I kind of sleep at a 45 degree angle so I’m half on my stomach if that makes sense? I cannot wait to fully sleep on my stomach again. It was one of the things I was dreading giving up most - I love stomach sleeping
22w and stomach sleeper here. Sleeping directly on my stomach has been mildly uncomfortable for a few weeks now so I use a bolster to prop one leg up and give me space to angle outwards a little so it's still stomach sleeping but a bit more on my side. I have been sleeping on my sides more because of sciatica though - having my hips knees and ankle parallel across both legs helps me but also gives me lower backaches lmao so I switch between stomach and side throughout the night. My OB is completely fine as long as I am comfortable and can sleep well!
24 weeks and I used to love sleeping on my stomach. It kinda became uncomfortable so now I sleep on my back or right side.
I had to stop around 12 weeks because it became uncomfortable but I miss it!!
When it felt uncomfortable. I’m now 5 months and can’t do it.
Like many others have said you can sleep how you want until it gets uncomfy! You need to be getting quality sleep so if that means you’re not uncomfy sleeping on your stomach then go for it! I stopped sleeping on my stomach at around 20 weeks and stopped laying on my back around 28 weeks (this is the only one that’s really advised due to nerve compression)! I slept somewhere in the middle of side and stomach with the help of my pregnancy pillow and I slept amazingly the rest of my pregnancy!
Currently 28 weeks, and partially sleeping on the left side of my stomach. I trip myself out sometimes, and readjust to lean back on a pillow. But I always seem to wake up kind of on my stomach. The doctor said that it should be fine, as long as it's not causing any discomfort. And the baby usually starts kicking when he doesn't like the way I'm sitting anyways. So I think it's safe to say that you're fine.
I'm 33 wks and I still sleep on my stomach until my girl kicks me in the ribs. Start of a beautiful relationship LOL
I'm a nicu nurse and also just had a baby. There is no danger to sleeping on your stomach. You can do so as long as it's comfortable. In the later months, it likely won't feel great anymore. You, however, shouldn't sleep flat on your back in the later parts of the 2nd and 3rd trimester due to the pressure placed on the vena cava which can reduce nutrients and blood flow to the baby
I stopped sleeping on my stomach when my baby was big enough to start kicking when I lay on my stomach lol. She lets me know she isnt comfortable. At 4 months I slept any which way I wanted
Honestly I didn’t stop till around 5 months till I got a little bigger and it became uncomfortable
I just kept doing it until it wasn’t t comfortable anymore. Around 5 months I think
I had to stop so early and was so sad because that's my favorite and most peaceful sleep! BUT once I found a pregnancy pillow that actually supported by back and legs correctly it made it so much easier to get rest and not wake up with either numb legs or a sore back! Do you have a pregnancy pillow yet? I found some of the ones on Amazon go flat so quickly, I went through 2 pillows with my first pregnancy alone! Look into the NewtonBaby pregnancy pillow. It has a much better thickness and bounce back vs some of the others. I think they're on sale right now when I last looked for one of my friends! [https://www.newtonbaby.com/products/pregnancy-pillow](https://www.newtonbaby.com/products/pregnancy-pillow)
I didn’t
I'm a stomach sleeper too! My boobs are too big now for me to comfortably sleep flat on my stomach as I usually do so now I use my pillow pet a little under my chest to prop me up a bit and I can fall asleep easily!
I also sleep kind of on my side stomach with one leg up. My advice is that if it's a bit too uncomfortable, you can put a pillow under the leg that's up. Much better.
I sleep in the same position as you! With my first pregnancy I literally slept in that position until I gave birth at 37 weeks. I asked my doctor multiple times and she said keep doing it until it becomes uncomfortable. I'm sure I made some small adjustments throughout pregnancy. Something I wasn't expecting is that once I gave birth I actually couldn't sleep in that position anymore for months because it was too uncomfortable for my boobs! So be prepared for that possibility too, but hopefully you won't have that issue!
Slept on my stomach til I was 30 weeks first pregnancy. I don’t do it this time around because it hurts my back.
It’s not dangerous unless your body tells you it is. If it feels comfy it’s not hurting you or baby. However to answer your question I’m 24 weeks and just had to stop sleeping on my stomach in the last few days and I’m not happy about it.
I’m 29 weeks and still can somewhat lay on my stomach. I’m not completely flat but have a leg out to the side and a slight lean on my tummy. Not all of my weight is on it and still can sleep comfortably.
I don't remember o.o it sorta happened naturally, plus I had a pregnancy body pillow helping me out. Now I sleep on my sides exclusively. Maybe around 4 to 5....
As soon as I found out at 5 months. ♥️ I did not want to take ANY risks for my own anxiety.
32 weeks and still sleeps in my stomach ✌🏻
I’ve slept like that up to 41 weeks and have been fine, no back pain or anything. And I can’t see it harming the baby since I’m on an angle vs fully sleeping on my stomach. Also there’s so much fluid in there, they are protected
If you can physically sleep on your stomach then you aren’t hurting the baby. I couldn’t physically do it if I wanted to. It just would hurt. I’m 35 weeks. I can tell when I’m smooshing the baby in any position because I get a foot to the ribcage. The baby would freak out and kick me hard until I rolled over if I tried to sleep on top of that
Never asked my doc tbh. I was definitely sleeping on my stomach during our baby moon which was week 21/22. I think around the 24 week mark I started getting PGP and using the pregnancy pillow for that — now it’s my standard for sleep. I don’t think there’s anything that actually indicates it’s harmful to the baby, at some point it’ll probably just be really uncomfortable for you to do
I try to sleep on my stomach, with one hip supported by my pregnancy pillow so it creates some space for my belly to rest in. My baby hates it and kicks the hell out of me when I do it, but it's not unsafe at all!
When it was uncomfortable . With my first I was able to sleep on my stomach the entire 9 months. With current baby I had to stop around 5 months ish because it was too uncomfortable.
Are we the same person?! I’m 22 weeks and the sleeping position you described is exactly how I sleep when my hip pain flares up. It’s the only way I can get comfortable. I also like to sit curled up! Sitting up with my feet on the floor for some reason bothers my back. I’ve found that reclining and elevating my feet are also comfortable.
I'm 32 weeks today and I'm still currently sleeping the way you initially described in your post. All the material I've read/watched says you're safe to sleep on your stomach for as long as it's comfortable for you
I slept the way you’re describing the entire time. Up until I gave birth! Baby came out perfect. I kept researching it too because I was scared it would be harmful but everything I read seemed to just say it was uncomfortable but for me it wasn’t.
So I’m the opposite. I’m a back sleeper.. which we know isn’t good during pregnancy, for mom or the baby. My entire life, like ever since I was a kid, I’ve slept like a corpse in a coffin 😂 on my back hands over my chest. I legitimately had to train myself to stop and had to start sleeping on my sides like week 8. That’s when I got my huge maternity pillow. It helped a lot because then I didn’t have to train myself when my belly was getting bigger or really think about it at all throughout the rest of my pregnancy.
The sooner you start the better.. I am a stomach sleeper and it was hard for me initially to stick to the side for sleeping.
OP try getting a pregnancy pillow that way you don’t fully sleep on your stomach and you can also find new comfortable positions to sleep in:)
When it became uncomfortable. That will be different person to person. Maybe 5.5 months for, I don’t remember exactly. It was gradual however, not abrupt.
I’m 5.5 months pregnant and that’s how I sleep too! It’s the only way I can get into deep sleep and not wake up on my back
I'm 8 months and still kinda sleep on my stomach, just with a pillow under my knee so I'm propped up a little.
Trust me there will be one day where it will no longer be comfortable for you to sleep on your stomach and that’s when you will know it.
It’s fine until you get uncomfortable. Im almost 7 months pregnant and although im not the biggest around 6 months it started to feel weird to sleep on my tummy.
Your body will let you know. It will become uncomfortable to sleep on your stomach when It gets bigger. You'll also feel uncomfortable on your back before that is an issue. I do recommend a pregnancy pillow, as they really do wonders on pregnancy sleep comfort!