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Jane Barry
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Jane Barry is a registered nurse, midwife and child health nurse. She attained a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Nursing from Queensland University of Technology and has qualifications in immunisation and Triple P (Positive Parenting Program). Jane has worked exclusively with families and children for nearly thirty years and has spent the last twenty years supporting and educating parents and caregivers in how to care for their children. Jane writes weekly parenting columns for national newspapers and a popular women’s magazine. She contributes regularly to radio and television programmes when parenting expertise is required. Jane has children of her own and knows first hand the challenges and joys of raising a family.
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| 40 winks over 40 weeks of pregnancy |
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Early pregnancy symptoms such as tender breasts, needing to empty the bladder more frequently, and nausea means that for many expecting women, sleeping isn’t as straightforward as is used to be.
Here are some sleeping tips which you may find useful during pregnancy.
Avoid sleeping on your back
Pregnant women need to avoid sleeping on their back. The increasing weight of the uterus places pressure on the major veins which return blood to your heart. This can result in feeling faint and a decrease in the blood supply to your baby. Also, at about 12 weeks when the fetus begins pushing the uterus up out of the pelvis, most women will find that sleeping on their tummy becomes too uncomfortable.
The recommended sleeping position for pregnant women is on their left side, because it optimizes the flow of blood and nutrients to your baby.
Get some support
Using a pillow between your legs can relieve the pressure of the top leg resting on the bottom one. Bending your knees and using a reasonably flat pillow is better than using a bulky one, which may cause hip or back discomfort.
Using a range of different pillows to support your tummy, between the legs and even behind the back, helps to support major muscle groups and relieve tension. A full-length body pillow is a good option and avoids the issue of too much bulk in the bed from a lot of pillows.
Beat insomnia
Some women experience insomnia during their pregnancy and lie awake into the wee small hours. The best way to manage this is to get up and do something relaxing like watching television, reading a book or having a light meal. Listening to music, avoiding caffeine and doing some form of light exercise everyday is a good way to encourage sleep.
Try to avoid napping too late in the day. Although this may be tempting as a good way of taking the edge off tiredness, it can also affect night-time sleep.
Some people believe that pregnancy insomnia is nature’s way of preparing you for broken sleep when the baby is born. This isn’t much comfort when you’re desperate to sleep and it’s still some months until the baby is due. Many women report they do a lot of planning and problem solving when they are unable to sleep, so don’t view this as entirely wasted time!
Tune in to your baby – and yourself
Some pregnant women find that going to bed is a signal for their baby to wake up. An active baby is hardly conducive to good quality sleep for the mother, but there will be times when the only thing to do is to lie back and try to enjoy the feeling. In the relative calm and quiet of the night, this can be a good opportunity to “connect” with your baby and visualize what he or she may look like and what being a parent means to you.
Some women report having vivid, frightening dreams about the baby and themselves. While distressing, dreams are not factual or a sign of things to come. It is thought that hormones may contribute to the intensity of dreams during pregnancy.
Reclaim your mobility
Getting up and out of bed is best done from a side position, rather than trying to sit up whilst lying on your back. Using your hands to lever yourself up is a good way to avoid using the abdominal and back muscles too much.
Turning over in bed becomes more difficult as the baby gets bigger. Some women find they need their partner’s help in repositioning themselves into a comfortable position and need for them to be bit more generous with sharing the bed space.
Noises in the night
Heartburn and tummy gurgling is a fact of life for a lot of pregnant women. Medications are generally not advisable, so being creative about how to position yourself for maximum comfort is important. Sleeping in a semi-upright position works for many. Gravity helps to reduce reflux and the burning sensation at the top of the stomach. Aiming to keep the head and chest higher than the stomach is a good start.
Some women find that they start snoring when they’re pregnant. This tends to be worse in women who are overweight or have pregnancy complications. Avoiding back sleeping and being semi-upright tends to also alleviate this.
Turn down the heat
Because of the big increase in a pregnant woman’s blood volume and having her own internal heater, there is often a change in her perception of feeling hot or cold. Tossing off bed linen and complaining of feeling hot is common. Try using cotton sheets and experiment with different blanket weights to find what is right for you.
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