
Trying for a baby	Pregnant	Birth & labour	Baby	Toddler

Getting comfortable at night

One of the most exasperating things about sleeping during pregnancy is the limited amount of positions that you can get comfortable in. As if there weren’t already enough challenges to contend with during the midnight hours, as your belly grows larger, sleeping on your back becomes a distant memory and instead you have to lie on your side. It is recommended that you sleep on your left side if possible (because this takes pressure of a major blood vessel) and so if you do not normally do so, you should start practising this as soon as you can.

With an ever-increasing bump taking up the bed, many women find it difficult to get into a good position, which means lots of waking up and not a lot of sleeping takes place. A good way to combat this tiring and uncomfortable sleeping precedent is by wedging pillows under your bump and in the small of your back. There are many specially designed ‘pregnancy pillows’ on the market that come in a range of shapes and sizes. There is a small ‘wedge’ pillow, which has been designed specifically to fit in under your bump and behind your lower back, but this might feel too small for some women.

Depending on the size of your stomach and the particular discomforts you have been suffering, you might need a bigger, wider, softer, or harder type of pillow. Smaller pillows may be useful for slightly raising your legs: good if you have circulatory problems at night time and they can also be used later to help your baby get into a good breastfeeding position.

There are also small ‘sleep positioning pillows’ on the market, designed specifically for newborn babies, and which promise to prevent your baby rolling over onto his front while sleeping. Similarly, you can purchase angled ‘cot wedges’, which, placed under the sheets of the cot help elevate your baby’s head and purport to help such things as respiratory and digestive systems. Consult your midwife to check whether she would advise using these types of sleeping aids.

Why not chat to other pregnant women about this, or other topics, by leaving a message on our early pregnancy or guide to pregnancy area of the chat forum. Alternatively, if you want to meet other mums in your area, visit our people section of the site to find out what is happening in your area. If you have any unanswered questions, use our questions page to gain wisdom from other mums or our resident experts for all those pregnancy or baby-related niggles. Have a look at our Kit section where we list our favourite baby equipment.