Sleeping Positions During Pregnancy: Safety & Comfort

Question
I'm almost 14 weeks pregnant. I have always fallen asleep on my stomach only. When is NOT okay to sleep on my tummy anymore? I still feel comfy sleeping like that, but I also don't want to hurt the baby or restrict blood flow to him/her. I also notice that several times I woke up in the night to an entirely numb arm/hand/shoulder from sleeping on my side (with my arm under my body). Is this something that I should be concerned about, or did my limbs just happen to 'fall asleep' as well? I just want to be sure I'm ensuring proper blood flow to the baby at all times.


Answer
The best position to sleep is on your left side. This takes the uterus off the Vena Cava (the vein bring blood from the pelvis to the heart) and allows better perfusion of blood to the baby. You should try not to sleep on your back or on your stomach. If you wake up and find that you are not on your left side, return to your left side. It is common for your arms and hands to become numb from sleeping on them. Just shake them or hold them up and the blood will start moving again.