Sleep and Pregnancy

Sleep is not usually a problem for me. I sleep 8+ hours a night because my husband gets up really early for work so we go to bed at a decent time even though I don't have to get up until 7 now that we live 5 minutes from my office. I used to have sleep issues but when we moved into our new house we got an INCREDIBLE Stearns and Foster mattress and I slept like a baby (interesting saying...that I will undoubtedly soon learn is false). Then I got pregnant. At first it didn't really disturb my sleep. I learned that apparently I LOVE to sleep on my back, which is not ideal for pregnancy, even in the beginning. Apparently when you sleep on your back, or right side for that matter, it can cause problems with backaches, breathing, digestive system, hemorrhoids, low blood pressure and decrease in circulation to your heart and your baby as a result of your abdomen resting on your intestines and major blood vessels. (Awesome) This news of course lead me to freak out a bit because every night I would try to go to sleep on my left side and I would wake up on my back. I told me doctor and she said it was no big deal and my body wouldn't do something that would hurt the baby and just to roll back over when I woke up. OK. Then the lovely Kelly Harvey lent me her pregnancy pillow, The Boppy Prenatal Cuddle Pillow. 

The large part of this pillow wedges under your belly while the small part goes between your legs to make (left)side sleeping a little more comfortable. It pretty much did the trick but as I started to get bigger sleep got more and more uncomfortable and even the beloved Boppy wasn't helping. Then another lovely friend Sara Theisen lent me her pregnancy pillow, The Snoogle. 

The Snoogle is a total body pillow. The hook end goes under your head and the other end goes between your legs. You can either face the long edge or let it line your back. I find it more useful to face the long edge. 

So my nightly routine to get the best sleep I can...which still isn't all that great. I start out on my left side, body facing the long edge of the Snoogle in "running" position (thank you Bradley book...at least you were good for something...this means with your upper leg bent) and I typically fall asleep. After waking up two or three times and willing myself back to sleep instead of going to the bathroom (I'm not sure how much longer I will be able to do this as I get larger I will probably have to potty more than once a night) I get up, go to the bathroom and return to bed. I switch the Snoogle to face the other way, lay on my right side (I know left is better but my neck KILLS in the morning if I lay on one side all night) facing the long edge of the Snoogle. Its the best system I've got for now! I still wake up on my back from time to time but I just force myself to move back to my side. The things I do for this Baby Girl! ;)

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