If you ask people what is the best lying position when sleeping, then some people may say the right side decubitus position, because the heart is on the left side and the right side decubitus position reduces the pressure on the heart. However, for pregnant women, the opposite may be true.
Ms. Zhang has been pregnant for more than five months and is already very pregnant, and her mother also took her back to her parents' home in order to take care of Ms. Zhang. In the process of getting along, Ms. Zhang listened to her mother say the most: "When you sleep, you sleep on the left." ”
When Ms. Zhang asked her mother why, the mother said that it was good for the child, and she was also told this when she was pregnant before.
In fact, when chatting with the doctor while looking through the pregnant mother's strategy, Ms. Zhang always sees the words "pregnant woman lying on the left side", and many people think that this is the most suitable sleeping position for pregnant women. Why is this? What benefits can the left side decubitus position bring to pregnant women? Is there any harm to pregnant mothers in maintaining the left side decubitus position for a long time? Let's make it clear today.
1. Why do so many people recommend that pregnant women sleep on their left side?
In fact, the reason why everyone recommends pregnant women to sleep in the left decubitus position is not completely unreasonable, it has several obvious benefits:
☞ Relieves pressure on the uterine arteries
Fetal development takes place in the womb, so as the pregnancy progresses, the uterus grows larger, which can compress the woman's aorta and iliac arteries.
However, if the pregnant woman is in the left lateral decubitus position, the pressure in these two arteries decreases, so that blood can be better supplied to the uterus and nutrients to the fetus through the placenta, which is determined by the anatomy of the human body.
☞ Increases blood flow to the placenta
When the arterial pressure decreases, the blood flow to the placenta will increase accordingly, and the placenta is the most important medium for the fetus to obtain blood oxygen.
Therefore, for some pregnant mothers with fetal growth retardation, even sleeping in the left decubitus position is a necessary measure.
☞ Relieves pressure on veins from the uterus
In addition, the increasing size of the uterus will also compress the inferior vena cava, resulting in a decrease in the blood return received by the heart, and sleeping in the left decubitus position can reduce this pressure, and the blood flow of the inferior vena cava is more abundant, which also has additional benefits for the pregnant mother.
When the inferior vena cava is abundant, the blood flow to the kidneys increases, and the urine output increases, which lowers blood volume and thus reduces the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension. For pregnant mothers with poor blood circulation, increased urine output can also appropriately improve edema.
☞ Improves the degree of right-handed rotation of the uterus
The so-called uterine right-handed rotation refers to the continuous enlargement of the uterus, occupying most of the abdominal cavity and squeezing into other tissues and organs.
However, due to the anatomical position of the sigmoid colon, the uterus will be rotated to the right to varying degrees, which can lead to tension in the ligaments and mesangium of the uterus. What we need to know is that once the mesangium is tense, it will stretch the blood vessels, which may affect the chronic hypoxia in the uterus, so severe dextronation can lead to fetal distress and even death.
At this time, the left decubitus position can greatly improve the right rotation of the uterus and greatly reduce the pressure of the uterine blood vessels. Therefore, this sleeping position is to solve the obstacles caused by human anatomy to pregnancy, so many doctors will recommend pregnant women to sleep in the left decubitus position.
This is scientifically reasonable, but most of the time, for pregnant mothers who have no health problems, the left decubitus position is not mandatory, and how expectant mothers sleep is not a generalization, and it is more appropriate to discuss it according to the classification of pregnancy.
Second, it is not a panacea! The left side decubitus position is not suitable at all times
1. How do you sleep in the first trimester?
In the early stages of pregnancy, the size of the fetus is still very small, and the volume of the uterus is naturally not large, in this case, the uterus basically does not compress the arteries and veins, and it is impossible to have right rotation.
Therefore, in the first trimester of pregnancy, there is no special posture when you are not pregnant, and it is okay to lie on the left side, lie on the right side, and lie flat.
However, it is still not recommended to sleep on the stomach, which will compress the respiratory tract of the mothers, resulting in too little oxygen in the body, which is not conducive to the growth of the fetus, and sleeping on the stomach will compress the stomach, which may also affect the health of the fetus.
It should be noted that the first three months are the peak period of miscarriage because the embryo is unstable, so it is best not to have intercourse in the first three months.
2. How to sleep in the second trimester?
With the development of the fetus, mothers in the second trimester are already very pregnant, and the uterus has entered the abdominal cavity from the pelvis at this time, and it is not recommended to sleep on the stomach.
At this time, the baby's demand for blood oxygen is higher, sleeping on the stomach is easy to compress the respiratory tract, even if the amniotic fluid can relieve the pressure, sleeping on the stomach for a long time may also hinder the blood circulation in the abdomen, which is not conducive to the health of the fetus.
At this time, mothers can choose the left and right side decubitus positions or lie flat, but it is more recommended to try the left decubitus position, which can improve the blood flow in the abdomen.
3. How do you sleep in the third trimester?
For patients in the late stages of pregnancy, it is theoretically not recommended to lie flat for a long time, because an excessively large uterus can easily compress the blood vessels of the pelvis and abdominal cavity, which will lead to poor uterine blood flow and reduced renal blood flow, thereby increasing the risk of edema or pregnancy-induced hypertension.
For most healthy expectant mothers, sleeping on the left side at this stage can largely solve the problem of abdominal blood flow. It is recommended that we lie slightly on our sides in a 15~30 degree position, or we can put a pillow or soft cushion or other soft objects.
It is worth noting that if the angle of the left decubitus position is too large, it will compress the heart for a long time, and it may also affect blood circulation. However, if it is a mother with cardiac insufficiency, such as chronic heart failure or heart disease, the left decubitus position will increase the pressure on the heart even more, which is not good for health.
There is also a special type of mother, which is congenital uterine left-rotation.
In this case, it is also not recommended to lie on the left side, which will also aggravate the left rotation, and these special mothers are advised to choose a more suitable sleeping position under the guidance of a doctor.
In short, the left decubitus position is indeed the most suitable sleeping position for mid- to late-trimester pregnant mothers, but it may not be suitable for everyone. Besides, this is only a recommended lying position, not mandatory!
In fact, the different sleeping positions are mainly to make the blood flow of the uterus smoother, so that the mother can give blood oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, after all, only when the nutrients are sufficient, the fetus can grow stronger. Otherwise, malnutrition may not only lead to lower fetal weight or premature birth, but may even increase the risk of diabetes.
3. The study found that malnutrition during pregnancy increases the incidence of diabetes?
There was a previous study abroad that involved almost all Austrians between 2012~2017. Of these 3.5 million people, a total of 74,618 have been treated for diabetes. Scholars have found that:
• In 1939 and 1946~1947, the years of famine in Austria, men born during these two periods had a 78% higher risk of developing diabetes than other participants, and women were 59% higher.
Not only that, but the scientists combined data from other studies and found that people born in the Netherlands, China, and Ukraine during the famine or recession had a much higher risk of developing diabetes and its complications than people born in other countries in the same countries.
In other words, if a pregnant woman is malnourished during pregnancy, the risk of diabetes in adulthood may increase. This shows how important rich nutrition during pregnancy is for the future health of the fetus.
So, how can you supplement nutrition without eating too much? These foods can be considered in a nutshell.
Oatmeal porridge is a very good choice for pregnant women, as a staple food can completely replace the staple food with high fat such as baked cakes, oatmeal itself can lower cholesterol, but also has just the right carbohydrate and rich protein.
In addition, dairy products are also essential for pregnant women.
Pregnant women need to consume about 1000 mg of calcium ions per day, milk is the best source of calcium, and yogurt contains certain probiotics, which can help expectant mothers digest food better.
Fruit is always one of the best choices for "health", citrus may be the most suitable fruit for mothers, it is rich in water, vitamin C, folic acid and a lot of dietary fiber, are very much needed nutrients for pregnant women.
Lean meat may also be more suitable for pregnant women, because lean meat is rich in iron that is easily absorbed by the body, which can meet the iron needs of both mother and child, reduce the risk of fetal iron deficiency anemia, and these pregnant mothers can eat it in moderation in their lives.
Write at the end
In short, pregnancy is one of the most important things in a woman's life, everywhere needs to be careful, sleep is an important measure to replenish energy and improve immunity, so the discussion about sleeping position has never stopped, for most pregnant mothers in the middle and late stages, the left side of the decubitus position of 15~30 degrees is the most suitable sleeping position.
bibliography
[1] Yu Xiaohua. Pregnant women should sleep on their left side [J]. Chinese Journal of Reproductive Health, 2020
[2] Guo Xu. Will pregnant women sleep on their children [J]. Chinese Journal of Reproductive Health, 2018
[3] Dietary problems that pregnant women should pay attention to [J]. China Food Economy, 2009