A few weeks ago, I started waking up only 2-3 times a night to use the bathroom and it felt heavenly. But I think it will be short-lived. I'm a back sleeper, but I've started to feel a bit dizzy when I lie down on my back, so I've tried sleeping on my side. I know that as my belly gets bigger, I'll have to switch over entirely to side-sleeping. I dread it. Even though I have really thick memory foam topper, my bottom hip starts to ache and I spend the whole night flip-flopping from one side to another, sometimes every 30 minutes. This is one of my least favorite things about the third trimester.
I've tried just about every combination of pillows I can imagine--rolled up behind my back, between my knees, underneath my belly. I even tried sleeping with my bottom leg extended, my top leg bent, and my body rolled over slightly towards my stomach, like in the illustration. Still, nothing helps me sleep well when I'm on my side. And the night-time bathroom trips will increase in frequency again as my baby nears full-term.It's just not fair! 9 months of sleep deprivation does NOT prepare you for a newborn's waking patterns (something I've heard before). Being tired doesn't help you cope with or "be ready for" fatigue! I wish there were a magic anti-gravity mattress topper so I could sleep without aching hips and constant flip-flopping. Until then, I'm open to other suggestions...
I have the same problem. I bought an amazing pillow when I was pregnant with my third baby that changed my life. It's like a body pillow, except it's shaped like a U, so it can support your back, your front, and your legs. My husband hated it because it took up over half the bed, but my sleep was perfect! Check on Amazon.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried body pillows yet--I should but I've been too cheap! At least space isn't an issue, since we have a king-size bed.
ReplyDeleteI have no helpful suggestions, but I feel your pain. I totally cringe whenever someone tells a pregnant person 'enjoy the sleep now!' (har har har) because I was actually getting worse sleep throughout pregnancy than during the newborn period. Not helpful, people.
ReplyDeleteI'm a belly sleeper and remember feeling soooo deliciously comfortable the first time I could lie flat on my belly on my own bed again the afternoon after I gave birth: swoon.
Hang in there.
Two things helped me in my last pregnancy and in this one (I'm at 31 weeks): pelvic rocking before bed (50 reps.) and seeing my chiropractor regularly. Her specialty is pregnant women, and it helps so much. I will also drag the body pillow into bed around 2am, sometimes, but I don't always need it. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteIn general, the body pillow worked great for me through both my pregnancies. The second pregnancy was more complicated once I fell down the stairs and threw my back out (baby and I were fine other than back pain for me). After that, I was no longer comfortable in any lying down position, so I took up residence in the Laz-Y-Boy recliner my husband put at the foot of our bed. On the one hand, I came to resent the chair because I longed to rest peacefully in our bed the way my husband did; on the other hand, the chair was a lifesaver and gave me many hours of precious sleep that I would have not had otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI supplement with calcium and magnesium 30 mins-1 hr before bed. Their improving effects on sleep are documented. Calcium and magnesium both play vital roles in muscle function and rest cycles. It may not be a magical cure, but there's no downside I'm aware of, and your body and baby can both use the extra bone, blood and muscle building minerals.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on this one, cuz. I used to lie there and dream how nice it would be to sleep in space when I am pregnant. No gravity, just floating. I never found anything that worked for me. I hope you find something!
ReplyDeleteI had my babies when waterbeds were all the rage. No better sleep for a pregnant mama that a waterbed!
ReplyDeleteI have the SAME problem. I found sleeping with two thick pillows or a body pillow helps best. it doesnt make it perfect but it helps the ache in my leg if I can keep my leg all the way to my foot elevated to keep as much pressure as possible off of my hip. the pillow only between the knees provides little to no help for that for me. in fact it sometimes makes it worse b/c it makes my foot drag my hip farther down and puts more pressure there.
ReplyDeleteDitto the calcium/magnesium supplements. Even non-pregnant, I used to wake 2-3 times a night to pee and now I sleep soundly through the night!
ReplyDeleteThere are so many good suggestions already! I second the pelvic rocks and taking magnesium. I hated the body pillows but a pregnancy wedge was my saving grace. It would elevate any part of my body ever so slightly. I would lay on my back with it below one hip and relieved a lot of pressure.
ReplyDeleteAbout half way through my third trimester the uterus finally got to a size where it hurt my back. A few nights of exactly what you described, flip flopping because of my hips, and I figured out that if I elevate my head and shoulders the pain goes away when I'm on my back. It also eases the hip pain when I roll to the side since it creates a little ditch for my hip to be in with the upper body supported by another pillow.
ReplyDeleteI have the tummy-sleeper problem when I'm preggers, so not exactly the same, but similar! Ah, the joyful relief once baby is out and engorgement subsides and I can tummy sleep again....
ReplyDeleteAre you more comfortable on your stomach than your side? My chiropractor has this pillow with a hole carved out for the tummy that one could theoretically use to sleep on one's front while pregnant!!
I remember when we went to the beach during my second pregnancy, I dug a hole for my belly in the sand, spread my towel on it, and lay down on my front--I felt the most comfortable of my entire pregnancy!!! It was like having a break from being pregnant.
Too bad you can't make yourself a sand bed that you could dig holes in the right spots and mounds in other right spots, and wind up comfy to sleep on your back, hey?
=)
I think Melissa has the right idea! In my 3rd trimester, I built myself a little nest with pillows for my upper body and under my hips, so my belly could hang down. I guess I was inspired by my massage therapist's pregnancy cushion. Such a relief to not be on my hips! I know that might not help much if you're longing to lie on your back, but maybe it would help?
ReplyDeleteAching hips and constant flip-flopping is natural for a pregnant woman. What I do to ease those pains was staying on a right side position with lots of pillows on both sides. It does really help me. In addition, the midwife told me that it also helped my baby in my womb to breath more easily.
ReplyDeleteI have birthed 7 babies. My secret to NO BACK PAIN is sleeping on a good couch (not a pretty couch, but an ugly one) that has a soft but firm enough stuffing. It has to be a wider couch, and I lie on one side or the other, often flipping sides. I put a pillow under my belly, and one between my legs. I do wake in the night but I also get enough sleep even with all the kids. After baby is born, I use the couch to sleep also. Works wonders. We got a new mattress and everything because of all my back pain when I sleep in the bed, nothing works as well as the couch especially after with a nursing baby. My husband did put the older couch out in the garage to get rid of and we now have a newer one, and it's not as good as the old one. I like a couch that puts me a bit at an angle, so that the upper shoulder is slightly behind the lower so I'm leaning back but just a bit. Now that my baby is 6 months old I don't need the couch as much, but if my back begins to hurt after a night of nursing her, I just spend an hour napping on the couch with her and it goes away. Amazing...and cheaper than a chiropractor.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Dawn
Hehehe! I empathize with you; I'm 38 weeks and tired as heck from waking up with a foot in my ribcage, the urge to pee, or an insatiable case of the munchies*_* And no, none of this preps us for life after baby, does it!
ReplyDeleteAh, well, true to the form of a slow learner, this is my 3rd baby....and I'm hoping to try for at least one more:) Hang in there; your body was made for this;)
I've only been pregnant once, but I started waking up to pee in the first trimester and I was shocked. I had thought that only happened at the end.
ReplyDeleteThe inability to sleep well during pregancy is really unfair. And I wanted to slap all the the people who told me I should rest now before the baby come. If only! It was interesting that I actually got more rest after my daughter was born than in the months leading up to her birth.
wish I had good advice but I don't and its gotten worse with each pregnancy, I blame the relaxin hormone. I feel like a sumo wrestler has been sitting on my hips when I try to sleep laying down, so by the third trimester I have to sleep in my recliner. We moved it to the bedroom and I just sleep there. By time I had the baby I missed sleeping with my husband terribly, but he gets better sleep because I'm not tossing and turning and wimpering in pain through the night.
ReplyDeleteI've had five babies. I finally realised that if I'm going to have to wake up to pee in the night, I might as well have a drink then, too. And it actually helped me sleep better! Being hydrated seems to help with so many things while pregnant. So, yes, I still had to get up to pee. But it helped with less restless legs, and with generally feeling less uncomfortable. Also, you really should get a body pillow! It's so worth it to have a big comfortable pillow to snuggle with. Sweet dreams!
ReplyDeleteI looooooved my (hand me down) Snoogle body pillow. I'm cheap too - like I said, I got it as a hand me down, but I've also seen it at local maternity/baby resale sales. Keep your eyes peeled - it's totally worth it. :)
ReplyDeleteI think it's a pretty rotten trick that Nature plays that makes us practice being waking up in the night before we need to do it with the baby. I actually get more sleep AFTER the baby gets here because of all the sleepless yuck beforehand.
ReplyDeleteMy only suggestion, and the one that kept me sane with all 4 of my pregnancies, was a body pillow. I was able to lay almost on top of it, and it relieved the ache in my hips a lot.
Good luck with this pregnancy and getting more sleep. I certainly can feel for you.
I was helped by a body pillow and/or wedge. Helped a lot, but nothing helped as much as seeing a chiropractor regularly in pregnancy! Helps with that hip ache so much.
ReplyDeleteOf course, with relaxin and progesterone on board, you won't lose all the aches and pains even with a chiro, but it does help ease pregnancy aches a LOT.
Acupuncture can be useful for helping to improve your sleep, if you get in a bad place. And I also found a Posturpedic bed was more comfortable than just a memory foam topper, FWIW, if your aches don't go away long-term.
Hope you get some better sleep soon.
I feel ya on both counts!
ReplyDeleteMy third pregnancy was the only pregnancy where I had no hip/back pain NOR did I have to sleep with extra pillows. I credit it all to regular chiropractic care. :)
so excited for you and number 3!
I find that if I jam a pillow behind my back and then roll back slightly, it takes the pressure of my lower hip, especially if I have a very thick pillow under my top knee which is drawn up at right angles. If you sleep on your side, then you need two pillows under your head. So, I often sleep with four or five pillows during pregnancy. Oh, and for me, I need CPAP during pregnancy to counter the killer sleep apnea that I get in the third trimester which in turns brings on a beautiful case of pre-eclampsia.
ReplyDeleteSO far I've only been pregnant once, but I was surprised that I didn't have too much trouble sleeping. In general I'm a VERY sound sleeper, so I did wake up once a night for the first trimester and that freaked me out (I know, I was lucky!), but even at the end my body seemed to get used to just holding in the insane amount of fluid and waiting until morning. I slept on my back (and side)until the end, also, and I never slept on my back until I was pregnant! We have a foam topper for our bed and that seemed to help a lot- when I went to visit my mother she has a feathertop mattress and that didn't work nearly as well.
ReplyDeleteI added a folded up foam egg crate thing underneath the sheet under my upper body to create a drop-off for my hips so they'd be more in line with my spine. I also had a pillow not only between my upper legs but also my lower legs. Finally I had a wedge pillow under my belly.
ReplyDeleteAlso, pelvic rocks rock! (You are probably already doing them, though.)
I wasn't talking about a plain old body pillow-this is what I was talking about-Leachco Back 'N Belly Contoured Body Pillow. It's on amazon, and it supports your whole body, back and front!
ReplyDeleteThis pillow: http://www.amazon.com/Leachco-All-Nighter-Total-Pillow/dp/B000JROE6K/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1285297935&sr=8-1-fkmr0 and a Sleep Number bed were my saviors during my pregnancy. Besides the frequent peeing, I never had a hard time getting sleep. I highly recommend both but just getting the pillow is much cheaper and you can lend/give it to friends after you're done with it :)
ReplyDeleteWas a beautiful page. Thanks to the designers and managers...
ReplyDeleteI have bad hips/back and during late pregnancy I tried everything to sleep comfortably. Nothing really worked until I realized that, with the extra baby weight, my belly/hits were so heavy they were sinking down even in my extra firm mattress, causing my hips to twist, which caused lower back pain, hip pain, and knee pain. A pillow under my baby belly worked some, but pairing it with a pillow under my hips/butt made a huge difference. It fells weird to be lying ON a pillow under your hip, but it really helped raise my spine/hips back into alignment and ease the pain.
ReplyDeleteA Tempurpedic bed is your (costly) answer! I didn't have it during my first pregnancy and didn't sleep well. But, aside from the still frequent bathroom trips it cured my discomforts in my second and third pregnancy.
ReplyDelete