The reason why pregnant people are asked only to lay on their left side is because of a condition that can occur called vena cava syndrome. Your vena cava, the vein that takes blood back to your heart is on the right side of your body and pressure from the uterus and baby when you’re laying back or on your right can sometimes constrict this vein causing breathlessness and nausea for you. Some people find it extremely uncomfortable to sleep on their back and others are okay. For the most part, being on your back or on the right side for a short amount of time is usually okay and fine to do.

Many people tell me they wake up in the middle of the night panicking that they’ve been on their back. If everything feels okay, you’re probably okay. Usually we wake up for a reason, it could be our body telling us to turn over or to go to the bathroom :) Listen and trust your body and your intuition and do what feels right for you.

For stomach sleepers, it’s not safe to lay flat on your stomach however, you can fashion your snoogle into a circle around your belly and lay on top of it. You can also use half inflated pool floats or a maternity raft under your belly. Place a pillow under your ankles to ease any strain on your legs and low back.