One of a pregnant mother’s major fear is delivering a stillborn baby. Stillborn babies are babies that have died before being delivered. A stillborn normally occurs during the late stages of pregnancy, or occasionally while giving birth. Though this issue is fairly common, most stillbirths (up to 90% actually) are preventable. Recently, researches have just found out that the pregnant mother’s sleep position can greatly affect the chances of delivering a stillborn baby.
If you’re a person who likes to sleep on their back, I might have some bad news for you. Pregnant women who sleep on their backs during the last trimester of their pregnancy have 2.3 times more of a chance of your baby ending up stillborn. Therefore, it is crucial that pregnant mothers lie on their sides during the final trimester.
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Though this is not new news, extensive research has been done in various countries including Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom proving the importance of being in the right sleep position in order to prevent stillbirths. Who knew how you sleep would be so important?
Since this is something that is not only controllable but also changeable, it’s definitely important for all expecting moms to take note! This very fixable cause of stillborn babies is important to ensure the health of your precious one growing inside you. However, though there is a general consensus that lying on your side is better for your baby, there is still no concrete reason as to why that is.
Two plausible theories brought up would be that during the final trimester, the combined uterus and baby’s weight restricting blood flow when mothers lie on their backs, or that lying on your back actually restricts your breathing patterns. Whatever the cause, it’s definitely better to be safe than sorry!
However, if you’re someone who has a habit of sleeping on their backs, and end up waking up on your back, don’t worry! What matters is that you spend more time sleeping on your side than you do on your back. So, just as long as you go to sleep while laying on your side, you’ll be alright. After all, that’s the one that you can control. Why worry about that which you can’t? Before you know it, you little one will soon enter the world and be in your arms.
It is also important to prep for when your baby comes. Here’s some solutions to common breastfeeding problems faced by our readers for you to read up on before your little one arrives. Or, why not take advantage of the promotions on Motherhood.com.my to stock up on maternity and baby products now?