An associate professor of obsterician, and consultant gynaecologist at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Dr. Uche Agu, has cautioned pregnant women sleeping on their backs after the first three months of their pregnancy to avoid such habit.
According to him, sleeping on the back after the first three months is not only an uncomfortable position but might also lead to a shortage of blood to the brain, heart, and shortage of blood to the baby especially when the woman is in that position for a very long time.
The physicians pointed out that the ideal sleeping position for pregnant women during the second and third months is the left side to avoid the weight of the womb and the baby pressing on the blood vessels.
Addressing journalists on Monday in Abuja, Agu said it was important for women to avoid sleeping facing up.
He said this was because the woman might be having a fainting attack owing to the collapse of major veins supplying blood to the heart and brain.
The gynaecologist said, “When a woman is pregnant, sleeping position is important considering the placement of the blood vessels on the spines at the back.
“The relationship of the blood vessels to the spines is quite close to the back.
“Now, the vein that returns blood to the heart and the brain is just already lined on that spine while the artery is also beside.
“When a woman is pregnant, the womb is enlarged and because of the size of the womb, if the woman lies on her back, that womb presses on those blood vessels.
“And the one it can press more is the vein and the vein can collapse. The vein is collapsible, particularly the one that returns blood to the brain and the heart. That one can collapse easily.”
Agu added that poor blood supply to the heart and brain makes the woman dizzy, and sweaty and could make her feel like vomiting.
“If it is the artery, the artery can still pump. But if the womb rests on the major vein that pumps blood to the heart and brain, it can collapse and if it collapses, there will be reduced blood to the brain and heart.
“And the woman will be having a fainting attack. She will be feeling dizzy and sweaty. The woman might vomit and she may even die if she stays in that position for a long time.
“If a pregnant woman lies on her back for a long time, like for some minutes, she will start sweating, feeling dizzy because the blood supply to the brain has been reduced.
“This was because the womb is pressing on the major vein, collapsing it and forcing the blood to return to the heart and the brain. “When blood returns to the heart, the heart pumps it to the lungs and the lungs now pump it to the brain. The blood returning is reduced drastically and that is what makes the woman feel like that. And if that position persists, it can cause death,” he explained.