Turn left, sleep right

Sleep for two
Sleeping on your left side can benefit both you and baby. Doing so improves blood flow, increasing the amount of nutrients that reach baby, and allows mom’s kidneys to better remove excess waste and fluid, resulting in less swelling.

Turn your back
Further reason to snooze on your left? There are bona fide cons to resting on your back. Back-sleeping can result in everything from breathing and digestive issues to backaches, hemorrhoids and low blood pressure. In fact, it can decrease circulation to your heart and baby because it causes the weight of your abdomen to rest on your intestines and major blood vessels.

Roll with it
What if you start out on your left but roll over to your right in the middle of the night? Don’t worry—it’s normal to move while you sleep. But you should still aim to favor the left side when you can. Try placing a pillow behind you or cuddling one in front of you to encourage your body to stay put.

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