Mahaska Health Partnership Offers Safe Sleep Tips to Pregnant Moms

Mahaska Health Partnership

Mahaska Health Partnership

MAHASKA COUNTY – Parents expect to lose sleep after their newborn is home, but many moms don’t realize that sleep may be an issue before the baby is born. Whether it’s a result of discomfort, fatigue or other complications, moms can miss out on the necessary sleep they need. Mahaska Health Partnership offers advice on how to get a better night’s rest during your pregnancy.

“Pregnancy can be a wonderful time but sometimes a woman’s changing body causes discomfort and difficulty sleeping,” MHP Family Practice with Obstetrics Physician Dr. Bridget Shariat shared.

Dr. Shariat explained that during your first trimester, you may sleep more, as the placenta forms and your body prepares to protect and nurture your baby. “Moms usually struggle with sleep later in their pregnancies, due to the increasing size of their baby, pressure on their bladder, leg cramps, backaches, heartburn or other discomfort.”

According to Dr. Shariat, finding a comfortable sleep position may be difficult for pregnant women. “Moms can struggle with being unable to maintain their favorite sleep position during pregnancy,” Dr. Shariat said. “I recommend that moms sleep on their sides, on the left if possible. This helps keep nutrients and blood flowing to the placenta, while also reducing common pressure and pains expecting moms have.”

Back pain is another common complaint during pregnancy that can be reduced by sleeping on your side. “Use a pillow between your legs and try to keep your knees bent during sleep,” Dr. Shariat suggested. “If you are experiencing heartburn, try additional pillows under your upper body.”

For back and stomach sleepers, complications may arise if you do not change positions. “Sleeping on your back can cause backaches, disrupt your breathing and digestive system, lower your blood pressure and decrease circulation to your heart and baby,” Dr. Shariat explained. “If you sleep on your stomach, you may become uncomfortable as the baby develops and your abdomen grows. If possible, sleeping on your side from the start helps deter these complications.”

Dr. Bridget Shariat is a Family Practice Physician also delivering babies at Mahaska Health Partnership in Oskaloosa. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Shariat, call 641.672.3360.

Mahaska Health Partnership, located in Oskaloosa, is a non-profit health system accredited by the Joint Commission. It is guided by its mission to provide exceptional customer service and health improvement, linking the science of medicine with the humanity of compassionate care. For more information about how Mahaska Health Partnership is making healthcare personal, look us up on the web: mahaskahealth.org.

Posted by on Aug 21 2014. Filed under Lifestyle. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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