The third trimester is a time to expect increasing insomnia and night waking. Most women wake up 3 to 5 times a night, usually because of such discomforts as back pain, needing to urinate, leg cramps, heartburn, and fetal movement. Strange dreams are also common in the last few weeks of pregnancy.
Hormone changes are at least partially responsible for these late-night pregnancy hunger pains. The levels of hormones that tell your body, "I'm full!" or "I'm starving!" fluctuate during pregnancy to encourage your baby's growth. Those mixed signals could be making you wake up hungry.
Unfortunately, pregnancy insomnia can last the entire nine+ months, but it “may also come and go in waves,” Mitchell says. Some good news: Even if you struggle with sleepless nights in the first trimester, it'll likely improve by the second, Mustaleski says, thanks to more stabilized hormones.
“What happens in early pregnancy is that they shift their total activity to earlier in the day,” says Erik Herzog, professor of biology and lead author of the new study. “But they don't seem to sleep more or be more active during their early pregnancy. It's just a change in their daily timing.”
Zanotti reassures expectant mothers not to stress if they accidentally find themselves on their backs for a brief spell. “We do know that short periods of time ― even if you were on your back for an hour or two ― probably do no harm to your child,” she says.
Sleep problems and changes in sleep patterns start during the first trimester of pregnancy1 most likely influenced by the rapid changes in reproductive hormone levels.
Sleep deprivation during pregnancy has been associated with longer labor, elevated perception of pain and discomfort during labor, higher cesarean rates, preterm labor, and higher levels of pro-inflammatory serum cytokines.
Specific recommendations on how long you can go without eating vary during pregnancy. However, going to extremes and not eating for 48 hours during pregnancy would be entirely unsafe. Studies have shown that not eating for even 13 hours can increase the likelihood of preterm birth.
If you wake in the middle of the night craving a midnight snack, choose something that's healthy and satisfies your hunger pangs. Try a milky drink, or something containing carbs and protein, such as a bowl of cereal with milk, toast with peanut butter, or a few crackers with cheese.
Lucky for you, your baby will give you lots of signs of hunger. And while it might take a little while to recognize them, that's normal too. In the meantime, we have all the info you need to help you make sure Baby is well fed.
Pregnant women carrying girls have a greater chance of experiencing nausea and fatigue, according to the results of a study from the USA's Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Several over-the-counter medications for sleep are considered safe during pregnancy. The antihistamines diphenhydramine and doxylamine are fine to take in recommended doses during pregnancy, even for extended periods. These are the ingredients found in Benadryl, Diclegis, Sominex, and Unisom.
Pregnancy-Safe Alternatives
Back sleeping is no longer safe after 28 weeks gestation, but there are a few other comfortable positions for you to safely doze in.
The third trimester is a time to expect increasing insomnia and night waking. Most women wake up 3 to 5 times a night, usually because of such discomforts as back pain, needing to urinate, leg cramps, heartburn, and fetal movement. Strange dreams are also common in the last few weeks of pregnancy.
Depending on your stage of pregnancy, your body type, and even the time of day, sometimes your belly will feel soft and other times it will feel tight and hard. The reality is, there's no normal to compare yourself with. Pregnant bellies come in all shapes, sizes, and firmness.
The growing belly, the aches, the pains, the heartburn — many women experience sleepless nights long before there's a hungry, crying infant in the picture. Having trouble sleeping is common during pregnancy, says Grace Pien, M.D., M.S.C.E. , assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center .
Background. Many physicians advise pregnant women to sleep on their left side. Previous studies have linked back and right-side sleeping with a higher risk of stillbirth, reduced fetal growth, low birth weight, and preeclampsia, a life-threatening high blood pressure disorder that affects the mother.
Share on Pinterest Placing a pillow between the legs when sleeping may help with back pain. During the first trimester, it is safe for a woman to sleep in whatever position she feels comfortable in, whether this is on her back, side, or stomach. Any combination of the above positions is also fine.
It's best to avoid lying on your back, especially in late pregnancy, when the weight of the heavy uterus can press on the large blood vessels in your belly. When lying on your side, keep your body in line, with your knees bent slightly, and avoid twisting.
Sleeping On Your Left Side
The result of venous compression is slowed blood return to the heart, and less blood circulation to the body, including the uterus. Because of the change in blood flow you may start to feel nauseous and light headed, like someone is choking you or like you are about to pass out.
Fetal movements typically increase when the mother is hungry, reflecting lowered blood sugar levels in the mother and fetus. This is similar to the increased activity of most animals when they are seeking food, followed by a period of quietness when they are fed.