At the Turning Point

I have now completed Week 17, which all my pregnancy books tell me is called the "turning point."

That name has nothing to do with entering another trimester or hitting the half-way point. Rather, it's because it's at this point in my progress that I'm supposed to turn over in bed (or during yoga) and lay on my side.


Lying flat on your back puts extra pressure on the aorta and vena cava. Not really sure what those are, but putting pressure on them can result in reduced blood flow to your baby, which is a bad thing!

Since I usually sleep on my side, I didn't think this would be a problem. However, lately, the only position I've wanted to sleep in is on my back! Obviously I wouldn't do that on purpose, but who knows what happens when you are sleeping.


In any case, I have been trying desperately to sleep on my side this past week. I even told Mr. Politisaur about the "turning point" concept, which prompted him to wake me in the middle of the night recently by saying urgently: Turn over! Turn over! You're on our back!


And to make matters worse, I just learned in prenatal yoga class that it's not just sleeping on any side. You're supposed to sleep on the LEFT side because the aorta and vena cava are on the right side. That makes sleeping on my side incredibly difficult because if I have to sleep on my side, I prefer my RIGHT side!

I have recently taken to sleeping with a pillow between my knees. I use the "cushie" pillow that is made for air travel. But that makes turning over a chore! And when I need a sip of water or need to get up, it's an ordeal! I can only imagine it'll get worse.


However, there are a vast array of maternity pillows out there, from the ever popular Boppy to full body pillows and smaller wedges (pictured below).


Since it turns out that Amazon carries Boppy pillows, we might have to order one - or two.

Because I'm sure if I start using one, Mr. Politisaur will want one too!