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Sleeping on Back During Pregnancy - Is It Harmful?
Proper rest and a peaceful sleep at night are very important during pregnancy. But it may not be easy to find a comfortable sleeping position during pregnancy, owing to the expanding tummy, especially during the second and third trimester of pregnancy. If sleeping on your back is your favourite position, you may have to give it up during pregnancy. Although, there is no scientific evidence available which suggests that sleeping on the back during pregnancy is harmful, it is advisable to avoid doing so, as it can be very uncomfortable particularly after the first trimester and it may also lead to certain health issues.
Is Sleeping on Your Back Safe While You Are Pregnant?
If you usually have been sleeping on your back, you may still be able to do so even until the end of the first trimester of your pregnancy. But as you advance in your pregnancy, you may have to switch to a more comfortable position. This is because, in the horizontal position, the expanding uterus can exert pressure on the vital veins carrying blood, thereby hindering the flow of blood, oxygen and essential nutrients to the growing foetus. The problem may further compound if the pregnant woman has diabetes or high blood pressure. But there is no reason to panic if you happen to find yourself sleeping on your back on waking up. Simply switch to a more safe and comfortable position like lying on your left side.
Things to Consider If You Are Sleeping on Your Back During Pregnancy
If you absolutely cannot do without sleeping on your back in pregnancy, then pillows can be a real lifesaver for you for making the back-sleep position comfortable.
You can take the help of pillows to suitably support yourself and make sleeping on your back more comfortable during pregnancy.
If you are troubled with indigestion at night, placing a pillow on the back of your head and upper part of the body may help.
To ease the pain in the back, you can try sliding a small pillow in the hollow of your back to support your back.
To tackle shortness of breath, you may like to consider sleeping in a slightly raised position, propped with pillows or alternatively consider using a recliner.
Try and avoid sleeping on your back for a long period of time particularly after the first trimester of the pregnancy. You may like to change positions at regular intervals.
Some pregnant women may feel comfortable tucking a slim pillow under their abdomen to provide some extra support.
If you must sleep on your back, you can fashion the pillows in a way that it enables you to rest against the back pillow and find a conciliation position between back sleeping and side sleeping.
Why Should You Avoid Sleeping on Your Back?
Sleeping on your back especially during later stages of pregnancy can feel more and more uncomfortable because of the growing belly. Moreover, it may not be a good position for your baby. Effects of sleeping on the back while pregnant are listed below:
When a pregnant woman sleeps on her back, the weight of the enlarging uterus can pressurize the key blood vessels, adversely affecting the blood supply to the baby which means fewer nutrients and oxygen for the developing foetus.
The restricted blood flow may also lead to low blood pressure that may cause you to feel giddy and faint.
Sleeping on your back during pregnancy can result in digestive issues like indigestion or heartburn.
As the pregnancy progresses, some pregnant women may have trouble breathing properly or experience shortness of breath while sleeping on the back.
Sleeping on your back during pregnancy can strain the back muscles resulting in backaches.
Can Sleeping on the Back Increase the Risk of Stillbirth?
There may be a distant link between the lying down position of the mother and the danger of stillbirth. Sleeping on the back, for an extended period of time, may be harmful to the growth of the foetus and in case of difficult pregnancies, it can further distress the foetus resulting in stillbirth in some cases. According to some studies, the foetus tends to be in a less active state when pregnant women sleep on their back. This sleep-like condition is usually attributed to low oxygen supply due to the horizontal position. On the other hand, the foetus is likely to change into a more active mode when the position is switched to lying on the left side. Experts also studied the heart rate changeability of the foetus in both the positions and found that the heart rate tends to reduce in the lying on the back position. Reduced heart rate can result in complications for the foetus’ growth. But concrete scientific evidence is still lacking which can establish a direct correlation between sleeping on the back and the risk of stillbirth.
Safe & Comfortable Sleeping Positions During Pregnancy
Sleeping comfortably during pregnancy can be a bit of a challenge, especially during the later stages of pregnancy. One of the most frequently asked questions by pregnant women is, ‘which side should I sleep on?’ Owing to the bodily changes during pregnancy, some sleeping positions may not be as comfortable as before. Experts generally don’t recommend lying on the back during pregnancy. It is important to bear in mind that it is quite common to have a few uncomfortable nights, as the pregnancy progresses. It is best to give your body suitable time to adjust to a new position.
Some of the safe and comfortable sleeping positions during pregnancy can be:
Sleeping on your left side, during all phases of pregnancy, is usually considered to be the best and safest sleeping position as it doesn’t interfere with the blood circulation and helps drive in more nutrients to the baby.
When sleeping on the side, it may feel comfortable if you bend the knees and legs. This helps in keeping unnecessary pressure off the heart.
After the first trimester, pregnant women may find placing a pillow under their belly helpful while lying on their side in supporting the weight of their expanding tummy. While sleeping on the side, putting a sturdy pillow underneath the top leg can aid in properly aligning the body and easing pressure off the lower leg and back.
In the side position, placing a pillow at the back and in the front can enable you to bend forward or backwards comfortably.
Pregnant women can try resting one leg over the other leg and tucking a thin pillow between the legs for support.
You can also look for a pillow which is shaped like a wedge or an all-around body pillow, shaped like the letter C, for full support to the body.
If you prefer sleeping on the stomach, it may be fine but only during the first trimester. Thereafter, the growing belly may not allow you to sleep comfortably in this position.
During pregnancy, it is important to choose sleeping positions which are not only comfortable but also beneficial for the baby’s health. While some pregnant women may prefer sleeping on the back even during pregnancy, it is advisable to try and practice sleeping on the left side instead. Pregnant women may also consult a doctor to discuss their options for comfortable sleeping positions during pregnancy.
Also Read: Sleeping on Stomach During Pregnancy - Is It Dangerous? Read more
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Best Food a Child Can Have in a Day
Nowadays, many children we see are not at all interested in eating a full-fledged thali including roti, sabji, daal n rice..
Rather they want chips, chocolates,namkeen etc..
My daughter is no different.
I thought, how do I give her proteins n vitamins during the day?
So I decided to give her whatever she likes..
Milk, 2 almonds or walnuts..
Breakfast- Poha, upma n a fruit..
Then roti, daal with veggies n curd rice for lunch.
Milk in evening
Then dinner includes sometimes rice or roti with paneer, rajma or chole,, occasionally..so this gives a blend of everything..n also in winters kesar milk.
Vegetables can be given with mixing them in paratha dough or carrot n radish mixed in daal.. don't force them to eat everything rather find an interesting way that they see the dish n ask to eat.
Also for evening snack, we can include- makhana (fox nuts) roasted n ghee..
Parmal chuda or nuts roasted...
Popcorn also can be made at home with homemade ghee or butter
Please avoid milk powders like Bournvita or Horlicks etc....rather you can put kesar n a pinch haldi in winters n eliachi in summers...please don't give milk more than two times as they will not eat food..
Soups are very good in winters, carrot, tomato, pumpkin beetroot soup..To avoid a cough n cold, I add tulsi juice in the soup..boil tulsi leaves in some water n then after the soup is made we can add this tulsi juice into it.
Please include ghee too in your lil one's meal..Ghee gives the strength to the body n also good cholesterol to the body..
Give them homemade chips n cakes, not that creamy layered cakes...the cream is not good for child's throat..
N yes, if your child is going to playschool, teach them to eat your meals on time..Thank you so much for reading the article.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions (including content in any form) expressed within this post are those of the author alone. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The responsibility for intellectual property rights of this content rests with the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with him/her. Read more
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10 Gmail Hacks and Tricks That Will Make Your Life Easier
Emails are some of the most important modes of communication in our world today. Not only are they essential for professional and personal matters, but they are part of our social life as well. Yet, they can also be frustrating at times, which is why there is a real need to understand the U/I for most mailing portals. One of the widely used portals in the world today is the google mailing portal called 'Gmail'.
Gmail is one of the easiest and most interactive email portals in the world today. It has more than a million users worldwide. Yet, most of these users are unaware of its really cool features. These features can make an already easy mailing system a lot easier. Some of these features are time-saving and will leave you hoping you knew them earlier. To better understand these awesome features, we decided to create a list of 10 amazing hacks and tips to use Gmail.
Quick Gmail Tips and Tricks That You Should Know
While using an email portal like Gmail, it can be intimidating to attempt using the advanced tips and tricks. To better understand the awesome features google has on offer, we decided to create a list of 10 amazing hacks and tips for Gmail.
1. Unsend
One of the handiest Gmail tricks and secrets is the ability to unsend an email. We’ve all been in a position where we sent an email to the wrong person or in a rage. It may be an email you sent by accident or forgot to attach a document. This feature is something Gmail provides its users to combat the permanent nature of a regretful or accidental mail. Simply go to settings on the upper right side of the inbox (the gear-like icon), enable unsend, choose the time span in which you can unsend (between 5-30 seconds) and save the changes.
2. Tabs and Type of Inbox
Thanks to this hack, your inbox will not be an unorganized mess! Gmail has introduced inbox tabs to their mailing system. This means you can enable up to 5 tabs in your inbox. These include primary, social, promotions, updates and forums. Additionally, you can change the way your inbox presents itself. This means you can choose to have either the standard mails first or the important ones first or the unread ones. Simply go to settings, click on inbox, choose your settings and save changes.
3. Signatures
Adding a custom touch to every single email or signing off on every mail can be exhausting and can waste a lot of time. Adding a signature will save you time, add a custom end to your email with all the information you require and will make your emails seem much more professional. To do this, simply click on settings, in the general tab and scroll down to enable signatures. Add your customized signature text or image and save the changes.
4. Confidential Emails
Did you know that Gmail values your private emails to the extent that they have a feature that does not allow others to forward confidential emails? It gets better. The same feature also allows emails to self-destruct after a set time. This near spy-level feature was added to the latest update of Gmail to ensure your official emails, private interactions and work reports don’t get into the wrong hands. To use this, while sending an email simply click on the padlock icon near the send button. Turn on the self-destruct option with your preferences and then send.
5. Quote Previous Emails
A really cool feature of Gmail is the ability to quote other emails. This can be handy when sending reminders. Simply click on the quotes icon near the send button, choose the mail you want to quote and then close quotes, finish up your mail and simply send.
6. Markers and Stars
Another awesome organizational tool! Everyone knows that you have archived stars, but did you know you could choose multiple types of stars too? In addition to that, using markers adds even more of an organized look to your inbox. No longer will your email portal be a cluttered mess. Using markers and stars will help you locate your mails with ease, and will make your life all the better.
7. Grammarly
This is a tool that goes great with Gmail. You can download the Grammarly app from the Grammarly website. It has a widget that can be enabled on your email automatically. This ensures all your emails are up to professional standards by correcting all those little grammatical errors you might commit while typing fast.
8. Two-step Verification for Reading Mails
Sending confidential emails with sensitive content? Gmail has you covered. With the confidential or self-destruct option, you can also use a two-step authentication option to ensure that nobody but the person who the mail is intended for, gets to read it. Click on the padlock near the send button, choose the two-step authentication option, set it up and share their phone number. The reader will have to enter the code sent to that number to access the mail.
9. Customized Mail Keyboard Shortcuts
Gmail has a really cool feature that allows you to customize your keyboard for mailing shortcuts. This option saves you time on entering commands or manually entering the needed information. All you have to do is set this up by clicking on settings, go to the keyboard shortcuts tab and set the shortcuts you prefer.
10. Vacation Responder
One of the greatest benefits of a Gmail account is that can now choose to disable incoming emails and set a vacation responder. This is a feature Google introduced to help better incorporate work/ life balance in your everyday life. To enable this feature, follow the steps below.
Click on the settings tab
Scroll down to the vacation responder tab
Choose the dates of your vacation
Create a subject
Choose the font and format of your message
Draft a message
Save changes
Gmail is one of the coolest email portals in the world. A Gmail account can be linked to numerous services and features. It can even be used as a login for other websites. Google works around the clock to enhance features and services for its email portals to ensure you can use it in an easier and more interactive manner. To learn about updates that Google has introduced to Gmail, follow their press releases. A Google account is valid for numerous portals including amongst others - Hangouts, Gmail, and YouTube. Ensure you create a Gmail account today to enjoy the fun and easy mail features on Gmail.
Also Read:
Security Tips to Keep Smartphone Safe
Useful Tips for Video Chatting with Kids
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Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
17 hours ago
Q. #asktheexpert hi this is Sarika here . my question is how to encourage my baby to latch because he get irritated whenever I try to latch him
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
17 hours ago
A. It’s very important that when you ask a question please provide us the age of the child currently I would say that if your child is unable to latch properly so whenever you’re feeding Press your breast with your hands for the feeding of the milk is better because the milk flow is going to be better and hopefully that you do the trick
Mohammad amin has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
7 hours ago
Q. my baby have gastric problem..
Mohammad amin
Guardian of a 2 yr 11 m old boy
6 hours ago
A. use colimex df drops
Rashmi has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 1 month
7 hours ago
Q. #asktheexperts red scretch marks
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
7 hours ago
A. You can mix coconut oil and Kapoor together and that is what you can apply regularly want to your stretch marks is one of the best options that you can use currently other than that also I would recommend you that if you feel any kind of a burning sensation or irritation then you can have a word with your gynaecologist
Dr Vandan H Kumar has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
3 hours ago
Q. left side pain kyu hota h
Dr Vandan H Kumar
Paediatrician
3 hours ago
A. many times and the most common cause would be due to accumulation of milk clots and sometimes it can be neurogenic pain and sometimes it might be a partx any local mass like lymph nodes or tissue pain.
if it is not improving with simple massage as well as simple hot compressesx and expression of accumulated milk then meet your doctor at the earliest for local examination.
you can take paracetamol for pain.
Sai Prasanthi R L has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 7 months
2 hours ago
Q. I got chicken pox in my 8th week..it's just started how I can deal with it?
Sai Prasanthi R L
Mom of a 10 yr 2 m old boy
2 hours ago
A. Hello dear! Chicken pox during pregnancy is a matter of concern. Consult your doctor for personal evaluation and seek medical advice. Maintain a good personal hygiene routine and follow your doctor’s advice. Good luck and take care
Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
1 hour ago
Q. is sesame seeds healthy in 37th week of pregnancy
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
1 hour ago
A. Yeah that’s totally good to n eaten but in moderation so u can have rest u can check with your Gyn in case of any doubt so u can make sure about it as what u know it’s not a problem so b sure about it with your doc
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