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Larry Glazerman
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From: ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net [mailto:ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net] On Behalf Of ainsron
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 8:58 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list OB-GYN-L
Subject: Re: Supine position in pregnancy
You're telling the same things I do. It's of more significance in labor or
in the OR with regional anesthesia. Then you not only have hypotension from
the position, but also from the anesthesia wiping out their sympathetic
response.
Ronald E. Ainsworth, MD, FACOG
-----Original Message-----
From: ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net [mailto:ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net] On Behalf Of Natalie
Melanson Martin
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 2:57 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list OB-GYN-L
Subject: Supine position in pregnancy
I am looking for clinical evidence that sleeping on one's back in pregnancy
is dangerous. Pregnant women who read "What to Expect WHen You're Expecting"
and the like live with the constant fear that they will seriously harm their
baby if they lie on their back. I try to reassure them by telling them that
while there is a theoretical risk of compressing the vena cava and thus
decreasing oxygen flow to the baby, they would likely feel dizzy and
nauseous and naturally roll over. Also, I doubt that women's bodies are so
ill-designed as to make it that easy to harm their babies. That said, I also
tell them that it is best to avoid sleeping on their backs (if they can
still do it in the 3rd trimester!) but not to panic if they wake up on their
back.
What are you all telling your patients about this? I have heard different
doctors/midwives say different things, ie. absolutely avoid it, don't worry
about it, etc.
Does anyone know of any current research on this, or is this risk completely
theoretical? Has anyone heard/seen actual cases where a baby was harmed
because its mother slept on her back? I wasn't able to find anything about
this on the Internet, other than the usual parenting websites, but nothing
medical or scientific.
thanks,
Natalie Melanson
Registered Midwife
Ontario, Canada
