Tips for a good night's rest when pregnant

If you’re an expectant mother, you’re probably hoping to stockpile as much sleep as possible before your baby arrives, but this isn’t always what nature seems to have intended.

Our bodies don’t seem to be designed to sleep well in the weeks running up to the arrival of a new baby.  Finding a comfortable position with swollen boobs and big bump is almost impossible and there isn’t a mother out there who doesn’t worry about the health and safe delivery of her child.  These are all very normal emotions; caring and worrying about our children is what us good mothers. 

Many women also experience indigestion, heartburn, leg cramps and the need to constantly visit to the loo.  Luckily, they all disappear as soon as the baby’s born and there are a few practical things you can do to aid a good night’s rest in the run up to your delivery:

·         Drink as little as possible in the hour before bedtime

·         If you’re feeling sick at night, eat a high carbohydrate snack such as a rice cracker.  Nausea always feels worse on an empty stomach.

·         If you suffer from indigestion or heartburn, eat meals at least four hours before bedtime and avoid citrus foods, fried food, spices and chocolate because these can irritate the oesophagus. The one pill you can take when pregnant is an antacid!

·         If you suffer from leg cramps, gently flex your foot or massage your leg.  Another trick is to place a hot water bottle on the cramped area or to walk around.

·         Purchase some good underwear to support your breasts when asleep.  The same goes for nightwear, look for soft, button and clip free bras, nightdresses and pyjamas.

·         A warm bath, some fresh air or gentle exercise during the day can also aid a good night’s rest, especially if you’ve been lying awake for hours in the night.

·         Antenatal classes are a good way to meet other parents to be.  Talking to other mothers you’ll find you’re not the only one with worries and anxieties.

Perhaps it’s just nature’s way of easing us gently into sleepless nights.  Rest assured (excuse the pun), all babies eventually sleep through the night and before you know it, they’re teenagers you have to drag out of bed.  Sometimes it seems difficult to savour the moments, but time goes by so quickly and before you know it, you’ll be wishing for it to happen all over again.

Introducing our new sleep bra

We've just launched our new 342 sleep bra for expectant and nursing mums.

Many new mums and mums- to-be find their fuller breasts need additional support at night and can become uncomfortable, preventing much needed sleep!  The pretty, new 342 sleep bra is designed especially for night time wear with room for breast pads and no metal or plastic fasteners that can dig in.  The ultra-comfy 342 is made from extra soft, seamfree fabric which helps mums snuggle down and get that all important rest.

Our chief designer, Freda Scholey, says of the new bra, "The uncomfortable latter stages of pregnancy and young babies mean most mums feel sleep deprived.  When designing this bra, it was vital to ensure it felt like a second  skin adding support, but not the discomfort of rolling onto a metal hook in the middle of the night.”

The 342 sleep bra is available in black, nude or white in sizes UK 32-38 with just one cup size that fits B-E.  Priced at only £10.00.

Love yourself - day 10 - Sleep deprivation

Well if you've missed it so far, we're counting down the days till Valentine's Day by giving all you mums and mums-to-be a daily reason why you should Love Yourself.

Day 10 - Sleep deprivation
Most people think a lack of sleep only starts once the baby arrives. Wrong. During the last trimester of pregnancy, many women find it difficult to get comfortable enough to get a full night's sleep. Then there is the physical exhaustion and loss of sleep during the birth process (check out day 7 for more on that). And then there are the repeated broken nights as you wake to feed your baby. Or try to settle an uncomfortable baby.

We found this information on About.com that shows the impact sleep deprivation has on a person over time:

Night 1. Most people are capable of going without sleep for a night. The experience is tolerable if uncomfortable.
Night 2. The urge to sleep is much stronger, particularly between 3-5 a.m., when the body temperature is at its lowest.
Night 3. Tasks requiring sustained attention and mental calculations become seriously impaired. This is particularly the case if the task is repetitious and boring. Again, the early hours are the most crucial to needing sleep.
Night 4. From this night onwards, periods of micro-sleep occur. People stop what they are doing and stare into space for up to three seconds. The end of micro-sleep is accompanied by a return to full awareness. Confusion, irritability, misperception and the 'hat phenomenon' occur. In this, a tightening around the head is felt as though a hat too small for the head is being worn.
Night 5. On top of the effects previously mentioned, delusions (false beliefs) may be experienced. Intellectual and problem-solving abilities are largely unimpaired.
Night 6. Symptoms of depersonalization occur and a clear sense of identity is lost. This is called sleep deprivation psychosis.

Now most mothers manage to get some sleep so it's highly unlikely they'd go for 6 full days without sleep, but the relentlessness of months of broken nights and significantly less rest than you need, adds up. It's not too surprising that mums start to feel irritable, down in the dumps, have low self-esteem and are generally unhappy. But here's the thing: this phase does pass. And remarkably, we can catch up with sleep in a much shorter time than was lost through deprivation.

While you are in this sleep deprived state though, don't be too hard on yourself to be perfect. The fact that you're functioning at all is a good thing. Don't lament your messy house or less than perfect hair or the fact that you have lived on ready meals. Sleep when you can (we recommend a sleep bra if you're breastfeeding) and ignore the rest. You are a sleep deprivation survivor. That's something to be proud of.

If you're suffering from a lack of sleep and need a little pick me up, how about some chocolate? Simply leave us a comment below or Like Us on Facebook and you'll be entered in our draw to win these: