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Why do they say that you shouldn't lie on your back later in pregnancy?
- A.
After about 20 weeks of pregnancy, the uterus is quite a bit heavier and it actually lays on the blood vessels that run up your back, the inferior vena cava and the aorta. The vena cava is the big vessel that carries the blood to the heart, and the aorta's the big vessel that carries blood away from the heart. They both become compressed, and some people will lose consciousness when pressure is applied to these vessels. Numbness and tingling can occur in the upper and lower extremities. Pregnant women are encouraged to sleep on their sides instead.
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