Sleeping on your back while pregnant may lead to your worst nightmare

Women who are pregnant are going to do everything they can to keep their baby safe during those nine months. Of course, that means doing the obvious like abstaining from consuming alcohol and smoking, but did you know that something as benign as sleeping could put your bun in the oven at risk?

That's right. A recent Sydney, Australia, study showed that expectant females that sleep on their backs are six times more likely to have a stillbirth than women who sleep in other positions. The research looked at 295 women who worked with doctors at eight different Australian hospitals. All of the participants were at least eight months along.

''It’s in this later stage of pregnancy that the largest proportion of stillbirths occur,” she said. “For around 40 percent of stillbirths after 32 weeks, they are otherwise perfectly healthy babies and there is no medical explanation as to why they died,'' Emma McLeod, director of the Stillbirth Foundation Australia, said in a statement.

Sydney Neonatologist Dr. Adrienne Gordon and her fellow analysts believe that one of the reason this happens is because women who constantly sleep belly up may restrict blood flow to the baby.

The study also disproved the myth that babies slow their movement in the womb before the birth. In fact, those who were involved in the research advise that females who notice that their baby isn't moving as much don't delay in consulting their OBGYN.

It's important to understand that waking up on your back doesn't mean that you're going to have a stillbirth. However, if you are concerned about your resting habits, consider making an appointment with your doctor. Speaking with him or her will not only provide you with useful information on how to get a good night sleeping.