Recovery Position - advice from professional please!

[ruthandsam]

Can someone please tell me once and for all, on which side you should place a heavily pregnant woman in the recovery position? I keep on receiving conflicting information. It's all to do with the way the placenta lies and/or the artery/vein or something. (Purely theoretically of course because it all depends on the situation at the time).

Much appreciated!

[redcrx]

pregnant women are advised to sleep laying on their left side.

[Sqad]

It matters not a jot.

Most people would say on the left side.

[society]

Why left and not right?

[Sqad]

Soc.......the big vein, Inferior vena cava may be compressed by the pregnant uterus if the patient is on her right side...............it is to do with the position of the Inferior Vena Cava in the pelvis.

[mollykins]

Also it depends on their injury and if there is only one way you can move them . . .

[Sqad]

mollykins.......good point.

[ruthandsam]

I was told that putting them on the left hand side prevents the compression of the inferior vena cava by the uterus but believe me, I have heard much much debate about it.

Thanks for your help.

[mollykins]

Thanks squad, this is the closest I've yet come to actually using the stuff I learnt from first aid . . .

[Sqad]

molly ;-)

[ruthandsam]

Unless they are in an ambulance of course! There's no room on the left hand side as they would be facing the side and you couldn't do the observations.

[society]

Thanks Sqaddy!