As you progress in your pregnancy, you may feel the most difficult feat is to get a good night's sleep. Suddenly it's very hard to find a comfortable position to sleep in for any period of time. Once you get past your first trimester you can no longer sleep on your belly and you're not supposed to sleep on your back to assure the baby gets enough oxygen which leaves only side sleeping.

Most doctors recommend that women sleep on their left sides, so after tossing and turning to find the perfect position you only end up on your left side again. Other factors also play into the sleep deprivation saga such as increased pressure on your bladder by the baby which causes you to make frequent bathroom trips during the night. There are other discomforts too such as fluid accumulation in your legs, muscle cramps and achy hips and joints. Finally there's the little baby inside of you waking up during the night and getting his nightly exercise by kicking you a little harder each night to keep you awake.

So, what is a mother to be to do to get a good night's rest? Well, aside from trying out a lot of pillows in vain for the ultimate comfort solution and drinking warm milk during the night, there aren't a lot of other choices. One thing you can do is buy some comfortable maternity pajamas so at least your night clothes are not one more irritating hindrance to getting a good night's rest.  Here are some recommendations for maternity sleepwear:

When you invest in maternity sleepwear, buy maternity pajamas or maternity nightgowns that can also be worn after you have the baby for nursing. Chances are you will not fit back into your pre-pregnancy pajamas in the weeks following your baby's birth and you will need a little more room in the chest, belly and hips for a number of months. If you plan on nursing, do yourself a favor and buy nursing pajamas. You will find midnight nursing is much easier for both you and your baby when your baby can quickly find its food source and not get lost in non-nursing nightgowns and pajamas. When you are half asleep in the dark it will be much more comfortable for you to nurse your baby in nursing pajamas than struggle with your baby in awkward positions in sleepwear without nursing access while juggling a hungry newborn who is still learning how to get a proper latch.

Japanese Weekend has a great classic maternity and nursing pajama set called "The Nursing Wrap Top Sleepset" which comes in cap short sleeves top and matching cropped pants in soft stretchy cotton. This style will stretch with you throughout your pregnancy and can be worn afterwards with the easy cross over wrap nursing access. The crop pants fit bellow the belly which makes them perfect for both maternity and postpartum wear. Japanese Weekend now makes this same style in a ¾ sleeve version for Fall and Winter as well as a short sleeve cross over style nursing nightgown in the same stretchy cotton fabric. These styles are available in a wide range of solid colors including black, sky, baby pink, hot pink and periwinkle.

Majamas is another great maternity and nursing sleepwear brand to try out. Their Pajannaman and MJ style maternity pajamas also double for nursing pajamas. Both styles are made with easy cross over nursing access from the top and are super stretchy to comfortably accommodate your changing shape during and after your pregnancy. Both styles come in short sleeves and the MJ is also now available in ¾ sleeves for cooler weather. The MJ pajamas have ankle length pajama pants that hit under the belly and the Pajannaman has cropped pants which also fit under the belly. Both of these styles are available in number of solids and patterns including black, pewter, raspberry, sprinkles and dogwood.

If you are more of a nightgown person, then take a look at Belabumbum's maternity and nursing nightgown collection. Belabumbum has some super cute styles that you can wear during and after your pregnancy and all come with nursing access. The blue dot and pink dot nursing chemises are soft cotton silhouettes with adjustable straps and have matching cotton dot wrap robes that can be purchased separately. All of Belabumbum's nursing chemises are sexy, feminine with soft fabric. Their Bamboo Nursing Chemise is made from super soft organic ribbed bamboo fabric that you will want to live in. Even the baby will appreciate this fabric when you nurse and cuddle. Also moms who have C-section births usually find nightgowns a more comfortable option for postpartum wear than pajamas that hit at their incision.

Indulging in comfortable sleepwear for maternity and nursing is something small you can do for yourself to help you get a good night's sleep when you are pregnant and ease the challenge of nighttime nursing after you have your baby. Small comforts can go a long way to easing your pregnancy discomforts and making life easier for both you and your baby from the start.