Don't prevent it, use it! What you describe is the floss flattening Thats how you want it to lie. If your floss is on a spool try putting it in a bobbin holder. You want it to flatten but not so much as it spreads too far. With the floss on a bobbin you can control this more.
[EDIT] If your floss isn't on a spool or is the wrong size for your bobbin then cut a length and put some hackle pliers on it, that should help a little.
Cheers,
A.