How to Use a Pregnancy Pillow?

In fact, a pregnancy pillow might also benefit others who are not necessarily pregnant but are looking for a way to have a better sleep or are having trouble falling or staying asleep often. 

How to sleep during pregnancy?

There is a lot of information available on the web about sleeping while pregnant. You might be the kind of person with good sleep habits, and it takes you very little effort to find a comfortable sleeping position and fall asleep. However, during pregnancy, even those with an easy time falling asleep will wake up to use the bathroom more than once through the night.

Therefore, it is important for everyone to know the best positions and ways to sleep while pregnant. Generally, it is not advised to sleep on your stomach even with a pregnancy pillow. This is especially true in the middle to late stages of pregnancy when your belly starts to show. The reasoning behind this is obvious: you don’t want to put that much pressure on the womb where the baby is developing and needs its own space. 

In addition, even if you sleep on your back it might be very uncomfortable. Sleeping on your back can make your abdomen rest your intestines and as well as major blood vessels which in turn can lead to shortness of breath, decrease in blood pressure, both of which could be dangerous for your baby.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, you should sleep on your side and particularly on your left side. The growing uterus puts extra pressure on your liver when you sleep on your right side, hence this position is not a favorable one to sleep in.

When you sleep on your left side during pregnancy you are not only avoiding these problems but also creating better conditions for the baby’s blood circulation. 

Also during pregnancy, your body temperature increases, often causing discomfort during sleep. Finding an appropriate mattress and pillow to ease hot flashes and night sweats are, therefore, very important for your comfort. 

In today’s post, we will cover the best pregnancy pillows available.  However please keep in mind that these pillows are not just for pregnant women, and any individual who has problems sleeping better at night can use them.  This is especially true if you have problems with your back or you are experiencing issues related to your knee.

 First things first: What do you need to know?

Size:

There are all sorts of pregnancy pillow sizes currently available to us. Before buying, you should consider the basic things like what is the size of your bed, and how much space there is to occupy with a pillow. Then you can choose from pillows that are no bigger than your regular-sized pillow to U-shaped ones that are at least as big as you are, and hug your whole body. 

Shape:

The next thing to consider is the shape, but before you do that think about how you sleep. Some pillows might be better for knees and head while others might help with back pain. Read about the different pressure points the pillow helps and make the decision based on what you feel you need support with. There are those with a shape to tuck under the head and between the knees, long ones for whole-body support that are parallel to your body and U-shaped ones that provide the most support but might feel too bulky.

Material:

This is a simple one, as you should consider how warm you get at night and whether the switching pillow or linen would help. Cotton is a naturally breathable material, which is always good. Polyester and other synthetics will increase body temperature. That being said, the price points might be very different for the two, so choose accordingly.

So what are the best ones? We have made a list according to our research of the pillows we think are solid choices:

U-shaped:

QUEEN ROSE Pregnancy Pillow  

This U-shaped pregnancy pillow is also made with cotton to ease the temperature issues you might have. As discussed earlier, the U-shape of the pillow provides excellent support in all sleeping positions. Great Amazon.ca reviews help this pillow to top our list.

 PharMeDoc C-Shaped Pregnancy Pillow with Jersey Cover, Grey

A different shape of a pillow, this C-Shaped pregnancy pillow will add support to your head and neck as well as belly and knees to a comfortable night’s sleep. Available in different colors and having great reviews is a bonus in our book!

Utopia Bedding Ultra Soft Body Pillow – Long Side Sleeper Pillows – 100% Cotton Cover with Soft Polyester Filling

If you are a side sleeper and looking for a straight pillow, this might be a good choice for you! You can use it to support your neck and shoulders and put it parallel to your body for that full-body support. This pillow is also 100% cotton cover, giving it the extra soft natural feel. 

A Date With Baby 3D/4D Ultrasound Studio is not affiliated with the products above and cannot be held accountable or responsible in any way for any potential damages, financial or others, resulting from any purchases made.