Expecting? Once you get to the second trimester and are showing a little more, it can be a little more uncomfortable to sleep or rest comfortably. The solution? Investing in a pregnancy pillow! We can’t promise it’ll take away all those aches and pains, but we can assure you it’ll make things that little more comfy as your baby grows and your body changes. Better yet, you can get good use out of them when nursing your baby once they arrive too. Keep reading to find out more about which pregnancy pillow is best for you in 2022.
What is a pregnancy pillow?
A pillow for pregnant women is a long body pillow designed to cushion and hug the length of your body. Its purpose is to support a pregnant woman’s changing and growing body and make sleeping as comfortable as possible. A pregnancy body pillow comes in all different shapes, sizes, and materials, so it’s about finding the one that will work best for you.
What are the different types of maternity pillows?
As we were saying, pregnancy pillows come in all different shapes and sizes. Here’s a breakdown of the main styles to choose from:
Full Length Maternity Pillow
As the name suggests this is a full body length pillow designed to offer total support against your side. It’s a good one for supporting your stomach, and can also help with your back alignment if used under your knees. It works really well when sleeping on your side to offer support on one side of your body.
U Shaped Pillow
This style of pillow wraps around the entire body to offer support basically everywhere. From support for your growing belly, to support against your back and comfort between your knees, you’re covered from literally every angle.
Wedge Pillow
A wedge pillow is smaller and more compact so will take up less room in the bed. This one is great if you’re travelling a lot while pregnant thanks to being so lightweight and compact. It still offers good support for your bump, back, and under your knees.
C Shaped Pillow
Finally, a C shaped pillow is somewhat similar to the large U-shaped pillow in that it curves around your body. Use it for support against your growing bump, or for your back. It takes up a lot of space in the bed so be mindful of this if purchasing.
Are pregnancy pillows worth it?
In our experience, absolutely! If you value a good night’s sleep and comfort, then a pregnancy sleeping pillow is totally worth it. When you find the right one for you it can relieve pressure on the spine, back, and hips and actually improve your hip, shoulder, and spine’s alignment. It’s also especially helpful in preventing you from sleeping on your stomach (which is a big no no during pregnancy). Depending on the specific pillow you choose, you’ll likely find it’s useful during breastfeeding or bottle feeding time too. The key is to use your pregnancy pillow in the place you need most support, which can be different for everyone and vary day to day as you grow. Maybe you want something long to support your whole abdomen, or maybe a wedge shaped pillow to use under your knees feels better.
When do I need a maternity pillow?
When it comes to deciding when to use a specific pillow in pregnancy, we recommend around the second trimester. However, if you normally sleep on your stomach then you should introduce a pillow straight away to stop you doing this. There are no hard and fast rules though, listen to your body and if things start feeling uncomfortable then it’s a safe bet that it’s time to introduce a maternity pillow.
Our List of the Best 3 Pregnancy Pillows in 2023
At The Memo, we’re not about long lists of 20+ ‘best’ products to buy. It adds to the overall confusion at a time when things are already pretty overwhelming. We get that you’re time poor, and just want a couple different options to choose from. We’ve done the traipsing and trialling so we can present a concise list of the best pregnancy pillows in Australia in 2023.
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