Pregnancy pillows might just sound like another thing on a never-ending list
Yet many expectant mothers swear by them to help relieve even just a little bit of that discomfort you can feel during those nine long months.
Most pregnancy-related pain is related, in some way, to a lack of support; you carry a lot of extra weight while growing a baby and that puts intense amounts of pressure on your back, hips, pubic bone, legs, and feet.
Sometimes it can feel worse at night but thankfully the pregnancy pillow was invented, but should you get one? That’s all up to you but we’re here to give you some info.
What are pregnancy pillows?
Pregnancy pillows are specially designed to provide extra support in all the places most affected by your growing baby and belly.
Your body’s shape during pregnancy is pretty unique and ever-changing, it can feel like every day you’re a whole new person.
Most traditional pillows aren’t made to hug the contours of a pregnant body, leaving you vulnerable to pain, leg cramps and, ultimately, restless nights.
How can they help?
Though they might not be a cure-all for every person who is expecting, there are some notable benefits from making the switch.
- Make it easier to adjust to your new sleeping position
- Keep your neck, back, and hips aligned during sleep
- Reduce the pressure around your hips and pubic bone by keeping your legs parallel to one another
- Improve circulation
- Improve common pregnancy conditions like heartburn and leg cramps
What types are available?
Although there might be some new-fangled fancy designs out there, there are three common types you’ll see in shops.
Wedge pillow: These are the most compact pregnancy pillow but can be very effective depending on where you need support. In particular, they are useful for giving support to the stomach or back when sleeping.
Body pillow: These are the largest kind and are designed to support every part of your body. They come in two shapes, U or C, depending on whether you want to be fully surrounded by the pillow, or only covered on one side.
They typically replace your regular head pillows, since your head and neck are supported by it as well.
Full length body pillow: These ones are th happy medium between the previous two. Usually these are pretty similar to generic body pillows but with an added contor to accomdate your baby bump. When using one of these bad boys you should still use your normal pillow as the body one typicall doesn’t have any head or neck support.
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