Pregnancy Pillows: Benefits and Uses
Many women experience trouble sleeping during pregnancy. Fortunately, there are pillows designed to help ease the discomfort that keeps you awake. These pregnancy pillows can help you get the rest you so desperately need.
We all need to get comfortable before we can fall asleep. For pregnant women, however, not knowing which sleeping position is best for the baby can get in the way of a good night’s sleep.
This isn’t an issue that goes away as the weeks go by, either. As the baby grows and the bump gets bigger, getting to sleep can become even more of a struggle.
Sometimes, during pregnancy, we aren’t able to sleep in the position that we would normally find most comfortable. Backache, nausea, anxiety and indigestion can also keep us up at night.
Simply put, for pregnant women, sleep can be an uncomfortable experience.
“In pregnant women, not knowing which sleeping position is best for the baby can get in the way of a good night’s sleep”
If you’re having trouble sleeping or are suffering from aches and pains during the day, a special pillow can help you wave goodbye to sleepless nights.
Pregnancy pillows are designed to give your body all the support it needs during this stage.
Benefits of pregnancy pillows
Getting plenty of sleep is essential to your wellbeing and that of your baby. With this in mind, it’s important to have the right support.
- Pregnancy pillows fit perfectly around your back, abdomen, hips and legs when you lie down.
- These pillows are designed to adapt to the shape of a pregnant woman’s body.
- Using the right pillow can stop you moving around too much in bed.
- They relieve pelvic and hip pains and backache.
- These products are specially contoured to help prevent indigestion and back problems.
- They’re compact and don’t take up much space in bed.
- Most pregnancy pillows come with a washable cover.
This kind of pillow allows you to sleep properly while you’re pregnant. They can also be helpful to provide support for breastfeeding in order to reduce muscle cramps in the shoulders and arms.
Types of pregnancy pillows
A wide variety of pregnancy pillows are available, with different styles, shapes, fabrics and fillings for you to choose according to your needs and preferences.
- Wedge-shaped pillows: this type of pillow is characterized by a triangular profile and is usually made from memory foam. Their function is to provide support for your growing belly when you sleep on your side. The advantages of these pregnancy pillows include their compact size. You may even want to keep using one after your pregnancy is over.
- Large, U-shaped pillows: these extra-large pillows provide comfort and support for your whole body, from your feet to your toes and including your belly and back. The main advantage of these pregnancy pillows is that they help you sleep comfortably on one side. This is the best position during pregnancy as it limits your ability to make sudden movements.
- C-shaped full-body pillows: these are a firm favorite among pregnant women. They’re designed to help you sleep on your side by supporting your head, the underside of your belly and your legs. All of these are strategic for a good night’s rest. Full-body pillows give you support where you need it most. However, do keep in mind that their large size can be inconvenient.
- Long, thin pillows: these work similarly to C-shaped pillows. Their extra length gives support to your whole body. They’re easier to handle than the larger full-body pillows, and can be very versatile for helping you find the right position.
- Regular pillows: some expectant mothers prefer to sleep with the pillows they already have at home. In this case, everything depends on arranging them strategically at the points where you need support.
When you sleep on one side, your blood can flow without obstructions, keeping your body and that of your baby fully oxygenated. Experts have found that sleeping on your left-hand side is ideal.
The only disadvantage of pregnancy pillows is that their large size can make them difficult to handle. They also take up a lot of space in the bed.
It may not be necessary to invest in a special pregnancy pillow. You can also arrange the pillows you already have at home to provide additional support.
The downside of this, however, is that they may move around during the night.
