How to use a pregnancy pillow
Pregnancy, unsurprisingly to those who have been through it, has been likened to running a marathon. An endurance test on so many aspects of your body and mind. The average woman will gain around 10-12 kgs throughout pregnancy so it’s no wonder the things we take for granted – like sleeping – suddenly become somewhat of a challenge.
Between a growing belly, pressure on your bladder and diaphragm and multiple other changes, catching forty winks is not so simple anymore. Your body is doing amazing things and needs rest more than ever but if you’re struggling to sleep, you’re not alone!
We’re here to talk pregnancy pillows and, perhaps more importantly, how to use a pregnancy pillow to make sure you can get some much-needed sleep.
From around 28 weeks women are advised to stop sleeping on their backs to avoid complications like still birth but by this time it’s likely an uncomfortable position anyway and there’s no way you’ll be able to roll onto your front so side sleeping will need to become your new norm until your little one arrives. If you’re a loyal front or back sleeper, this can be a daunting thought and side sleeping comes with all of its own challenges too – pressure on the shoulders and hips, having trouble aligning the neck and don’t get us started on turning from one side to the other without a gargantuan upheaval. This is why we suggest investing in a good pregnancy pillow. Or if it’s easier for you to reason with – see it as investing in getting good sleep while your body undergoes one of the biggest physical challenges to date.
Why pregnancy pillows?
So what’s so special about a pregnancy pillow we hear you cry? Of course you can prop yourself up with a multitude of normal pillows but there are some things to consider in this scenario. For one thing, once you’re comfortable, you can’t move without a major upheaval and the last thing you need in the middle of the night is to be rebuilding a pillow fortress. Then there’s the issue of the right level of support – finding a pillow to support our heads exactly as we need to is hard enough – finding the right support for an entire pregnant body is even harder. So let’s look at the different types of pillows out there and what to look for.
Types of pregnancy pillow
Letter-shaped
It turns out, some of the letters of the alphabet come in rather handy when you’re growing a new life. You’ll find there are a few different ‘letter’ shaped pillows out there that might look a little strange but come in very handy indeed. U shapes are brilliant for all-round support and allow you to prop your bump, align your neck and provide support to your back. A J shape like the dreamgenii can prop you up in all of the same areas in a more compact form and a C shape like the Hippychick Nursing Pillow is a great option if you’re short on space and you want something to support your bump during pregnancy and support your feeding journey postpartum.
Source; Dreamgenii
Wedge
A wedge pregnancy pillow like the Babymoov maternity cushion is pretty much what it says on the tin – a simple wedge-like pillow that can be used to support your bump, positioned between your knees or used to support your back during pregnancy and postpartum when you’re feeding. Another compact solution that’s great if you want something that’s less taxing on space.
Adjustable
A tube-like pillow such as the bbhugme can be manipulated around your body depending on what you need at the time. These are a brilliant option for adapting to your daily needs – as we all know, aches and pains can change on a regular basis during pregnancy so it’s great to have a pillow that can work with that. What’s more, these make fantastic feeding pillows once the baby has arrived and we can almost guarantee it stays put on your bed long after the postpartum period has lapsed.
Source; BBHUGME
How to use a pregnancy pillow
So now you know the types of pillows out there, it’s time to look at how to sleep with a pregnancy pillow. We’ve pulled together some easy-to-follow instructions below for each to get you started.
Letter-shaped – U, C, J
U-shaped – How to use a U-shaped pregnancy pillow is actually fairly straightforward. Simply place the curve of the U under your neck, propping your belly and knees on one of the longer sides of the pillow and allowing the other side to support your back.
C-shaped – If you’re working with a compact C-shaped pillow, this is great for supporting your bump. Simply lay on your favoured side and adjust to your comfort. These are also ideally shaped for feeding once the baby has arrived!
J-shaped – Depending on your needs you can use a J-shaped pregnancy pillow to support your back, using the longest side behind you to stop you from rolling over or between your legs to support your hips. In both scenarios, prop the curve of the J under your head to give you some neck support.
Wedge
There isn’t really a special art to the wedge, it’s all about what you need at the time and experimenting for your comfort. Prop under your bump in bed to alleviate back pain, between your legs while sleeping to help your hips out or behind your back to prevent rolling.
Adjustable
This pillow is your oyster – you may find you fall asleep with it in one position and wake up in a completely different one. Adjust as you wish to support your growing body – under your bump, between legs and supporting your head and neck all at once if you wish!
A final word on pregnancy pillows – when shopping around it’s worth thinking about how and where you’ll be feeding your baby as lots of pillows can double up to do so. This way, you’ll get more for your money and guarantee maximum comfort once the baby has arrived.
Good luck and happy sleeping!