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When you’re pregnant, a full night’s rest can be elusive. Not just thanks to the hormones coursing through your body and vivid dreams, but also because you simply can’t get comfortable. It goes without saying that your body undergoes a lot of physical changes when you’re pregnant. The sheer difficulty your body can present you — even getting a good night’s sleep — can be incredibly frustrating. If you’re pregnant and are hunting for the best body pillow for pregnancy, read on.
Before you buy: Pregnancy pillows explained
As you get larger, many doctors will advise you to stop sleeping on your back and instead, sleep on your left side. That’s because you have two major blood vessels running down your body — the aorta (which brings blood down to your lower body and baby) on the left, and the vena cava (which brings blood back to your heart) on the right.
“Sometimes when a pregnant patient is more than 20 weeks pregnant, there is a little bit more compression against that vena cava,” Dr. Howard Sharp, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Utah, explained in an interview. “So if you can have them kind of pressing against the aorta, which is the high pressure side, it’s not as big a deal. It’s easier for the blood to get through.”
Pregnancy pillows are one way you can support your body as you sleep on your side. These specially engineered pillows are designed specifically to ease the myriad of aches and pains carrying a baby for 40 weeks does to a body. Not only do pregnancy body pillows support your burgeoning belly, some can target hip, back, or knee discomfort.
What pregnancy pillow should you buy, and what to look for
When shopping for a pregnancy pillow, keep in mind your sleeping habits and your particular aches and pains. Are you a back or side sleeper? Do you thrash about a lot? Do you love snuggles? What level of firmness do you prefer? Whatever your unique needs, there is a pillow out there for you.
Generally, pregnancy pillows come in two main shapes: a wedge or full-length.
Wedge pregnancy pillows
Wedge pillows are exactly as they sound: they’re wedge-shaped and extremely versatile. They can slide easily into places you need more support such as under your stomach, between your knees to ease lower back pain, under your head to reduce heartburn symptoms, or behind you so you can’t roll flat onto your back.
Boppy Pregnancy Wedge Support Pillow with Jersey Slipcover
Small and compact, this wedge pillow can support your belly or wherever you want while you sleep — but you can also easily carry it around with you. During the day, you can use it against your back as lumbar support or slide it under your knees when you’re sitting in bed or laying on the couch. It’s fairly inexpensive so you can buy as many as you need.
Full-length pregnancy pillows
Full-length pillows are also exactly as they sound: they’re the entire length of your body and come in some variation of a U-shape or C-shape. While wedge pillows can be used for specific areas — what if all your parts hurt? You can wrap these full-length pillows in various configurations to fit and support your various pains — saving you the trouble of using multiple pillows.
PharMeDoc Pregnancy C-Shape Full Body Pillow
This C-shaped pillow can be used both during your pregnancy as a sleep pillow — and as a nursing pillow after! That’s one less item you have to purchase! You can use this pillow to cradle your entire body — front and back — and arrange it into any position to fit your needs. It also comes with a soft 100% cotton cover you can machine wash — which is key.
Moonlight Slumber Comfort U Total Support Body Pillow
This U-shaped pillow is made of synthetic down called Fusion Fiber and is not only soft and lightweight, it is easy to take care of. You can throw it in the washing machine and it will still retain its shape.
Best pregnancy pillow for back sleepers and stomach sleepers
If you’re like me and are a back sleeper, fret-not. There are even pillows you can use to prevent you from reverting to your preferred sleeping position.
“I used a C shaped pregnancy pillow that was so comfortable that my husband also got one for himself,” author Jessica Rosenberg told Mom.com. “It kept me from going all the way flat.” Rosenberg added she also loved having something between her knees to support her top hip since she suffered horribly from sciatica with both pregnancies.
If you’re a back sleeper, here are some pillows you can consider:
Belly Bandit S.O.S. Side Sleeper Pregnancy Pillow
Developed by an OB/GYN, this pillow helps back sleepers stay on their side while sleeping with its ergonomic foam back pillow that also prevents rolling. It’s also connected to a wedge to support your stomach. Best part? It comes with a velcro band you can adjust to fit your body.
Pregnancy Pillow by Cozy Bump
If you have the opposite problem — sleeping on your belly, that is — then this pillow is it. Though it somewhat resembles a pool floatie, this pregnancy pillow is inflatable with a hole in the center. Depending on your preferences, you can adjust the amount of air to the right level of firmness and support.
