Why Use a Pregnancy Pillow: Better Sleep for Moms-to-Be

Last Updated on January 10, 2023

Pregnant women suffer from backaches and pains during pregnancy. Luckily, if you’re pregnant, there’s a new bedtime accessory to help you sleep better at night–a pregnancy pillow.

But why use a pregnancy pillow? There are many benefits to using pregnancy pillows. Let us unravel the many advantages of using these sleep products throughout pregnancy.

5 Benefits of Using a Pregnancy Pillow

Pregnancy pillows are sleep aids designed to provide support to different body parts during pregnancy. There are many types of pregnancy pillows and some of the most common include the pregnancy wedge pillow and total body pillows. Below are the top benefits of using maternity pillows.

Eases Aches and Pains

Using pregnancy pillows can help alleviate aches and pains. As your weight increases before childbirth, this adds a lot of pressure to your body and can also cause full body and back pain for a lot of women.

After supporting you while you move and stand up throughout the day, it’s important that you find solace while you sleep to eradicate these body aches. Fortunately, a C-shaped or a U-shaped body pregnancy pillow is specifically designed to provide support and comfort to your back, belly, neck, shoulder, hips, legs, and knees.

Helps With Blood Circulation

Side sleeping promotes blood circulation, which is important for pregnant people. Even if you adopt this sleep position before pregnancy, you can experience discomfort and poor circulation as your abdomen begins to grow.

A maternity pillow cushions and contours your body as your belly increases in size, allowing you to find the perfect sleeping position for a more restful sleep. It also provides adequate support for the back, shoulders, and neck.

Helps You Sleep

Sleep is important for everyone, and especially more so if you’re pregnant. As your body changes, your emotional state will, too, which can make you experience discomfort while sleeping. In this case, you’ll wake up the following day feeling tired and agitated.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, a pregnancy pillow provides comfort and security, so you can rest in a variety of sleeping positions without hurting your baby bump with the utmost comfort. Not only does using a body or wedge pillow help you to fall asleep quicker but to remain asleep to conquer those bedtime battles.

Provides Comfort

Whether you’re pregnant or not, some people prefer to have a type of pillow present to cuddle up to while sleeping alone. Fortunately, there are body pregnancy pillows that you can mould into different shapes for you and your baby, so you can adjust them to suit your preferred sleeping position.

I’m sleeping with a pregnancy body pillow for the first time tonight and so far… pic.twitter.com/rsrGgVhlMD

— lilly (@ceciliardzn) December 28, 2020

Should you spend time in your bed alone, a pregnancy body pillow gives you something to cuddle on to. It’s also a great idea to take a body pillow to the hospital with you should you spend extra time there.

Helps With Breastfeeding

You can use a pregnancy pillow after giving birth. They can help you to find a comfortable position post-pregnancy while you’re breastfeeding your baby. In particular, they provide support to your neck and shoulders while feeding.

You can conveniently adjust the pillow’s firmness to find the most comfortable position for you and your baby. It’s also great for supporting your back and pelvis while preventing you from slouching when breastfeeding your baby.

When to Start Using a Pregnancy Pillow

It is best to start using a pregnancy pillow when you’re ready or start feeling like you need support while sleeping. For the average woman, this time is around week 20, because your belly will begin to expand. This growth can produce pains in your ligaments as they stretch out, resulting in the need for extra support while you fall asleep.

How to Choose the Best Pregnancy Pillow

Pregnancy pillows come in different shapes and sizes and it’s time to uncover how to choose the right one for you.

Cover

First, research if you can wash the cover. Opt for a removable pregnancy pillow cover that lets you keep the pillow clean and hygienic. This is important for any pillow but particularly so during pregnancy, as you might find that you sweat more while you sleep.

Pillow Filling

Next, you’ll want to carefully consider the pillow’s filling. There are two important factors to consider here: comfort and quality. A poor-quality pillow won’t offer much support or help with leg cramps, body discomfort, and hip pain.

Buckwheat

A maternity pillow with buckwheat filling decreases the chances of heat buildup and allergies. They’re durable and can be used for a long period of time, making them ideal for use during pregnancy and after you’ve had the baby. Buckwheat pillows are durable and can be used for more than a decade.

Buckwheat hulls are the outer shell of a buckwheat seed. Their 3D structure does not compact and allows air to flow throughout the pillow. This means buckwheat pillows provide excellent support for cool sleeping #BuckwheatPillow #sleeping #health pic.twitter.com/IOf61XS6X9

— ComfyComfy (@ComfyComfyCo) March 11, 2021

Polyester

A polyester-filled pillow feels soft while offering excellent support for the body. You can also alter its firmness by adding more or less fibre filling, making it a highly versatile material. However, polyester tends to absorb heat while also trapping dust and bacteria, so it’s not ideal for those with dust allergies. It also tends to have a short lifespan of just a couple of years.

Styrofoam Ball Filling

For a cheaper option of pregnancy pillows, Styrofoam ball fillings are a great option. They consist of small white balls that fill in the pillow. These pillows are lightweight and filled with air to contour the body easily and offer some cushioning.

On the other hand, they’re not ideal for long periods of sleep, and you might find that the pillow sinks after a few hours of use. Plus, they don’t have the ability to conform to your shape as you switch sleeping positions during rest and sleep.

Memory Foam

This offers the most support for pregnant women and new mums. This type of fill is one of the most preferred options for a maternity pillow because it keeps you content in any sleeping position.

 

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A post shared by Pregnancy + Full Body Pillows (@pharmedoc)

Memory foam pillows are firm and contour the body perfectly. These pillows support your knees, hips, legs, and more, allowing your body to get the rest it needs. These are the ones that prevent neck pain and support the head while you sleep. Bear in mind, however, that this material can retain heat, so you’ll need to choose a breathable cover on top to prevent you from getting too hot in bed.

Microbeads

It’s becoming more popular to have a pregnancy pillow with microbeads. These are small, lightweight, and feel like sand inside of the pillow. They’re also smooth and move around the pillow easily and quickly, so you don’t have to make many adjustments to the pillow.

Do Pregnancy Pillows Help You Sleep?

Pregnancy pillows offer excellent support due to their firmness, which can support the total body and not just the head and neck like a number of traditional pillows do. In addition, these pillows are designed to match the curves and contours of a woman’s body while she’s expecting a baby. They’re long and straight and provide comfort by adapting to your body shape.

Maternity pillows are also larger and can support your body while you sleep. It’s also easy to switch positions without having to make too many adjustments which can be uncomfortable and disturbing during pregnancy. On the other hand, regular pillows are often smaller and designed for comfort, but they don’t cater specifically to pregnant people’s needs.

Do You Need a Pregnancy Pillow?

Not everyone who’s pregnant requires support and additional comfort while sleeping. In fact, some pregnant women do not experience pain or body aches throughout the day or night. But, if you do, you might find that sleeping with a pregnancy pillow is more comfortable on those days when you’re feeling achy and emotional.

If you experience chronic pain, such as ligament pain, discomfort in the legs and knees, sciatic nerve pain, or lower back pain, investing in a new c shaped pillow might be worth the additional cost. Using a maternity pillow will help you feel at ease and get a good night’s sleep.

On the other hand, a big disadvantage of pregnancy pillows is their large size, which can make it difficult to adjust sleeping positions, including stomach sleepers. This means that they are really only aimed at side sleeping, unless you also plan to use yours to breastfeed. Due to their big size, they’re not portable and can take up a lot of room in the bed, leaving less space for your partner.

Summary

There are many types of pregnancy pillows, designed for every sleeper. This type of pillow includes wedge pillows, c-shaped, and u-shaped. So why use a pregnancy pillow? While there are many pros and cons to these large pillows, we think that it is worth the investment if it means a better night’s sleep.

Have you used a pregnancy pillow before? Share your feedback and buying tips in the comments.