Pregnancy Pillows

About

Sleep gets genuinely hard somewhere in the second trimester, and it is rarely one problem. A pregnancy pillow works on the two you can actually fix: holding the weight of your bump, and keeping your hips from twisting once you are on your side. Why Side Sleeping Changes What You Need From around 28 weeks, going to sleep on your side is the recommended position in Australia, and either side is fine. That sounds simple until you try it. Lying on your side without support lets your top leg fall forward, which rotates your pelvis and pulls on your lower back, and it leaves your bump hanging unsupported. A maternity pillow solves both at once. Something between your knees keeps your hips stacked and your spine neutral, and something under your bump takes the drag off your abdominal muscles. Most people who wake with hip or lower back pain are dealing with position rather than the mattress. Full-Length Pillows or a Compact Wedge Full-length body pillows are the ones you curl around, supporting your head, bump and knees in one piece. They are the easiest option because there is nothing to reposition, and they suit anyone who moves a lot overnight. The trade-off is width, and if you share a standard double, that matters. Wedges take the opposite approach, sitting under the bump alone and pairing with an ordinary pillow between your knees. They take up almost no bed, travel well in a hospital bag, and are much easier to shift at three in the morning without waking anyone. Neither is better as a rule, and the honest deciding factor is usually how much room you have and whether you sleep still or restlessly. Look for a removable, washable cover on whichever you choose. These pillows stay in use through feeding, so a cover that survives a hot wash is worth more than it sounds. Pillows That Carry On After Birth A number of maternity pillows are designed to convert into nursing support, which is the difference between one purchase and two. Curved shapes that wrap around your body