The Benefits of Using a Pregnancy Pillow for a Comfortable and Restful Night’s Sleep

pregnancy pillow

It can be really uncomfortable to settle down for the night, with a huge, grwoing belly. In this article, I will be discussing about a few such tips how you can too experience a restful night’s sleep by using a pregnancy pillow.

Keep reading till the end to find out more information about pregnancy pillow!

What Is A Pregnancy Pillow?

Are these pillows any different than normal pillows? The answer to that question is a definite YES.

It is a contoured and specially designed pillow that aids with the changing curves of a pregnant person. With this, pregnant women can get the best support even if they keep changing their sleeping positions.

What Is A Pregnancy Pillow?
What Is A Pregnancy Pillow?

Most of the traditional forms and shapes of pillows do not really provide comfort to a person who is pregnant. They might experience foot cramps, back pains, and aches when sleeping with such pillows. Not getting proper sleep would just make “being pregnant” much more intolerable.

Here are the following types of pregnancy pillows that are available in the market:

Wedge

These pillows are shaped like the alphabet “C” and effectively support the abdomen or spine, but it also depends on how a person places it. This pillow lets the hips and legs be parallel to support the neck.

Wedge

U-Shaped

This type of pillow is known to support every part of the body equally. It is also known to work in a very similar way to contour pillows. It lets the hips and legs be parallel to support the neck.

Contour/C-shaped

This type of pillow supports a specific area, specifically under the abdomen, between the knees, or even behind the back. This pillow would actively aid in preventing the person from tumbling during their sleep.

What is a pregnancy nose? read it here.

Contour/C-shaped

How To Use A Pregnancy Pillow During Pregnancy?

A few ways how you can use a pregnancy pillow during your pregnancy are:

U-Shaped Pillow

If using a U-shaped pregnancy pillow, it would be better to use it when sleeping on your side. Wrap the U-shaped pillow around you, then rest your head on it. In this way, both your back and baby bump will get support. Then you need to tuck the pillow between your knees so as to keep your back in perfect alignment.

U-Shaped Pillow

C-Shaped Pillow

If you are using a C-shaped pregnancy pillow then you would need to focus on the area in which you would need the most support, running it down the front and then supporting the bump or even down the back with the help of the curve of your pillow, in between your knees.

Other Helpful Tips

If you are resting while at a position of sitting up in the bed, then you can wrap the pillow around your back all the way to the front, under your bump. This will take your growing belly’s pressure off your back.

You can even use the pillow to prop yourself up in the bed – for instance if you want to read a book or even watch TV. If you are laying down on your back then you can place the pillow under your knees. This will reduce the pressure from building up in your spine.

If you are someone who is suffering from pregnancy-rellated heartburn, then you can place the pillow under your head so that your head is raised at an angle. This will effectively help in reducing the heartburn.

Other Helpful Tips

Health Benefits Of Pregnancy Pillows

Here are a few benefits that using pregnancy pillows poses for a pregnant person:

  • The pregnant person using the pillow will be at much ease. It will help them a lot in adjusting to the new sleeping position.
  • One can even align their back, hips, and neck while sleeping.
  • It actively helps in improving circulation of blood.
  • It is known to reduce the more common pregnancy conditions like leg cramps, nasal congestion, and heartburn.
  • It would actively prevent the person from rolling over while in their sleep.
Health Benefits Of Pregnancy Pillows

The Best Sleeping Positions During Pregnancy

Here are a few tips on how a pregnant person should sleep so that they get to experience a restful night’s sleep:

  • Sleeping On Your Stomach During Pregnancy

If your favourite sleeping position is on your stomach – that’s all fine and dandy but you can’t do this anymore after getting pregnant. Your grown belly will abseolutely prevent you from doing so. Hence, it is advised that you switch positions for the better.

Sleeping On Your Stomach During Pregnancy
  • Sleeping On Your Back During Pregnancy

A few experts recommend that pregnant women should avoid sleeping on their backs when pregnant ( specially during the second and third trimesters). This is so, because sleeping on backs, rests the entire weight of the growing baby on your back. It is too much pressure and hence should be avoided.

  • Sleeping On Either Side During Pregnancy

During your second and third trimesters, it would be best recommended that you sleep on either side – preferably on your left side if possible as it is considered to be ideal for both the mom and the baby inside.

This position allows for blood flow to the maximum and also effectively promotes the passage of nutrients to the placenta. All of this in turn improves the function of kidneys.

Can Not Getting Enough Sleep During Pregnancy Be Harmful?

A vast majority of the women are known to have sleep problems so it is nt worth stressing if you are not getting enough sleep.

While that being said, if you think that you not getting enough sleep is becoming a problem for you then you should best talk to your healthcare practitioner.

Sleeping On Either Side During Pregnancy

To Wrap It Up!

The about-to-be moms deserve all the care in the world, and nothing better than getting them a pregnancy pillow – so that their ‘pregnancy journey’ is as smooth as possible.

Thank you for reading up till here. I hope you find the information useful. Let me know in the comments your thoughts on the same.

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