The most challenging phase of a woman’s life is that of pregnancy. The nine-months period needs great attention and care. The woman also requires a considerable amount of energy, especially when the body starts giving up soon and needs ample rest. Still, the changes in the body make it difficult to find an apt position in the second and third trimesters, so having a pregnancy pillow at this time does make a significant amount of difference.
The baby needs not only nourishment but also protection externally, so it is of utmost important to take care of the comfort and safety of the mother as well. Let us know, have a look and understand what a maternity pillow is, its benefits, the correct time to use, the types of pillow, their usages, and some good ones that can be brought.
What Is A Maternity Pillow?
A maternity pillow, also referred to as a pregnancy pillow, is designed for suiting the changing body of the pregnant woman. It offers adequate support in the different sleeping styles. Since they are made to provide support for the complete body, so they are generally longer than the other pillows. These pillows are much more comfortable and of great use during the last few months when sleeping position becomes a challenging one.
What Are the Advantages of Using A Pregnancy Pillow?
Undoubtedly, the pregnancy pillow serves the purpose of comfort and support to the body of a pregnant woman. Yet many other benefits are as under:
- It helps to ease the body pain -Pregnancy is a time when the weight of the body keeps increasing, putting pressure on the legs, hips as well as back. It is essential to offer proper rest, and that can only happen when the mother gets to sleep correctly. Using a pregnancy pillow helps to provide adequate comfort and support, alleviating body pains, and aches.
- It boosts the blood circulation- It is advisable to sleep sideways in pregnancy as the blood circulation is proper though it is a difficult way to sleep, so using a pregnancy pillow on the side helps to sleep up comfortably, thus enhancing the blood circulation.
- It offers relaxation and better sleeping time- Having a good amount of rest is the mantra to a safe and smooth pregnancy, and a pregnancy pillow does the needful.
- It has great benefits post-delivery-The maternity pillow will be of use even after the birth of the baby as it can even help to put the baby in the right position at the time of feeding and help the baby to latch on in a proper manner.
When Can You Start Using A Pregnancy Pillow?
Since the bodies of all women are different, there is no set time to start using the maternity pillow, it all depends when the women start feeling the discomfort while they are trying to sleep. Usually, it is seen that it is used at the start of the second trimester, the time when the weight starts increasing as the belly starts expanding, also leading to pain in various parts of the body.
Various types Of Pregnancy Pillows & Their Usage
The maternity pillow is surely a comfort for pregnant women and helps to ease out the pain which is already encompassed in the pregnancy package. There is not one but different types of pillows that comes in distinct sizes as well as shapes. Every type of pillow has something specific that it can cater to. Thus, maternity pillows should be chosen after understanding what type of discomfort is being faced by pregnant women, and since all women go through a different set of challenges, the type of pregnancy pillow also differs. Given below are the different varieties of a maternity pillow that can be brought, and they are:
- Pregnancy Wedge Pillow: This pillow is also referred to as the maternity cushion and is one of the small ones in size. It comes in two shapes, round as well as triangular, and can be put below the tummy or at the back so that adequate support can be provided while sleeping on the sides. It also works like the regular pillow and helps in alleviating heartburns since the head gets elevated above the height of the body.
- Full-length Pregnancy Pillow: These pillows are long as well as cushiony and offer good support to the complete body, including the legs, arms, and even the tummy. This, however, does not provide much support for the back. These pregnancy pillows are good to hug or cuddle but cannot be kept under the tummy or at the back. There are two types in this, the straight length as well as flexible full length.
- Total Body Pregnancy Pillows: These pillows, as indicative of the name, are good for women of all heights since they have a height of close to six inches. These are ideal and can be used when the second trimester starts since it offers adequate support and helps in alleviating back and hip pain.
There are two kinds of total body pillows, and a snippet about them is provided as under:
- C-Shaped Pillow: As indicative of the name, this pillow resembles the letter C and offers support to the legs, back as well as the tummy, useful as the head can be placed on top of it and the back can be slide into it. These are good for the plus size women.
- U-Shaped Pillow: This pillow shaped like the letter U is good for the women who favor sleeping on the back but are unable to due to the increasing belly size and offers support to back belly, and the legs. This can be used to wrap the legs around and feel at ease. These are the best for the pregnant women who are carrying twins as the belly size is bigger than the rest, so a pillow bigger in size is required.
The pregnancy pillow should also be selected, keeping in mind the body type as well as the sleeping position preferred by them. Given below are some pillows made keeping in mind the sleep pattern combinations:
- Petite Women: The pillows ideal for short women is the total petite body pillows.
- Snoogle Pregnancy Pillow: It is ideal for those who prefer to sleep on back as the snoogle offers support to the neck, head, hips, back, and belly, thereby taking the shape of the women’s body and provide comfort as well.
- Pillow For Those Who Sleep On The Stomach: It is believed that sleeping on the stomach side leads to snoring issues as well as body aches, so a bamboo pillow is the best.
All pregnancy pillows are an asset for pregnant women as it helps to alleviate the body pains and aches, and this helps the women to rest and sleep well.
How To Select The Right Pregnancy Pillow?
Since all the pregnancy pillows have a specific purpose, one should choose the same after assessing the needs of the pregnant women. It is important to know what all is important to know before investing in the same. Some of the pointers are given as under:
1. Identify The Filling In The Pillow:
Since all pillows are filled with something different, it is important to assess how it will affect the comfort of the women. The pillows can have various fillings, some of them mentioned as under:
- Polyester Fibre Filling: This is the most famous one as it is made of polyester, which is soft enough and offers adequate support to the body. Since it absorbs the heat and entraps the bacteria, it is not advisable for those who have any dust allergy. It lasts only for two years.
- Filling Of Microbeads: The microbeads are tiny, and lightweight balls that carry less weight and the pillows made from this are soft as well as smooth.
- Styrofoam Ball Filling: The Styrofoam balls are far cheaper than other fillings, and the pillows are light, cushiony, but not advisable for sleeping for longer hours.
- Buckwheat Filled Pillow: These pillows have a filling of buckwheat that is reshuffled in a cotton bag. These are organic in nature and reduce the chances of getting allergies, are sturdier, and can easily be used over a decade.
- Therapeutic Pillow: This pillow is greatly recommended for the pregnant woman as it is made with a polyester pouch that has water in it. This offers ideal support for neck pain as well as support to the head.
- Memory Foam Pillow: These firm pillows tend to take the body shape when used and offer good support to the body and help to minimize the pains and body aches.
- Organic Filling Pillows: These pillows have a filling of natural fabrics like fiber, kapok, bamboo, and wool. The pillows made from this filling are environment and nature-friendly and ideal for the women who have dust allergies. They only have one disadvantage that cleaning is not as easy as they tend to become shapeless.
2. Size Of The Pillow:
A pillow bigger in size tends to take a lot of space on the bed and is heavy as well. The women who have the tendency to keep turning in sleep should opt for bigger pillows.
3. Noise And Smell Of The pillow:
Pillows that are filled with Styrofoam tend to make noise if one moves around on them, so they should not be picked by the women who have a light sleep. The organic pillows will have chemical smells, so it should be avoided by the ones who have chemical smell allergies.
4. Hypoallergenic Pillows:
The hypoallergenic pillows are suitable for the ones who are prone to dust allergies.
5. The Degree Of Softness Of The Pillow:
Many women prefer firm pillows, while others need softer ones. Ideally, soft pillows should not be used at this time as they are too soft and do not offer adequate support, and firm pillows, on the other hand, offer full support to the body as well as the head.
6. Pillows To Match Body Type And Sleeping Position:
The pillows should be selected, keeping in mind the body type and the sleeping position preferred by pregnant women.
The Best Pregnancy Pillows on Amazon
After having an insight on the characteristics of the different pillow types, the pointers to be kept in mind while buying the pillows, its benefits, the ideal time to use it, now let us see the best pregnancy pillows that can be bought from Amazon. Few of them are mentioned as under:
- Queen Rose Pregnancy Pillow: This pillow has a dense as well as an extra soft filling. It is u shaped and curved one and offers overall comfort, cradling the back, arms, neck, torso. It has a zip cover that is sturdy and can be washed in machines.
- Boppy Pregnancy Wedge: This pillow is portable, light in weight and compact, since it is a firm one it can be kept under the back, belly or in between the legs for additional support. Its cover is soft as well as stylish and can be even used in the car or at the office sitting on the workstation.
- Meiz U Shaped Maternity Pillow: This pillow can be brought in two different sizes and in six colors. It offers cushiony support to the body, and it even has flexible arms that can be wrapped around while sleeping, resting, reading, etc.
- Cozy Bump Maternity Pillow: This pillow can be inflated and has a hole near the tummy, leg support, headrest, and recommended by gynecologists as well.
- Babymoov Mom and Baby Pillow: This pillow is filled with microbeads that offer support to the tummy as well as the back. It is available in two colors, grey and white, and can be used as a headrest as well.
- Leachco Snoogle Jersey Body Pillow: This pillow was made by a mom and nurse. It helps to diffuse the body heat, and the curve J shape helps in aligning the back, neck, belly, and hips. It is also made from the T-shirt fabric that is super soft and comfortable.
- Hiccapop Pregnancy Wedge Pillow: It can be used from both sides, and it also has the airflow ventilation technology for the women who feel too hot. The cover is equally soft and can be washed in the machine. It is available in different colors like navy blue, white, dark grey, etc. It even has two degrees of firmness that comes handy through the nine months.
Thus, even though a pillow does not seem such an important thing in the regular life, yet it is a big asset for the pregnant women, it is one of the things that should be owned by her as it offers comfort and helps her ease aches and pains. So, just like for a better future, we need to work hard from today itself, just like that, only a healthy and happy mother can give birth to another healthy and happy baby. Let us give proper care to the mother so that these nine months pass smoothly, and she remembers them with a happy face.
Source: https://www.beingtheparent.com/how-to-use-pregnancy-pillow/
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