What is a Pregnancy Pillow

The pregnancy pillow is designed to help relieve the discomfort and medical issues faced by a pregnant woman when trying to get a some sleep. If you have gone through the pains and joins that childbirth brings then you will appreciate the benefits of a good pregnancy pillow.

The Pregnancy pillow is ideal starting the second trimester. It is hard for a woman undergoing pregnancy to sleep in any of the regular positions ad with normal pillows - on her back, or one her side, and definitely can't sleep on her stomach. The increase of size of the baby and the uterus pose a problem for the woman as she falls a slumber. The pregnancy pillow is designed to alleviate this.

As sleeping on your side not only is uncomfortable, but can be medically unsafe as well. This position puts the full weight of the baby and the uterus on a mother's back, intestines and inferior vena cava. This may cause backaches, poor digestion, swelling of the extremities, hemorrhoids, reduced circulation, breathing difficulties and the lowering of blood pressure. It is common for people undergoing pregnancy toss and turn in the search for the perfect position and to try to use pillows to provide them adequate comfort and support. Not only that, when she has to go to the bathroom (frequent urination is a a common symptom) the resulting movement leads the system into disarray, which leads to the next series of adjustments and maneuvers to get comfortable -- resulting in even lesser sleep. Medical experts advise that the best position for a woman during pregnancy is to sleep on is on her left side, which allows for the best circulation (So sleep with a pregnancy pillow on your left side).

Before the invention of the pregnancy pillow, pregnancy patients tried to find a way to let common bed pillows support them. Now, there is a wide range of pregnancy pillows available that support the belly and lower back. They are also desiged to help to align the hips, all with the goal of alleviating the stress of pregnancy -- something an expectant mother (and probably her partner as well) will appreciate as she tries to sleep. Pregnancy pillows may also be used as nursing pillows after the baby is born.

There are four general types of the pregnancy pillow:

  • The pregnancy pillow: This consists of a velcro attaching two pillows. This type of pregnancy pillow supports both the belly and the lower back at the same time while the pregnant mother is positioned in between the pillows.
  • The wedge pregnancy pillow: This pregnancy pillow is "wedged" under the belly to provide back support and pressure relief.
  • The full-length pregnancy pillow: This pregnancy pillow is about five feet long and support the back, belly and knees. This is the most common sold as they are available in any bedding and pillow type store.
  • The Bean pregnancy pillow: This pregnancy pillow is made in the shape of a kidney bean. Its design allows it to wrap from under the belly to between the knees.
A pregnancy pillow is a great gift for those who are expecting.


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