The pregnancy pillow really makes people love it as well as hate it. People who love it think that the pregnancy pillow is the most practical thing from pregnancy to childbirth, while the mother who thinks it is useless thinks it is a waste of money. So is it worth buying a pregnancy pillow? How to pick a pregnancy pillow? This article will give you the right answer.
Part 1. Is a pregnancy pillow worth buying?
Firstly, we have to talk about the sleeping posture during pregnancy. The requirements for sleeping positions are different by time:
- First trimester: It’s OK for you to sleep on your back or on your side as long as you sleep comfortably.
- Second trimester: Sleeping on the side will generally make you feel more comfortable, otherwise, you can lie on your back, but pay attention to raising the lower limbs.
- Third trimester: the most recommended sleeping position is to lie on the right side.
Why is side sleeping recommended? Because in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, the uterus continues to grow, and lying on your back will compress the inferior vena cava, resulting in reduced blood flow back to the heart, the blood discharged from the heart after the circulation is reduced, and it is prone to hypotension. Some mothers will have symptoms of dizziness, palpitation, nausea, suffocation, or even weakness of limbs.
However, lying on the side for a long time is really awkward, you will feel your stomach was falling, and your whole body feels sore. At this time, the pregnancy pillow comes in handy!
The strong support of the pregnancy pillow can reduce the burden on the waist muscles when lying on the side, relieve the discomfort caused by long-term side lying, and improve the quality of sleep. At the same time, the pregnancy pillow can also help reduce the pressure on the enlarged abdomen and help maintain balance. Therefore, we believe that pregnancy pillows are still worth buying. But you need to pick a suitable one.
Recommended reading: How to Sleep Better during Pregnancy?
Part 2. How to pick a pregnancy pillow
There are several types of common pregnancy pillows on the market: U-shaped, C-shaped, H-shaped, E-shaped, and I-shaped. The pregnancy pillows have different shapes, support parts and experience. Generally, U-shaped and C-shaped pillows are more popular.
1. U shape
Pros: It can meet various sleeping positions of pregnant women. Whether you lie on your back or sleep on the side, the bilateral design of the U-shaped pillow can provide good support. In particular, the legs can also be clamped on one side of the pillow, which is very comfortable.
Cons: It takes up space, especially the space of your husband.
2. C Shape
Pros: Because C-shaped is a single-sided pillow, there is no sense of urgency to be surrounded by a circle, it can leave more space for the stomach, and the space occupied is also much smaller.
Cons: It is difficult to fix the sleeping position. It is only suitable for mothers who have a good sleeping position and can consciously maintain the side sleeping position.
3. I Shape
Pros: It is a long-striped pillow, which can be held to sleep without being restrained a lot.
Cons: The support for your back of the I-shaped pillow is not particularly good, and it is not recommended for pregnant mothers who want more back support.
Generally, pregnant mothers who have no special needs choose U-shaped pregnancy pillows, which have a comprehensive and strong sense of wrapping; pregnant mothers who do not move around during sleep choose C-shaped pregnancy pillows, which do not occupy space and are comfortable; Pregnant mothers who are used to sleeping on pillows choose H-shaped pregnancy pillows, which are convenient for turning over.
Recommended reading: What Should You Know before Choosing a Pregnancy Pillow?
As the old saying, one man's meat is another's poison. It’s wise to pick a pregnancy pillow that suit for yourself and improve your sleep quality. That’s the best pregnancy pillow.
