The Ultimate Pregnancy Pillow Buying Guide

The Ultimate Pregnancy Pillow Buying Guide

Pregnancy is the most beautiful phase of womanhood, albeit the discomfort that it brings. Behind your glowing skin is a stress-well building up due to sleep deprivation. When this stress meets fatigue and hormonal volatility, parts of your days become miserable.

Yes, you need to cut down on fluid intake at night to minimize sleep disruptions and you must avoid spicy meal to reduce acid reflux, and yet, does that really help? If you are pregnant, then you already know it.

Of all the remedies available in this world, there is none that comforts your ever-precious bump while you sleep. And then, there is this ever-troubling stiffness in Neck, Shoulder and Back area. So eventually, sleeping comfortably during pregnancy comes down to the right choice of pillows. But how many? One for neck & shoulder area, one for belly area and one to support the back?

Obviously not! This is where pregnancy Pillows come in.

WHAT ARE PREGNANCY PILLOWS?

Pregnancy Pillows are special purpose pillows designed to comfort neck, shoulder, back and the bump.

They provide crucial support to all these strained points relieving pain and stiffness. These pillows generally come in two Shapes—The C Shape Pregnancy Pillow & The U Shape Pregnancy Pillow. Both emulate a hug, which makes sleeping and resting a serene experience. 

Advantages of using a pregnancy pillow:

  1. Elevates the mood : The Shape of Pregnancy Pillow emulates a hug, inculcating an exotic sleeping experience like sleeping inside a cocoon. This can calm down the emotional turbulence arising from increased hormonal volatility.
  2. Better Sleep : The elevated comfort and a cradle like experience brings a more fulfilling sleep. This is crucial to the health of both mother and the child, as it aids the developmental cycles of your baby.
  3. Pain Relief : Pregnancy Pillows are ergonomically designed to support Neck, Back, Shoulders, and other strained points. The belly support further eliminates discomfort during sleep.
  4. Improved Blood Circulation : The Shape promotes side sleeping. Sleeping on the left increases the amount of blood & nutrients reaching the placenta and the baby. 
  5. Can be used for lounging/working : Sleep inside the pillow or roll it over to read, work, and relax.
  6. Can be used for feeding : Pregnancy Pillows can be placed on the lap and used as a support to breast feed the baby. 

TYPES OF PREGNANCY PILLOWS:

Pregnancy Pillows are broadly classified in to three types on the basis of shape.

  1. C Shape Pregnancy Pillow
  2. U Shape Pregnancy Pillow
  3. I Shape Pregnancy Pillow

C SHAPE PREGNANCY PILLOW:

Pregnancy Pillows are generally named after their shape. C-Shape Pregnancy Pillows resemble ‘O’ shape with a dissection in the middle. They normally weight between 2-3.5 kgs. The shape enables them to emulate a hug, making resting an elating experience.

 

Advantages of C Shape Pregnancy Pillows:

  • Supports Neck, Shoulder, Belly and Back
  • While supporting the crucial points, a C-Shape Pregnancy Pillow emulates a hug too. In addition to decreasing pain and uneasiness, this pillow will elevate the mood, that may bring down anxiety and, in turn, the mood swings. This function can make your pregnancy extremely beautiful.
  • C-Shape pregnancy pillows can be adjusted to sleep on a single side. An increasing number of doctors and researchers suggest that women sleeping on their left face less complications in their pregnancy. This position allows for optimal blood flow from the inferior vena cava—the larger vein running parallel to your spine on the right side—that carries blood to your heart and, in turn, to your baby. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t sleep on your right, and an expansive survey is still needed to reach on a solid conclusion.   

 

Disadvantages of C Shape Pregnancy Pillow:

  • C Shape Pregnancy Pillows have to be turned over while switching sides.
  • They Take more space
  • Owing to their functionality, they are the costliest amongst all types.

 U SHAPE PREGNANCY PILLOW:

As the name suggests, the U-Shape pregnancy pillows are made in ‘U-Shape’. They weight generally between 2-3kg. The greatest benefit associated with U Shape Pregnancy Pillow is that they allow a pregnant woman to switch sides without any hassle.

Advantages of U Shape Pregnancy Pillows:

  • U Shape Pregnancy Pillows support Neck, Shoulder, Belly and the Back.
  • There is no restraint in turning sides. No need to turn over of the pillow while switching sides.

 Disadvantages:

  • None that we know about.

I SHAPED PREGNANCY PILLOW

I-Shaped Pregnancy Pillows or Full-body pillows are long cylindrical pillows that can be hugged and used to support head, shoulder and belly. A full body pillow generally takes a quarter of space taken by C Shape or a U Shape Pregnancy Pillow. They weigh approximately 1.2-1.5 kg.

Advantages of Full Body Pregnancy Pillow:

  • Full Body Pregnancy Pillows are the cheapest amongst all the pregnancy pillows
  • They consume very less space
  • They support the belly and the shoulders.

Disadvantages of Full Body Pregnancy Pillow:

  • Full Body Pillows offer no back support.
  • The comfort level is lesser as compared to C Shape and U shape pillows.
  • They have to be carried from one side to the other while switching sides.

 

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHILE SHOPPING FOR A PREGNANCY PILLOW:

  1. Type of filling used
  2. Type of cloth used

Type of filling used

Premium pregnancy pillows are generally filled with Conjugate Fibres or Microfibers, both belonging to hollow fibre family. The difference is of the size of the fibre. Conjugate fibres are long fibres measuring 15 Denier, which gives them extra bounce but makes the pillow stiff too. Some users may experience strain in the neck and shoulder region, but such pillows are long lasting and can last up to 3 pregnancies. While micro-fibres are very small length fibres measuring 0.9-1.5 deniers which makes them silky and very soft, giving the pillows an extra-premium feel. The downside of micro-fibres is that the pillow last for only a single pregnancy. 

Type Of Cloth Used

The most common fabric used is pregnancy pillows are cotton, velvet & velour. Cotton is an all season fabric, while velvet has a more luxurious feel. Velour on the other hand is a mixture of cotton and velvet. It feels like velvet but cools like cotton.  Often, while discussing the benefits of a pregnancy pillow, we tend to overlook one advantage common among all the shapes—as the head rests over a raised support, this should normally decrease the acidic reflux.

DO YOU REALLY NEED A PREGNANCY PILLOW?

Yes! In fact, you deserve one. But which pillow suits you the most? This will depend on your liking and spend limit, but if you want an immersive experience then C Type Pregnancy Pillows should be your obvious choice. They provide more support to the body and emulate a hug, calming down the emotional turbulence. It is the most sold pregnancy pillow across the world over.

The shape and size of your body will evolve over the next 9 months, with each trimester being tougher than the preceding one. A Pregnancy pillow will ease the discomfort that you face while sleeping or resting during the maternity period.

 

IN A NUTSHELL, THIS IS HOW MUCH A PREGNANCY PILLOW HELPS:

 

 

 

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