How to Choose a Pregnancy Body Pillow

A pregnant woman can likely sleep in her usual position until the end of the second trimester. At that time the uterus, and baby inside it, have grown large enough to make sleeping in certain positions uncomfortable. The pregnant woman must find peace and sleep at night for her health and well-being, as well as that of the baby. Relief can be found in pregnancy body pillows. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, making finding the right body pillow quite a chore. However, there are a few things that you can do to make the process easier.

Instructions

    • 1

      Consult your doctor as you would any pregnancy-related endeavor. The pillow will affect your back, belly, legs and neck. If you have health problems in these areas other than the discomfort of pregnancy, your doctor can help. You doctor may also be able to point you to the best pillow to provide sleep even if you have no other issues to worry about.

    • 2

      Figure out what area needs the most attention on your body. A pregnant woman suffering from back discomfort in sleeping may need a different body pillow than women who have reflux issues and pregnancy rhinitis (with the inevitable nasal congestion). Identify your "sore spot" and remember it when you go shopping.

    • 3

      Pick the best pillow size to fix the part of the body that provides the most discomfort when trying to sleep. Pregnancy pillows come shaped as an "O," "U," "C" and lowercase "l." Each shape provides relief to a different part of the body. For example, the "U" shaped pillows have a dip in one arm and is enlarged in the other to support the back (enlarged side) and belly (indented side). You can get further for the lower back and hips by placing the "U" right side up, to hug it between your legs. Some women need their heads elevated to get relief from reflux or pregnancy rhinitis. They turn the pillow over and upside down and lay their heads on the bottom curve of the "U."

    • 4

      Ask about the return policy. You may have to bring the pillow back to try another if it doesn't work for you. Most stores will let you exchange the pillows with a receipt, so don't lose yours.

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