As a woman, the pregnancy experience, although tumultuous, should be a novel journey especially for those experiencing it for the first time and in spite of the high’s and low’s associated with pregnancies, today’s world is highly advanced and almost every item created and manufactured is geared towards solving human problems or aiding them in one way or another. Therefore pregnant women today have an array of items at their disposal that try to ensure that their pregnancy journeys are not only stress free but comfortable as well. One such item, manufactured to help women relieve the various symptoms they experience during this time is a body pillow.
Here, as a pregnant or would be pregnant woman are some tips to help you determine when to get a pregnancy pillow, why it is important to have one or several, what kinds are available in today’s market, how to use them and finally where you can get one for yourself.
Time to Get a Pregnancy PillowThis isn’t an exact science so there is no right or wrong time to get a pregnancy pillow but for those women about to enter their second trimester; here are some conditions that you are likely to experience that will determine your need for a body pillow.
Back Pain
Back pain especially in the lower region of your back is one of the most common symptoms that you will experience during your second trimester. This can be as a result of the natural weight gained during pregnancy which slightly shifts your centre of gravity. Other causes of pain can be as a result of stress, poor posture and hormones. In order to relieve back pain, the recommendation is for you sleep on the left side, with the pillow cradling you so as to provide an equal amount of support for your body.
Leg Pain
One of the major signs to watch out for is leg issues. In your second trimester, you may experience forms of leg cramping and pain and this can be alleviated by using a pregnancy pillow when you sleep or relax on a couch. The pillow offers comfort and relief by being wedged between your legs; this allows for better blood flow which in turn prevents possible cramps and leg swelling. Apart from using the pillow to relive leg pains also aim to take walks and stretch your leg muscles daily. Drink loads of water and try to rotate your ankles every once in awhile while you are seated, these are just some of the ways that you can try to allievate your leg aches during this time.
Headaches
Sadly, these are common during your second trimester and using the right body pillow help with a headache and or migraines. While it might seem okay to use a regular pillow, these are sometimes too soft and can be part of the cause in experiencing headaches thus a pregnancy pillow should be used as they are firm and provide support and alignment for your head, neck and spine.
Sleep
One major concern for pregnant women during this period is the lack of deep –seated sleep as a result some women suffer exhaustion and insomnia. This is as a result of the constant changes that are taking place within your body and while nothing can be done about these changes, one must make sure that they obtain at least 6 good hours of deep sleep during the night. Therefore the use of a pregnancy pillow is a must in order to get the required amount of rest and avoid exhaustion. Plan regular naps throughout the day and achieve a minimum of 8 hours sleep so as to relieve some of the strain caused by the rapid changes taking place in your body.
As your body continues to shift and change to accommodate the baby inside you, please expect an increase in pains and aches, from heartburn to hemorrhoids, these are some of the symptoms you will experience during this time. Therefore sleeping on your side with a body pillow that pads your troubling areas will help with your need to sleep; placing a pillow under your legs to elevate them will increase blood circulation and support for your head will allievate headaches and prevent acid reflux which would result in heartburn.
Importance of Pregnancy Pillows
Although the above section has mentioned some of the reasons why it is beneficial to have body or pregnancy pillows during this period, here is some further information on how these pillows aid in providing relief and comfort during your pregnancy.
Your Support: These pillows provide the necessary support for not only your back, neck and legs but your stomach and shoulders. A high quality pregnancy pillow can relieve pressure that builds up along your spine, hips and back while improving your alignment at the same time.
Keep Calm: One of the many worries during pregnancy is the possible accidental pressure that might affect the baby by lying down. Using a pregnancy pillow will reduce your movements as you sleep with minimal interruptions.
Baby Support: After birth, the pregnancy pillow can be used to support the baby when breast feeding and also as a barrier that prevents your child from rolling of the bed.
Emotional Support: Surprisingly or not, hugging your body pillow can lower your heart rate; it provides a feeling of calm and can allow you to get a handle over the tremendous emotions you experience during this time.
Hypersensitivity: Because of the range of hormones coursing through your body, pregnant women tend to not only be allergy prone but have sensitive skin as well. All this can be avoided by choosing body pillows made of materials that are hypoallergenic.
Types of Pregnancy Pillows and How to use Them
There are several types of pregnancy pillow in today’s market each servicing a particular need therefore choose one that is suitably deals with your current discomforts such as women dealing with back pain may not need the same pillow as women experiencing hip pain. As each woman’s pregnancy is different so are the pillows different in catering to specific needs.
Full Length Body Pillow
These are long in shape and adaptable, they extend along the length of your body and bend about to suit your body’s needs. There are two different types of the full length pillow; the straight full length and the flexible full length pillow. The first is straight and resembles your normal pillow. It is made of polyester fibers and is not easy to curve or bend. The flexible body pillow is shaped like a curled wine cork and because of the material used, either microbeads (expensive) or styrofoam balls (less expensive), this pillow can conform to any shape you might require. They are wonderful pillows to embrace and hug but they don’t offer much back support as compared to other types of pregnancy pillows.
Use: Place your arms and legs around it in a full body hug; make sure the centre of the pillow is supporting your belly.
These pillows tend to occupy loads of space in bed but do offer complete body support – minus your back – and can ensure better blood flow as they cause muscle relaxation during sleep. With this, you would not require another pillow.
The Wedge Pillow
This body pillow is also known as the maternity cushion and in terms of size it is one of the smallest pregnancy pillows to date. There are two types where this pillow is concerned; the round pregnancy wedge pillow that resembles a half moon and the triangular wedge pillow that has the shape of sliced cheese.
Use: Slide this pillow under your stomach; it keeps the weight from distressing your back and hips. You can also place this pillow behind your back as you sleep; if you are constantly turning in your sleep, this pillow wedge can help you stay on your side. It can also be used under your normal everyday pillow for the purposes of avoiding acid reflux and heart burn
While these pillows are perfect for travelling with, are compact and inexpensive, they support only a small section of your body and therefore you may have to get at least one more body pillow.
Whole Body Pregnancy Pillows
These are fantastic pillows to use especially during your second trimester; at five to six feet long, these pillows are great to cuddle and offer exceptional spine support. Here are the two kinds of these body pillows; the C shaped pillow that looks exactly like the letter C and offers support to your head, belly, back and legs. The top part of the C shaped pillow is to be used as headrest with the base settling between your legs while your back moves into the curve shaped back of the pillow thus easing the pressure against your spine.
The other pillow, the U shaped body pillow is wonderful for those who sleep on their backs. It offers head to feet support; where you place your head at the middle of the U and place your legs on the outside of the pillow in a straddle position.
Use: These extended body pillows can be tucked between your knees so as to alleviate hip and back pain.
It is no surprise that these are some of the most expensive pregnancy pillows available, not only are they bulky but as you can imagine they take up quite a large amount of bed space. In spite of this, there are the most full on support body pillows and you will not be required to purchase extra. Another added advantage is that it can be used after birth to support your baby while breast feeding.
Guidelines on How to Pick the Best Pillow for You
Don’t just buy any pillow; pick one that is best suited to cater for your needs. Here are some guidelines that should aid you in deciding what kind of body pillow to choose
Pillow Filling: The type of material used to fill a body pillow will have an impact on the quality of sleep you will get.
Styrofoam Filling: These are the tiny white balls that can be found in bean bags and while they are cheaper than other fillings and easily adapt to your body shape thus providing support. One the downside, they are make load sounds as you turn and are unsuitable for prolonged hours of sleep.
Microbeads Filling: These balls are quite fine, are light weight and less noisy than the styrofoam balls. They tend to be soft and allow you to turn and move quite easily with them.
Memory Foam: These are firm and tend to take the shape of your body once you press against them and return to their original shape the moment you get up. These are great in seeking to relive back pain and aches but have certain drawbacks. The first is that they can increase the temperature of your body during the hot season and they also give off a horrible odor reason being the possible combination of your body sweat and the chemicals the material is made of.
Polyester fiber: Polyester fiber is soft and doesn’t make any noise. The amount of polyester fiber used in a pregnancy pillow will determine the firmness. While polyester is a very popular filling in pregnancy pillows, it does not breath as well as other fillings.
Removable Cover: A body pillow with a removable cover is easy to clean. During your pregnancy, you will tend to sweat a lot; your pregnancy pillow will absorb all this therefore having a removable cover will keep the body pillow nice and clean.
Firm or Soft: Even though you might prefer to use and pick a soft pillow, this might not provide the support that you may need so go firm pillow. It might be uncomfortable during the first few weeks of use, stick with it and your body will adapt in time.
Hypoallergenic Pillows: If you have any allergies, skin problems or breathing issues, make sure to choose a body pillow that is hypoallergenic as during pregnancy your body is extra sensitive and can fall prey to allergies.
Body Type: Not your normal consideration but take into account your body type before choosing a pregnancy pillow. If you are having twins or more pick a larger body pillow; the U shaped pillow is recommended. Women who are plus sized should consider the C shaped body pillows as this would suit them perfectly. If you are short and petite, there are small sized pillows that provide great support; consider “Total Petite Body Pillow” as an option.
Best Pregnancy Pillows
C shaped pregnancy pillow by Leacho: Labeled as the best full body pregnancy pillow as it is shape is designed in such a manner that it provides quality resting time and sleep. This body pillow offers great head and back support with a removable cover.
U shaped pregnancy pillow by Leacho: This pillow also has a great design and does not cause you any inconvenience as you attempt to re position yourself as you sleep while aligning your hips in the appropriate position. Customize, the pillow shifts with your every move and offers equal support to your belly and back.
Where to Buy Body Pillows
The best place to purchase pregnancy pillows is obviously online. You not only have a wide selection range, you also can custom pick the pillow you believe fulfills all your requirements at an affordable price.
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