Sleeping discomfort is normal during pregnancy. Sleeping with a maternity pillow can improve your sleep quality.
We all know how important sleep is during pregnancy, but as the months pass, sleeping difficulty, back pain, and neck pain start to enhance. Using a maternity pillow is a wise decision to get sound sleep.
Stay tuned with us to know how maternity pillows can enhance your sleep quality.
What are Maternity Pillows?
Maternity pillows offer extra support to your body postures that change throughout the pregnancy. They are specially designed for a pregnant lady to enhance their sleep quality.
Traditional pillows aren’t made in a way that can hug the contours of a pregnant body, and you may suffer back pain, leg cramps, pelvic stiffness, and restlessness at night.
You can easily change your side (left or right) with a growing baby and belly through the maternity pillow. Sleeping with a maternity pillow makes your night calmer.
What are the Benefit of Sleeping With A Maternity Pillow?
Check out the below points to know the benefits of using a maternity pillow:
- The pregnant lady should sleep on her side to enhance blood circulation. But due to growing weight, pregnant women are not comfortable sleeping side-ways. The maternity pillows support pregnant women’s bodies, so they change their sides comfortably.
- Maternity pillows allow one to find a comfortable position and ensure that the spine is correctly aligned. Sleeping with a maternity pillow helps you to take a long and sound sleep.
- Maternity pillows keep your back, neck, and hip aligned.
- Women gain weight during pregnancy, which creates pressure on their hips, back, and legs. It is so important to give rest to these body parts.
- Only sleeping in a good position can offer you rest. Maternity allows you to sleep in the most comfortable position, reducing your aches and body pain.
- Efficient sleep is crucial for a healthy pregnancy, and maternity pillows offer a relaxing environment to sleep well and for longer hours.
- You can also use the maternity pillows after delivery to keep your baby in a good position for breastfeeding.
What is the Right Time to Start Sleeping With Maternity Pillow?
There is no rule to start sleeping with a maternity pillow. You can use it whenever you feel uncomfortable while changing positions during sleep. Usually, pregnant women start sleeping with a maternity pillow around 20 weeks when their bellies start to grow, and they feel extra weight around their back.
The second trimester is the best time to start sleeping with a maternity pillows, but as we know, every pregnancy is not the same, so some women also start using pregnancy pillows before 20 weeks. Using maternity pillows ultimately depends on you.
By the third trimester, you gain lots of weight, and your back and neck pain are at their peak, making you feel sleep discomfort the entire night.
At that time, it is necessary to start sleeping with a maternity pillow. So, choose the coziest maternity pillow and enjoy the nights during pregnancy.
What are the Types of Maternity Pillows?
There is a wide range of maternity pillows available in the market, so you can pick the best one as per your choice and comfort. Different pregnancy pillows offer comfort differently, it depends on you to choose the most comfortable for yourself.
You can use the trial and tested methods to choose the best one. You can also discuss the shape and comfort with the shop owner or sale executive.
Here I have mentioned some types of pregnancy pillows and their features that will help you to choose the perfect one to meet your needs.
1. C-shaped or Contour
It is helpful to support your neck and belly when you change your sleep side. The pillows keep your legs and hips parallel to make you feel more comfortable. sleeping with a maternity pillow offers efficient support to your neck, and you can sleep comfortably.
2. U-shaped Maternity Pillows
The maternity pillow offers support to all parts of the body. They are great for pregnant women who want to sleep on their backs, but due to increasing weight, they cannot sleep. The U-shaped pillows offer good support to entire body, including the tummy and back.
3. Pregnancy Wedge Pillow
It is the smallest pregnancy pillow used to support the targeted area of the body, like behind your back, between your knees, and under your belly. The maternity pillows look like cushions, and you can use them as needed.
It is also helpful to cope with heartburn as it keeps your head above average body. You can also use a wedge pillow as your standard pillow. It is the best option for the maternity pillow that can use during and after pregnancy.
Don’t forget to check out the filling material of the maternity pillows, as they are made of and covered with different materials. Some maternity pillows can feel comfortable for you, and others can’t.
So, before purchasing pillows, you should check the filling material (synthetics or polyfill) of the pregnancy pillows as per your comfort.
Conclusion
Using a maternity pillow or not, when to start sleeping with a maternity pillow ultimately depends on you. If you feel comfortable with your regular pillow, continue using it. No problem.
But whenever you feel a disturbance in your sleep, this is an alarm for you to purchase a maternity pillow. Moreover, pregnancy pillows are not a luxury items. They are accommodating to cope with the aches and improve your sleep quality.
FAQ’s
Here are the most asked questions about sleeping with a maternity pillows that will help you to choose the best one to have a sound sleep:
Q. How can a maternity pillow help you?
A. Most pregnant women experience backaches, cramps in their legs, and stiffness due to enhancing body weight and belly size. Sleeping with a maternity pillow provides pregnant women support to deal with sleeping discomfort.
Q. Does a maternity pillow allow you to sleep on your back?
A. Yes, you can adjust the maternity pillow as your comfort and sleep on your back. You can prop yourself up on the pillow to get additional back support that makes you to have a sound sleep through out the night.
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Q. Should I purchase a U-Shaped or C-Shaped maternity pillow?
A. The shape of your maternity pillow depends on what kind of comfort you want to have a good sleep. A C-Shaped maternity pillow is best for you if you don’t use your sleeping positions at night. But you usually change your sleeping side and then choose U-Shaped pillow as you don’t need to change the side of your pillow to sleep comfortably.Â