Sleep Well with a Pregnancy Pillow
The pregnancy body pillow or maternity pillow was brought to my attention as “the best money spent during my pregnancy”, so what is pregnancy / maternity pillow or body pillow?
The starting point for this aid is the body pillow, unlike most other pillows the pregnancy pillow is placed alongside the body and not across it. It is either placed between the knees or the upper leg can be rested on top of it.
The pregnancy pillow however is designed with the expectant and sometimes nursing mother in mind as well. The come in a number of shapes, from simple hockey stick shapes to more elaborate open figure “8” or “U” shapes and many shapes in between!
Jumbo Comfort-U Pillow
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Jumbo Comfort-U Pillow 40″ x 64″
Amazon Price: $98.50
Relief From The Aches and Pains of Pregnancy
With all the amazing body changes going on during the second and
third trimester, with a growing uterus and the body preparing the hips
for childbirth it is no wonder that things can get very uncomfortable.
Simply
carrying around the weight of the expanding belly puts increased
pressure on the pelvic area and back, it would be a strain for anyone
to carry around that sort of weight all day.
One other thing that
happens is that hormones including relaxin are released to allow the
ligaments, the very tough fibers that locks the bones of the pelvis
tightly together normally, to become more stretchy in anticipation of
the birthing process, to allow the birth canal to expand.
The fact that the pelvic bones are free to move can result in the hip pain experienced sometimes, but for the same reason some women find that pre-existing hip/back pain problems are resolved as the bones re-align themselves. If hip pain is severe seek professional advice as it could be pelvic arthropathy.
Leachco Back N Belly Contoured Body Pillow
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Pregnancy pillows are designed to help counter these two causes of
discomfort mentioned above, by supporting the belly and back (see above) and by also supporting the hip by placing a pillow between the
thighs and knees.
Snoogle Pregnancy Pillow
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Snoogle Chic Jersey – Snoogle Total Body Pregnancy Pillow with Jersey Knit Easy on-off Zippered Cover – Heather Gray
Amazon Price: $52.99
The other thing body or pregnancy pillows encourage is that of
sleeping on the side, sleeping on the left side is recommended by health professionals for
anatomical reasons, it prevents the large organ of the liver sited on
the right side of the body being compressed, which could prevent it
filtering the blood supply as efficiently. Also lying on the back can
restrict the flow of blood through the blood vessels of the
heart, which can cause feeling feint.
Pregnancy pillows don’t have to remain in the bedroom, many people use them on the sofa or floor to get comfortable watching TV or reading, pregnant or not, plus there are ranges of body pillow cases or covers in fabrics and colors suitable for the main living area.
If you think these types of pillows look big, if it takes 4 or 5 ordinary pillows for a pregnant woman to get comfortable, and it can, these take up no more space and are less likely to move out of place and disturb any partner.
Leachco Organic Smart Snoogle Deluxe Total Body Pillow
Amazon Price: $79.97
Now what price do you put on a good nights rest, given that a pregnancy pillow is not an expensive maternity item can you afford not to have one, everyone benefits from a well rested mother to be, partners take note!
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