buying guides
The best pregnancy pillows for your bump (and back!)
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Sleep can be hard to come by in pregnancy, and the more your bump grows, the more elusive a good night’s shut-eye becomes.
The size of your belly makes it difficult to get comfortable – and near enough impossible to roll over – and backache and heartburn can also contribute to sleep problems.
If aches and pains are causing broken nights, a special pregnancy pillow that offers support where your body most needs it can help you to feel more rested. It can also help you if you would usually sleep on your back but now want to sleep on your side, as this is the safest way to sleep during pregnancy.
Here are some of our favourite pregnancy cushions
1. bbhugme Pregnancy & Nursing Pillow
Designed in Norway by chiropractors, this super comfortable pillow is bolster-shaped and offers great support. It's adjustable to give you just the right firmness and support where you need it and it can be used in different ways. You can use it around your growing tummy, behind your lower back, under your knees or to support your feet. You can sit on it during the day, as well as using it at night and you can use it as a breastfeeding pillow when your baby is born. The washable cover is made from 95% cotton.
2. Dreamgenii Maternity and Nursing Pillow
This pillow is long and is designed to mould around your torso, your tummy and your legs and it helps support parts of your body that are uncomfortable. It can support both your back and knees and it allows you to lie on your side, which is the best position for pregnancy sleep and especially useful if you usually prefer to lie on your back. Lying on your left helps blood flow to your baby, so this pillow can assist with the most comfortable position to maintain that position. The pillow can be used after your baby arrives as a breastfeeding support pillow, too.
3. Purflo Breathe Pregnancy Pillow
This banana-shaped pillow is ergonomically designed to be used as a back support, head or knee support or placed between your legs during pregnancy, then as a feeding cushion and tummy time cushion for your baby. It is made from breathable materials with a jersey cotton cover that's soft and silky so you'll want to cuddle up with it and it has a central mesh panel that follows the shape of your pregnant tummy.
4. SnuzCurve Pregnancy Support Pillow
This is an innovative new pregnancy pillow that helps you get into the best and safest sleeping position for pregnancy, with what's called a KneeBlade section that slips between your legs. Its shape supports your whole body and you can still use your own pillow on your bed and it relieves pressure from stress points. It helps you have a neutral spine posture to help reduce back pain and it is made from materials that will prevent you from overheating. It's machine washable too.
5. PharMeDoc Full Body Pregnancy Pillow
Available in jersey knit fabric, this is perfect for side sleeping when pregnant or for getting into the best position to alleviate aches and pains. It comes in lots of lovely colours and supports all areas of your body as you sleep. It has a detachable extension that can be added to allow full-body support and you can adjust the way the pillow wraps around you to give you a comfortable rest. It has a washable cover and it will support you throughout your pregnancy stages.
6. Orthopaedic V-shaped Support Pillow
This supportive and simple pillow comes in white (you can also buy coloured covers) and is V-shaped to let you place it where it's most comfortable. It has a 100% hollowfibre non-allergenic filling and is affordably priced.
7. Orthopedic Cushion
This cushion, when placed on a chair, gives great support if you have a desk job. Made from high quality memory foam, it has a cooling gel side and a washable velour cover and is ideal for working mums who sit at a desk for extended amounts of time both during and after pregnancy. It has a circular opening in the centre, which relieves pain in the sacral region and can also receive pain from stitches after the birth. The cover is machine washable at 60°C.
What should I spend on a pregnancy pillow?
As with most maternity and baby products, pregnancy sleep aids range in price from bargain basement to high-end luxury.
If you’re looking for something simple that will just give you a bit of back support in bed, it’s possible to pick up a V-shaped cushion for as little as £10.
Stretch the budget, however, and you’ll be looking at full-body pillows that will cocoon all the parts that most need support: bump, back, hips, pelvis and more.
Expect to pay up to around £70 for one of these ultra-comfortable models.
What are the key features I should look for in a maternity pillow?
The most important attribute of your maternity pillow is that it provides support where you want it. There’s a variety of different types to choose from depending on your needs.
V-shaped cushions are designed to go behind your back so you can sleep in a more propped-up position, which is helpful if you’re suffering from back pain or heartburn.
Doughnut-shaped cushions can be used in several different positions: behind your back, between your knees while you’re lying on your side to prevent hip and pelvis pain, or under your bump to support your baby’s weight. They are also useful after the birth for sitting on it you had a painful delivery or stitches.
Full-body pillows are generally shaped with a long section on one side, to support your front, and a shorter section on the other side for back support. These aim to relieve pressure on all the key areas – bump, back, hips and knees – at the same time, and also improve the blood flow to your baby.
Some pregnancy pillows can also be used after the birth as a breastfeeding cushion, a support to help your baby sit up, and even as a baby nest where your newborn can nap and play. It’s also worth considering whether you’d like a cushion with a removable cover.This is a useful feature if you’re in the hot and sweaty stage of pregnancy, or if you’re planning to use it as a nursing aid, when it’s liable to get milky dribble on it.
Generally speaking, you get what you pay for with pregnancy pillows. If you just want a bit of support for a specific part of your body, you may be okay with a cheap V-shaped or wedge pillow, but the pricier full-body pillows are better for all-over comfort, especially in late pregnancy. The materials tend to get better as the price rises, too, with some of the more expensive pillows filled with micro-beads that mould to your shape, whereas the cheaper ones use wadding.
Other things you need to know about pregnancy pillows
If you’re looking for a pregnancy pillow that can still be used after you’ve given birth, make sure you take a close look at the product description. While some maternity cushions are designed to be safe for babies to lie on, and even sleep in, others could pose safety risks.
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