10 Best Pregnancy Pillows

Pregnancy is a transformative time in many different ways, most noticeably within your body. As your pregnancy progresses, you may notice aches and pains or find sleeping difficult. A pregnancy pillow is one of the best ways to get that much-needed rest by supporting your body in all the right places. Read on to discover why this handy tool can make all the difference and which of the best-rated pregnancy pillows are loved by thousands of our Pampers Parents.

What Is a Pregnancy Pillow?

The best pregnancy pillows are those that fulfill their main role: support your body to promote better sleep. According to experts, the best position for sleeping while pregnant, especially during the second and third trimesters, may be on your side with your knees bent. Pregnancy pillows support this position by laying strategically between your knees, under your abdomen, and/or behind your back. And because most of the best-rated pregnancy pillows are moldable, they can help support your growing and changing body. Sometimes, a full-body pregnancy pillow is the best choice because it can help you feel more comfortable while sleeping, as it envelops your entire body. This is the beauty of pregnancy pillows! One large pillow supports multiple points on your body simultaneously, so you don’t have to tuck a bunch here and there. Our Pampers Parents mostly preferred long, curved pregnancy pillows (sometimes shaped like a C or a U), which follow the shape of your pregnant body, remain where they should through the night, and are best for restful sleeping. You might also find that a pregnancy pillow is convenient because it stays in the right shape, even if you need to get up in the night to use the bathroom. When you come back to bed, it’s right there waiting for you without needing adjustments like many standard pillows.

Why You Might Need a Pregnancy Pillow

A pregnancy pillow can be a good option for a few reasons, including:

1. It can help alleviate back pain. Many moms-to-be run into some back pain or discomfort during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. If you’re experiencing this, you may find that it impacts the quality of your sleep. Back pain is sometimes triggered by the fact that your body is producing a hormone called relaxin. This pregnancy hormone loosens ligaments and joints to make vaginal birth easier, which can cause some discomfort. You may also find sleeping difficult due to hip and pelvic pain caused by the pressure of your developing baby. The best pregnancy pillows may help ease this type of pain as well as back pain. They may help reduce some of these symptoms by supporting you in specific areas where added pressure is making you uncomfortable. However, if your pain persists, speak to your healthcare provider.

2. It can help you sleep on your side. Sleeping on your back is not recommended when you’re pregnant. The weight of your uterus puts extra pressure on your spine and back muscles, and this position can compress a major blood vessel, leading to dizziness. There are some pregnancy pillows that many consider best for back sleepers, as these pillows can help you transition to sleeping on your side if that’s not your usual position.

3. It can help you find a comfortable sleeping position. As your belly grows, you may find it harder to sleep in the positions you found most comfortable before you became pregnant, especially sleeping on your stomach. You might also find that when you sleep on your side, you need extra support for your belly, back, and legs. The best way to sleep with a pregnancy pillow is by positioning it in a way that supports all those body parts, helping you to sleep more easily whether you’re usually a back-sleeper, side-sleeper, or stomach-sleeper.

What Type of Support Does a Pregnancy Pillow Provide?

Using a pregnancy pillow has a few perks, but one of the most important benefits has to do with how you position it against your spine. Ideally, you want your pillow to help your spine remain in its natural alignment while sleeping. To achieve that alignment, the best pregnancy pillows will offer support in these areas:

• Neck. The pillow should preserve the natural curve of your spine so that you don’t wake up with a strained neck.

• Shoulders. Supporting your shoulders is especially important while side-sleeping because you don’t want extra pressure to cause any aches or pains.

• Belly. Supporting your belly helps prevent the weight of your uterus from tugging on your abdomen, putting pressure on your back, or causing one side of your torso to bend unnaturally.

• Lower back. Support for your spine is crucial, which is why many of the best-rated pregnancy pillows are long and designed in a U shape to support both the front and back of your body.

• Knees and ankles. Keeping your knees and ankles elevated with a pillow can help reduce swelling. The pillow should also keep your legs aligned without tilting your hips or twisting your spine.

If you would like more individualized guidance about the best type of pregnancy pillow for your body, check with your healthcare provider.

What to Consider When Searching for the Best Pregnancy Pillows

There are many different kinds of pregnancy pillows on the market, so it’s worth familiarizing yourself with what’s available before shopping.

Here are some of the best features of pregnancy pillows to consider when choosing the right one for you:

• Size. Some pregnancy pillows are downright humongous, and not everyone is lucky enough to sleep on a big mattress. If you are tight on space, with a queen or double bed, the best pregnancy pillows for you are those that aren’t curved, like wedges. Check out the compact style of the Boppy and the Hiccapop on the Pampers Parents list below, which could be great options. If you have a large bed with room to spare, go for a larger style that will provide maximum support, like the Bluestone Full-Body Maternity Pillow with Contoured U-Shape, which is the largest pregnancy pillow on the list below.

• Shape. Pregnancy pillows are available in different shapes, with the U shape being the most common. There are also C-shaped pillows and pregnancy wedges, which you place under your belly. U-shaped pillows offer comfort on both sides, so your belly and back are supported, but they can take up a lot of room on your bed, as mentioned above. A C-shaped pillow may work better for some moms-to-be, but it may not offer the same back support as a U-shaped pillow. Additionally, there are pregnancy pillows that don’t conform to either of these shapes, like the Boppy Multiuse Slipcovered Total Body Pillow, which you will see is shaped more like a comma. But if you don’t like the curved style, there’s also the log-shaped Tempur-Pedic Body Pillow, which is also one of the best pregnancy pillows for queen beds and other smaller spaces.

• Material. You’ll find pregnancy pillows made with memory foam or filled with down or a polyester-down alternative. Memory foam can provide optimal support, but some moms-to-be find it too hot. Down and down alternative pillows tend to be cooler and more lightweight, but they might not be as supportive as memory foam. Find what works best for you, but when in doubt, you might want to consider materials similar to the standard pillow you’re sleeping on now.

• Price. Some of the best pregnancy pillows are relatively cheap, but be wary of flimsy ones, as you won’t get the support you need. The most expensive pillow on our list below is the Tempur-Pedic Body Pillow, whereas the least expensive is the Boppy Pregnancy Wedge.

• Cover. Look for a pregnancy pillow with a removable and washable cover so you can clean it easily. All pillows on our list come with a machine-washable cover.

The 10 Best Pregnancy Pillows

Now that it’s time to make your decision, below you’ll find our list of the best-rated pregnancy pillows as chosen by thousands of Pampers Parents.