How to Choose a Pregnancy Body Pillow
How do you choose a Pregnancy Body Pillow? Great question. It can be overwhelming to choose because of the variety of shapes, sizes and prices. There are so many choices out there... Some are short body pillows. Some are curved, some are in the shape of a giant "U". Some body pillows are just straight. And then, there is such a huge variation in prices. Some inexpensive body pillows can be found at the big super retailers for twenty bucks, while some are over a hundred. What's the big difference in all these pillows?
What size and shape of body pillow should you get if you are pregnant?
First, let’s look at the size and shape of a body pillow. The one you choose will be determined by how you will use the pillow. Many users of body pillows are getting them to help reduce back pain during pregnancy. Many want it for sleep comfort. Many want to ease their sleep comfort as they sleep on their side. Here are some of the factors to consider:
- Support on both sides of the body: For back sleepers, that would mean both the left side and right. If you are a side sleeper, users found it ideal to support the front of the body as well as the back, so they didn't 'roll' backwards in the middle of the night.
- While straight body pillows or "C" shaped body pillows can be comfortable, they typically will only support one side of the body for "cuddling". Pregnant body pillow users find that they need the support on their back so they don't have to balance. This is why they prefer a pillow that can support both sides. Because of this, a "U" shaped pillow works best.
- Support between the knees: This requires a pillow long enough to reach from under the head and neck all the way down to the knees.
- Support between the ankles: For true comfort and pain relief, pregnant users prefer pillows that also can support between the ankles so they don't "knock" against each other.
- Size: The size of body pillow for pregnancy is a matter of personal preference. Most pillow users prefer pillows that at least go between their knees as well as support under their head and neck. A straight body pillow is good for "cuddling" but will usually require another separate pillow under the head. The "C" shaped pillows can support under the head, neck and knees, but lacks the support on the back to prevent rolling backwards. The "U" shaped body pillow can support the head, neck, knees, front, back and if long enough, ankles.
- Who will be using the pillow?: Are you petite? Tall? Consider the size, shape and weight of a pillow before getting one. If the pillow is for a petite person, you may want a smaller, or petite body pillow. If the pillow will be used for traveling during pregnancy, a petite pillow may be a nice addition to your pillow collection. Most women will be fine with a standard body pillow.
- Flexibility of use: Do you want the pillow to be used in multiple positions? Such as sitting up in bed, reading, watching TV, in a chair, in a car, support under knees, back, side sleeping, back sleeping, etc? Longer pillows will allow this more than shorter, straight or "C" shaped pillows.
What is the best value and price for a pregnancy body pillow?
Now let's look at prices of body pillows for pregnancy. The factors that affect the price of a body pillow are: Size, Filling, Material, Shape/Design, Quality, Where it is Made, and Warranty.
Let's look at each one of these:
- Size: The bigger the size, the more material required and more material means more money to manufacture.
- Filling: More expensive pillows offer a higher quality filling. Filling options will determine if the pillow is resilient to flattening, will if fluff up easier, will it hold it's shape, is it hypoallergenic, does it hold heat or dissipate your body heat, and is it easily washable.
- Design/shape: More complex designs and shapes requires more time/labor to sew the pillow, stuff the pillow, and sew the case.
- Quality of Manufacturing: More expensive pillows have better quality standards. In many cases, they are hand made/sewn.
- Where the Body Pillow is made: If the pillow is made in another country with inexpensive labor, you may save some dollars. However, if the pillow is made in the USA, you will be paying to support the US economy and workers.
- Warranty: What is the warranty on the body pillow you are considering? Do they have a warranty against flattening? This is another factor to price.
- A larger body pillow for pregnancy also requires more space at the factory or retailer for storage and may have a higher shipping cost.
- All of these factors will affect the price of a body pillow.
- Money back guarantee: Does the manufacturer of the body pillow provide a guarantee? A quality product tends to guarantee their product to ensure your satisfaction. And when you are pregnant, that is one less thing you want to have to worry about in a body pillow.
A few last considerations: When you get a body pillow, consider getting an extra pillow case. You may want one for when one pillow case is in the wash. You may want a different case color or fabric. Body Pillow Cases can come in different colors and fabrics. Some include fleece, cotton, and jersey cotton (like T-Shirt material). Body pillows can sometime be challenging to get the pillow case on. Consider a pillow that has a case with a dual-zipper. This allows you to unzip both zippers and place the whole pillow in the case very easily. A dual zipper also allows you to move both zippers to one spot, open them a few inches, and slip in a hot pad or cool pack, just where you want it.
After reviewing many body pillows, we found that the Comfort-U body pillow is a great choice for many. It is a "U" shaped pillow, great for pain relief, sleep comfort, and relieving pain during pregnancy. It addresses most of the key points listed above.
Click here for Body Pillows for Pregnancy and Maternity
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