When we talk about pregnancy must-haves, we typically touch on things like supplements, healthy foods, and comfortable clothing. However, pregnancy pillows are not seen as a necessity because some people believe that you can make do with a couple of regular pillows to support your belly. A pregnancy pillow does a lot more than just support your belly; it supports your entire body!
Benefits of Using a Pregnancy Pillow
Pregnancy pillows come in different shapes and sizes so it’s important to pick one that suits your specific needs. For instance, J-shaped pillows provide belly support but U-shaped pillows give you belly, back, and knee support. There are plenty of pregnancy pillows in the market but you don’t need to break the bank to get a good one. A review of the best pregnancy pillows by independent experts allows you to compare the pros and cons of the top pregnancy pillows, including budget-friendly options, to help you make a choice. Here’s how a pregnancy pillow can improve your health:
Improves Sleep Quality and Quantity
As your pregnancy progresses, you will find it increasingly difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position. This can lead to restlessness and poor sleep. A pregnancy pillow supports your body so that you can find a comfortable sleep position and get a good night’s sleep. In the later stages of pregnancy, as your baby grows, your uterus will expand and press against your bladder. This means that you will probably wake up multiple times during the night to urinate. Reducing your water intake before bed will help to reduce the number of times you wake up but it cannot prevent it. This is where a pregnancy pillow comes in because you will be able to come back to bed, find a comfortable position, and fall asleep quickly which minimizes the impact on your quality and quantity of sleep.
Reduces the Risk of Common Pregnancy Health Issues
We tend to associate a lack of sleep with problems like daytime sleepiness or fatigue. However, poor sleep has been linked to several pregnancy health issues including gestational diabetes. Sleep is essential for glucose metabolism and studies have found that short sleep duration increases blood glucose levels in pregnant women and increases the risk of gestational diabetes. Shorter sleep durations have also been linked to high blood pressure and preeclampsia. These health issues can also have a negative impact on your baby’s health. A pregnancy pillow helps you get the sleep you need and reduces your risk of pregnancy health problems.
Reduces Body Aches and Pains
As soon as you conceive, your hormone levels start to change. One of the biggest changes is the increase in a hormone called relaxin. As the name suggests, relaxin works to relax all your connective tissues. This is a good thing because it allows the connective tissues of your hip joints to stretch and accommodate your growing baby. Unfortunately, the increased flexibility of your joints can cause your muscles to become overworked which leads to body aches and pains, especially hip pain. Pregnancy pillows help to keep your legs and hips aligned which reduces the pressure on the muscles of these joints; in turn, this reduces your discomfort.
Prevents Acid Reflux
As your baby grows, your expanding uterus puts pressure on your stomach. In addition to this, the hormone relaxin also slows down digestion which means that the food you eat stays in your stomach for longer than usual. Both of these factors increase the risk of acid reflux, especially during the later stages of your pregnancy. Furthermore, if you have cravings for certain foods like pickles and other acidic or spicy foods, you are more likely to experience acid reflux, especially at night. A pregnancy pillow helps to keep your upper body elevated which helps to keep your stomach acids from rising back up.
Ensures Side Sleeping
Sleeping on your back does not pose any known health risk during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, during your second and third trimester, your doctor is likely to advise you against sleeping on your back and to switch to side sleeping instead. This is because it’s possible for your uterus to impede blood flow when you are sleeping on your back. Research shows that sleeping on the back (supine position) is linked to an increased risk of late stillbirth. Pregnancy pillows ensure that even if you roll over in your sleep, you will only switch from one side to the other and you won’t sleep on your back.
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