Pregnancy Pillow

Get a Good Night's Rest

A pregnancy pillow is the best thing for helping to get a good night's rest while pregnant, whether it's just a standard pillow or a specialty pregnancy pillow. A pillow along with other suggestions can help to make pregnancy nights a little more tolerable. Pregnancy has its ups and downs. The number one area that suffers the most is the getting those night time zzzz's comfortably. I can offer some suggestions to make nighttime be more like dreamtime and a lot more relaxing.

The first trimester is plagued with many night time bathroom trips, due to the newly swelling uterus putting pressure on the bladder. Once in second trimester, you will find that you not only feel a bit better but will sleep better as well. The second trimester is a little reprieve from the morning sickness day and before the weight gain of the third trimester. But sleep can even be a little tougher at this point too.

Morning sickness, frequent urination, fatigue - these are the things that plague the first trimester with me. Sleeping was a struggle. I even had a bucket by the bed just in case. The best thing that helped to stave off the "morning sickness" at night was eating a light snack before retiring. Keep some saltine crackers by the bedside before rising in the morning. Thankfully the extreme fatigue that plagues the first trimester, helps most moms to get a good nights sleep.

I found that a taking a couple of pillows – I dubbed my "pregnancy pillows" - and placing them between my knees and at my feet helped me to rest better, even in the first trimester.

Though the second trimester was the easiest of all to rest, many women have sciatica - sciatic nerve pain that runs from the lower back through the buttocks and down the legs. A nice warm bath helps to relax and ease the pain. Again, those wonderful pillows between the knees and thighs were a great help.

It's the third trimester that brings the most challenge to gaining a comfortable night's rest. You can start out by taking a nice warm bath to help relax the tired stressed muscles. If you can't take a bath, a warm shower will do. Always wear comfortable clothing and keep the room temperature comfortable and cool. Place the pregnancy pillow between your knees and thighs and place one or two more behind your back and at your bulging tummy for support. All these pillows help to keep your back from aching by keeping you on your side. A pillow under the feet can be nice too.

Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. All this water can also add to the nighttime bathroom trips, so limit the intake about an hour before bedtime. Drink most of the water during the waking hours.

Stuffy noses are often a symptom of pregnancy, due to the hormones causing swelling in the nasal passages. Try some saline nose drops to help lubricate the passages and alleviate the stuffiness. Ask your healthcare provider for safe over-the-counter medications to help too.

Normally pregnancy and sleep do not mix well. Do what you can to make yourself more comfortable. Pregnancy actually takes up such a short amount of time, there is light at the end of this sleeplessness tunnel. Get out that favorite pregnancy pillow, either a standard normal pillow or a specialty pillow made just for pregnancy, and make the nights a little more comfortable. All too soon sleeplessness from pregnancy will be forgotten and sleeplessness from a new baby will be the story of the day!