I’m a mum of two little boys. Sleeping can be an uncomfortable experience as your bump grows bigger in the second and third trimesters and I personally struggled with pelvic girdle pain (PGP) – a condition that causes pain in the lower back, pelvic joints, hips and thighs. So I know how important it is to find the best pregnancy pillow. I spent a lot of time curled around mine.
Pregnancy pillows are longer in length than a normal pillow and designed to support the changing shape of a pregnant woman’s body. They help you settle in a safe sleeping position for both mum and baby.
There are hundreds of choices online. To help you choose, I’ve compared the best maternity pillows currently available, from Dreamgenii to Bella Moon and Purflo, with the help of Rachel Fitz-Desorgher, a baby and parenting expert and speaker at The Baby Show Manchester. Our full reviews are below, followed by an FAQ section on how to use them, but if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at our top five:
What are the best pregnancy pillows in 2024? At a glance
What are the different types of pregnancy pillow?
When you start searching for the best pregnancy pillow you might feel a little overwhelmed at the sheer amount of choice available. Rachel Fitz-Desorgher says the key types are U-shaped and C-shaped. It’s also worth looking for a pillow with cooling properties, to help with night sweats.
“A U-shaped pillow can be great for pelvic girdle pain,” Rachel says. “It gives that essential full-leg support as well as comfortably hugging the back. And, of course, there is no need to shift it when you turn over: you can simply spin in the middle and let the back support become the new leg support and vice versa.”
Rachel suggests turning it upside down to become an ‘N’ pillow to allow the head, neck, back and most of the length of the body to be cared for. You might still need an extra little pillow between the calves and ankles though if your hips tend to hurt.
C-shaped pillows can be a little more flexible. “Bend and shape it around you to support whichever bits of your body are crying out for a little help,” Rachel says. “Some pillows concentrate more on the bump and back whilst others cater more for hips and legs. Few do it all, so be prepared to supplement a little with a regular bed pillow where needed”.
Any pregnancy pillow is supposed to bring your limbs back into alignment and take the strain off the ligaments supporting the heavy tummy and breasts. Rachel explains: “How you place and wrap the pillow depends on where the aches are – an aching back needs a bit of oomph right in the lumbar region of the spine, whilst a woman struggling with pelvic girdle pain needs support between the full length of her legs, from thigh to ankle to keep them parallel and hip width apart all the way down”.
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How we chose the best pregnancy pillows
I chose our top picks with Rachel’s guidance, taking into consideration the issues I experienced during my own two pregnancies and what I found most useful in a maternity pillow. We’ve included a wide range of pregnancy pillows that help with a number of concerns such as hip and back pain, side sleeping, hot sweats and versatility.
If you’re looking for other ways to improve the comfort of your bed, by the way, you may want to read our guides to the best mattress toppers and best electric blankets. We even have a guide to the best anti-snore pillows now.
1. bbhugme Pregnancy Pillow
£153, Amazon
Best pregnancy pillow overall, 10/ 10
We like: it supports five key areas of the body
We don’t like: at over £100, it’s quite an expensive purchase