is it worth forking out on a pregnancy sleep.pillow? if so.what one shall i buy?

[CarrieInAnotherTWOBabiTWINS]

Just woken up, feel sore and achy.on hips. As lying on my sides allnight long. I do.swap.sides

So thinking about buying some.sort.of.pillow. will it make.my hips hurt less? What sort should.I buy? Some I've seen are about 40pounds and seems a lot of money. Would a normal.pillow between the legs be worth a go x

I had a dream genie thingy but tbh it was only really useful until about 5 months, I then graduated onto one big pillow between the legs and one smaller pillow wedged under bump. I still use the dream genie thing sometimes to lie down along my back so I can wedge a hot water bottle against my back with it, but a bolster or something would do fine.

Basically you just need about a million pillows and a DP who can sleep on about six inches of mattress

I wouldn't get a dreamgenii. Great design in theory, but in practice I thought it offered little support. I agree with grumpla that you're probably better off with normal pilows - or one of those longer bolster type pillows which you can wedge between your legs.

Yes that is the problem dh ! Wish I had some where to chuck him. Could do with the bed all to myself. And aload of pillows we already squabble over he'd space as it is. But I'm getting a bit of back

Sorry bit of back pain now. Right at the base of my spine, in my arse, so tempted to try and buy something to help

I hated the Dreamgeenie and don't know why it receives such good reviews. To me it hasn't been much use. It's flimsy and not thick enough between my legs. I can't "hug" it because it's not designed that way. The only positive is the back support. Also it's very very overpriced for what it is.
I much prefer the Theraline Big V Maternity Nursing Pillow because it's long enough to hug and go between my legs to balance the bump. It's not perfect but the best one I bought. And yes, they're all outrageously overpriced!

I haven't used one but saw quite a few in tk max for £14.99, if there's one by you it might be worth popping in. they were by the baby clothes

Yrs we do have a to max.here. I shall check them out, prob later.today

I have a dream genii carrie and love it, it's not very chunky but that is what I like about it, it is good that all the bits stay in the right places as are all attached, I tend to kick out random pillows whilst sleeping. I bought it from eBay for around £15. The pain you're describing sounds rather like PGP (have that too) I would highly recommend aqua natal classes as well as a good pillow!

In my last pg my DP got me some little cushions from Ikea for about 99p each, they were great for under bump/between knees etc.

This time I splashed out on a pregnancy pillow but not the £40 one, I think it was about £22 from Amazon and was made by Carla. It's not as big as the expensive ones so doesn't take up the whole bed and make you hot, but it is really comfy - it sort of winds round you like a snake. My DD loves it too, she likes to hide in it and make snake sounds :) will also work as a feeding pillow.
The only downside is you "can't" wash it, but we'll see. It'd be easy enough to make a cover if you wanted to. I just Febreze it and hang it on the washing line to keep it fresh, I'm not dribbling on it or anything (nice).

Carlita. Could you tell.me.anymore about pgp it is.mostnpainful when I wake up at night to go to the toilet andnclimb upstairs at night before bed

I don't think I had that pain when pg with dd. Although that was five.years ago

I've got mothercare's dreamgenie equivalent. Its not magic (I'm 36+4 so nothing's comfortable now!) but it has definately helped with sleep! I'd say if you can find a cheapish one give it a go.

I got a long body pillow from Dunnelm Mill and a V pillow, both were about £5.... I loved the body pillow as I could only sleep on my left, and if I got onto my back I could't get back. With the body pillow behind me, I could get slightly onto my back, but still on my side with no pressure on my hips. I used the V pillow loads, and if someone is poorly with a cough or cold it still gets used at night time, so a great buy.
Good luck :)
Suzy x

Carrie
pgp = pelvic girdle pain (PGP) (pain at the back of the pelvis)
Spd= symphysis pubis dysfunction (more general pubic pain)
Basically pain in the pubic area and groin but you may also have back pain, pelvic girdle pain or hip pain; a grinding or clicking sensation in your pubic area; pain down the inside of your thighs or between your legs. It can be made worse by parting your legs, walking, going up or down stairs or moving around in bed. Worse pain at night. It can stop you sleeping well and getting up to go to the toilet in the middle of the night can be especially painful.

I didn't have it with my first two pregnancies either. I started having it around 26 weeks with this pg. It's horrible.

Oh no that sounds like my pain exactly.
Hurts also.when I turn sides at night. I thought my hips.where aching so bad due to lying on sides. I will.def get some sort of pillow.then

carrie def sounds like it from the extra details you've given.. Have a good read of this website, it is excellent as is their support via email /www.pelvicpartnership.org.uk/
get a referral to physio ASAP and start aqua natal classes if it is an option for you. See if your hospital does NHS acupuncture (mine does) that can be very helpful too. As for stairs at home go up and down on your bum (in all seriousness, time consuming but so worth it) when out go up and down one step at a time (like a child) the more I can avoid stairs the better I get. Sorry if I sound like the voice of doom, don't mean to be, it is a condition which is better caught early and managed!

I have SPD and someone lent me a Dream Genieieii wotsit thing. I used it once and woke up in the night having a nightmare that I was wrestling a giant worm. AAARRGHHH!

i got the Grobag one, loved using it and can be used as a nursing pillow afterwards or just a nice big support pillow. washable cover one it, think I got mine on Amazon.

Carrie, ask for a physio referral via your MW or GP. They will be able to check your posture and give you lots if good advice re. managing PGP.

I also have SPD. not much fun at all, and as people say seems to be worse at night, husband has told me to order a pillow today, i think hes got a bit sick of my whimpering about it and huge normal pillow in the bed!! lol

What sort of exercises will a physio give? My midwife said she would do a letter and refer me to a physio but i declined not wanted to be moany or make any hassle BUT it has definetely got worse this week so i will get the letter, she said if it got worse i must ring and get the letter! SHE KNEW!!!! ;-)

Going to google some of the suggestions here and pick a pillow!!

Good Luck Carrie!!

sorry i dissapeared, i almost fainted in the shower just then, went all weird then my vision when spotty then started turning black!
quickly got out the shower. could feel my legs going underneath me, laid on the bed, soaking wet! and called for dh.
felt better after a lay down.

i think it may have been i almost fainted due to bending down to reach the shampoo.

bloody heck, its a right barrel of fun this pg malarky.

thanks so much for the advice about my pains, i shall look at those links now, and tell my midwife and try and tackle it before it gets bad or worse.
thanks fpr advising me

Ooh bloody hell Carrie that sounds scary!

Another recommendation here to get thee to a physio! I toughed it out for way too long and by the time I saw one there was a limit to what she could do (although the manipulations & exercises did help a bit).

She also got me a belt thing which has completely stopped me getting cramp in my legs and feet after walking when I remember to wear it so well worth going. If you put on your referral how pregnant you are they usually prioritize accordingly.

cub, they will let you try various pelvic support belts (I then had to buy it - £20) which made a massive difference I me whilst walking when my PGP was at the back only (I now have it front and back, much worse at front and it can't really help that). The exercises given will depend a bit on you but things like circling your hips on a yoga ball, moving ball back to front and side to side, one exercise where you lay on your side, hold abdominal muscles in and slowly raise and lower one bent knee, lots of things, importantly though they'll also assess why you have it, there may be some misalignment in which case you'd need a manual therapy, in my case it is because I am hypermobile, my ligaments were already 'too stretchy' and the addition of the pregnancy hormone relaxin is resulting in them being 'way too stretchy' so no longer able to hold my pelvis in a stable position.
I have been given particular squats, stretches etc. the most helpful thing has been aqua natal classes (may be particularly good as run by hypermobile woman who had PGP) and avoiding climbing stairs where at all possible!
Don't push through the pain, restrict yourself to necessary movement only when you are in pain and let yourself heal. I also find a long bath every day helps and have no pain whilst in the bath which is a massive relief on those days when it is constant.

oh thanks for the advice, couldnt find a pillow when i was out this pm, but i'll try a normal pillow tonight and of that doesnt help i shall order something online tomorrow.
one thing i can stop doing is, i have been going to the main bathroom upstairs when i need the loo, as the downstairs one gets quite cold in winter as that part of the house is quite detattached from the rest of the house, but i'll put up with the cold and avoid the stairs so much.

I just bought a dream genie after seeing some good things said about on here, but I'm really disappointed with it tbh. It's just not big and chunky enough to offer enough support. Would have been better saving my money and sticking with the pillows

Totally agree blushingmare. Ebay?