Pregnancy pillows (back/side sleeping)

[LaMadrilena]

Morning everyone! I'm 25w and struggling to stay sleeping on my side. I don't have any aches or pains or anything (yet), and bump is probably pretty average-sized, but I just naturally roll onto my back and sleep better that way.

Can anyone tell me what the best type of pillow is for that specific problem? I've been looking around, and it looks like it'll be the U-shaped ones, but they take up a lot of room. Do any of the other forms serve the same purpose? Or are they mostly for hip/leg/bump support?

Just use many normal pillows to prop you in to a reclined seated position. It'll allow you to sleep on your back without compressing vital blood supply to baby.

I'm normally a side sleeper but this is the only way I could get any sleep at the back end of my twin pregnancy.

@LaMadrilena I’m using a u-shaped one which is great for making you stay sleeping on your side. I’m only 15 weeks but it’s so comfy and I thought I may as well get used to it nice and early. I mainly sleep on my side anyway, but was worried about rolling onto my back and I think the u-shaped pillow does stop you doing this x

I found the U shape one helpful in keeping me on my side as I’d wedge it under my back and it was also good if I wanted to turn over to the other side as then I didn’t have to move the pillow. I didn’t bother with one in my first pregnancy and then in my second found it amazing. They do take up quite a lot of room but it’s not for long

I use a massive u shaped one.
It makes side sleeping comfortable but i always end up sleeping on my back.
I have stopped being paranoid about it as i don't sleep well otherwise.
So now i just roll to the side when i notice or go slightly over the pillow when am on my back.
32 weeks now and all fine.

The bbhugme is incredible - but you have to pay for it! 😩

I just bought a pharmedoc one ... also £££ but it’s amazing and I would consider marrying it 😆

Thanks for all the suggestions! I was looking at an Ullenboom one that had good reviews, but was quite spendy. As I'm not sure how much it's going to help, I got a different sausage-shaped one that had even better reviews and was half the price.

Last night I slept terribly, just because I end up with a really sore shoulder from lying on one side all night. Fingers crossed this makes a difference!

I’ve had a massive u shaped one for a while but I’ve also recently been tying my hair in a low bun after I saw it suggested somewhere. I thought it sounded really silly and would never work but I wake up on my back way way way less now so it has obviously stopped me rolling on my back more than the pillow does!

Yep, I saw the low bun advice on the Tommy's website. I'm going to try that too, although I think I'll just end up on my back with my head to one side, and snoring...

I think the advice on sleeping position is out of date now - www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20190910/sleep-position-unlikely-to-affect-babys-health-in-pregnancy-study-finds I’m 32 weeks and haven’t worried about it!

That's so interesting about the research! I always thought the previous research looked a bit questionable - asking women to remember how they slept on the night they lost their baby several weeks later? I can't imagine the results were exactly reliable.

That same research paper also showed almost the same increase in risk from sleeping on your right as on your back but the recommendation was only ever to stop sleeping on your back which seemed strange to me. I'm not a statistician but surely you can't just cherry pick your findings because you understand a possible mechanism to explain one result and not the other.

I'll try to stop worrying about it so much!

@LaMadrilena I thought that too but it has worked. I think maybe when you first start turning you turn your head aswell so it stops you even starting to turn? That’s my theory!