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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Sleep support pillows

31 replies

BusyMissIzzy · 28/11/2009 09:50

I'm 26 weeks and am finding it really hard to get comfortable in bed. Seem to be waking up every half hour having to change sleeping position. Between that and needing to pee and the cat climbing all over me, I'm really not sleeping well at all I've looked at maternity support pillows; the Dream Genii (£45)seems to be popular, but Mothercare also have a cheaper one (£30). Any recommendations would be appreciated.

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Pingpong · 28/11/2009 09:56

I've got the v shaped pillow from mothercare. Got it last time and used it from about 22 weeks for sleeping. Used it for breastfeeding, used it to prop up DD when she was still a bit wobbly at sitting upaided and I'm now using it again for sleeping with this pregnancy. I don't know about the dream genii one - does it have more 'bits'? I have found the v shaped one very versatile so it gets the thumbs up from me.

ohnelly · 28/11/2009 09:56

Ive just bought one from Ebay for less than £20 (including postage) it came today and looks great & so comfy, and came with free pillowcase. I read somewhere on mumsnet that the mothercare ones werent very good and they were better on ebay so have a look!

butterscotch · 28/11/2009 10:26

I bought two from Amazon my previous was over used!

I had the mothercare long pillow which was £20 poor quality imho, the alternative I got from Amazon was about £6.99!

From the same seller on Amazon I bought another V which is much bigger than the bf one I bought last time! that was about £6 with a pillow case as well! So bargain!

Caitni · 28/11/2009 11:06

I bought the dream genii, after a bit of humming and hawing about the price, and I LOVE it. It's the single best thing I've bought so far, as I'd had a couple of bouts of sciatica before I bought it and have not had any back pain or hip pain since (I'm now 26 weeks). It's definitely helped with my sleeping.

heth1980 · 28/11/2009 11:18

In my last pregnancy I bought a full body length one (can't remember where from) but found it really cumbersome when it came to getting up for a wee and turning onto my other side etc. I'm now 26 weeks with number 2 and am just using 2 normal sized pillows off the spare room bed (one between my knees and one to rest my tummy on). I'm finding it much more comfortable and it hasn't cost me anything!

LifeOfKate · 28/11/2009 14:47

I've got the dream genii, have had it since about 20 weeks, and think it's amazing, although I have heard some people don't get on with it so well. We did deliberate over the cost, as it is expensive, but DH bought it for me formy birthday in the end. I'm not entirely sure how it's going to work out as a feeding pillow, I can't get my head around it at the moment!

woowa · 28/11/2009 15:42

i've had the dreamgenii since about 25 weeks, mostly I'm happy with it but sometimes I'm uncomfortable still - maybe that's because I'm pregnant!! Perhaps i'm not using it low enough in the body. Bought mine in TKMaxx - which is a great place for finding really random things. Overall i'd recommend it.

GoldenSnitch · 28/11/2009 15:54

I hate my dreamgenii. Used it for a few weeks but as it has no support for my upper arm, it gave me a really sore neck. I think it was because my hips were kept straight from the pillow, while my top half twisted round with nothing underneath it and pulled all my back/neck muscles.

I've ditched it for two normal pillows - one which I put between my knees and the other, I hug to support my shoulder - and it's much, much better.

The dreamgenii was massively overpriced and a complete waste of money IMHO!

I'm not having any more kids but if I were, I'd use the normal pillows or buy one of those body length ones.

I only had a tummy wedge for my first baby. I have no idea how I slept!

angfirsttimer · 28/11/2009 17:06

I have the dream genii one and have been using it for a few weeks (now 27 weeks) I found it quite comfy and have definately slept better with it although it does take a bit of getting used to. It does take up a lot of room in the bed though dont get it if you only have a standard size double bed unless your DP is very skinny!!
I thinks its good because if you turn over in the night you still have something supporting your bump because of the back support bit without having to turn the whole pillow over.

MumNWLondon · 28/11/2009 21:44

I have a full body one - I can only sleep on my stomach and having it under my shoulder then bump meant I could sleep - it make a massive difference but I would say these things all vary person to person. At 20 weeks and haven't used it this pregnancy yet.

hoops997 · 28/11/2009 21:49

I'm glad this thread was started, am currently 22 weeks and can't for the life of me sleep, it's getting ridiculas(sp!) I was looking at the dream genii but have wondered about the price, I think I might try the mothercare v shaped thing......I can no longer sleep on my front, which is the way I have slept for years, lovely joys of pregnancy hey!!

Mishy1234 · 28/11/2009 22:33

I had a dream genii and it was great during pregnancy, but I didn't find it so good for breastfeeding.

Thandeka · 29/11/2009 11:43

I have the v shaped one from argos and found it too big in the bed. Because I keep rolling onto my back and stopping breathing I have now brought the dream genii (TK MAxx- £22-cheapest anywhere) and although initially it took some getting used to I now can't sleep without it (30weeks pregnant now) and it isn't nearly as bulky and annoying as the v-shaped so dream genii gets thumbs up from me although initially it didn't while I was getting used to it.

FluffyCoo · 29/11/2009 12:51

Following a recommendation from a fellow MN'er I bought a v-shaped pillow from Dunelm Mill which cost me all of £6.99 plus a couple of quid for a pillow case. Some weeks I use it a lot, other times it gets binned in favour of tucking an ordinary pillow under my bump... an absolute bargain though IMO, will be great for feeding when the time comes too!

Thandeka · 29/11/2009 13:14

ooh can you get v shaped pillow cases from dunelm? would be good to get a spare.

my v shaped one was from argos and i think that was 6 or 7 squid.

LifeOfKate · 29/11/2009 15:14

Hmm, that's interesting, angfirsttimer, I found the dream genii a lot smaller in bed than other options... I certainly couldn't fit normal size pillows in the bed as well, which was partly why I went for the genii...

angfirsttimer · 29/11/2009 17:58

Life of Kate - Maybe its just my DH's beer gut taking up the room then!!!

Pingpong · 29/11/2009 20:17

dream genii looks huge on the internet photos. I find the v shaped one cumbersome enough to get into position when I turn over (which I do quite a bit) so would be put off having anything larger in bed with me ! DH is skinny so he's not the problem!
goldensnitch I couldn't work out what to do with the wedge shaped one. SIL lent one to me. In the end I shoved it in the car and it made getting in and out of the seat a bit easier when I was really big!

GoldenSnitch · 29/11/2009 22:19

I just wedged it under my bump when I was laying on my side Smac, haven't even tried it this time as I cannot work out how it would be comfortable either. I definietely need soemthing to support my top shoulder this time as going without is giving me a very sore neck - which I why I'm not getting on with the Dreamgenii.

I have another V shaped pillow for feeding si I guess I'm only keeping it to hand onto my sister when she gets big enough...

LifeOfKate · 30/11/2009 08:31

angfirsttimer - my DH's beer gut takes up considerable room in bed too! He is most perturbed now that I am demanding a full half of the bed rather than the third I used to cope with!!

Rachiesparrow · 30/11/2009 09:35

I've got a dream genii. It's been a godsend, but has one HUGE drawback - you cannot turn over in bed without waking up to rearrange the whole sodding thing, because it slots under your body to offer back support. Is a NIGHTMARE, especially the more preggers you get.

I think if I'd known, I'd have gone for the mothercare one, as it's a full body pillow that you can just hug, and turn over with.

Also, the dream genii doesn't support your feet. I have to put another pillow between them, which invariably gets kicked off the end of the bed with the cat.

GoldenSnitch · 30/11/2009 09:57

I thought the dreamgenii was supposed to be great cause when you roll over, you can use the back support as a bump support and pull the leg pillow between your knees from the other side?

Caitni · 30/11/2009 10:55

Rachiesparrow, I do what GoldenSnitch describes when I roll over - just use the back support as bump support and pull the long bit through my knees from the back. Seems to work quite well (well, as well as it can with a bump growing bigger by the day!).

Firsttimer7259 · 30/11/2009 12:09

I have dream geniee. On me it works quite well and I just pull the bump support between my legs as I turn over.

But its a bit of a lottery as it depends on your size and shape, your mattress etc and my physio explained (much later) how you can acheive the same and better with 2 pillows.

So for benefit of others I will hold forth:

What you want is a really floppy understuffed pillow. Make a pasta bow shape by squeezing the middle. On your side put waist in the middle and use the sides of the pillow to provide support to bump and back so you are lying with spine nice and straight. The middle bits supports your waist filling the gap to take pressure off your hip and shoulder. A firmer pillow between the knees evens out your hips. Do not rest your upper knee in front of lower one in that 'recovery position' you see in books, pulls the pelvis into a twist. Have knees at same level or top knee further back.

I didnt have a soft enough pillow for my waist/bump/back at home when trying to come up with a DIY solution and bought the dream geniee in desparation. But if I could thats what I would do now, the dream geniee is slighty too slender to support me as much as I would like in the waist and it is pricey.

What you are aiming for is for your spine to be straight and parallel with mattress. No big dips in and out at waist, no being pulled forward by your bump, no twistng in the hips.

whensmydayoff · 30/11/2009 15:29

I bought a dream geni. It's a bastard, as is everyone and everything....

35 weeks PG, not slept in weeks, dodgy hip, sore back, 2.5 yr old.
It helped at first but now im too angry and end up lobbing it across the room. Even my hypnobirthing CD is playing in the back ground....

" I am calm and looking forward to my birth with joy and ecstasy" bla bla bla

and there I am, punching a dream geni and purposly yanking the duvet from my DH who is snoring away, nice and comfy on his back

B A S T A R D S

hope that was helpful

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