Review | PregnancyPillows U-Shaped Pillow

I have a confession. On the sofa, in the bed and even on the floor, I’ve been sleeping with something else. Yes, something else, not someone! My brand new pregnancy pillow is almost my new boyfriend. The best thing about this affair is that it’s actively encouraged by my real life, human, boyfriend!

I’d been looking for a pregnancy pillow for quite a while, but hadn’t quite found one that I’d really wanted to invest in. In the meantime, I had been using normal pillows to help with sleeping and had been doing ok. So when PregnancyPillows got in touch and offered me the chance to review one, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

I chose their original ‘U-Shaped’ pillow which is filled with ‘Sensifil’ rather than the fairy beads. There are 3 options which you can pick from – original, classic and premium, with tiered pricing depending on your selection. You can also choose the colour of your cover, with up to 7 options on the classic and premium pillows. They’re completely removable and machine washable, which is great if you intend to use this post childbirth. So if you’re like me and end up leaking everywhere, just whip the cover off! The zip is well concealed around the outside of the pillow too, which gives it an almost seamless look.

It came in a rather compact package which, considering the size of it, is amazing. Upon opening it, I was immediately sold by the feel of the outer fabric. It’s exactly as described – “baby soft”. The inner fabric is coated with lavender and so it smelled lovely. Considering I am not a fan of lavender whatsoever, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn’t overpowering and it was actually very calming.

I kept it downstairs on the sofa and managed to use it a few times. I say a few times because I couldn’t get to it.. because it already had two other, almost permanent, residents – Toby and Jamie. Clearly fans of the pillow, they couldn’t stop feeling how soft it was either and Jamie later said to me “that’s the best thing ever”.

The second thing I absolutely love is how you just sink into it. The pillow literally moulds to every curve and contour and you feel as though you’re sleeping on a cloud, and you hardly remember it’s there. Not only is it ridiculously comfortable but it does a fantastic job at helping you maintain good posture, offering full support from all angles, no matter how you lay. It helped a lot with easing my lower back pain and the sciatica I’ve been having down my leg. It can also help with other ailments such as Fibromyalgia, Arthritis and Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction. Irrespective of whether or not you’re pregnant, you need to have one of these!

I’ve been testing it out for other things as well. I love a good bargain but I also love being able to make use of something after it’s been used for the purpose it was intended for. You may, or may not, know that I’m booked in to have a c section in a few weeks and I’ve been looking at ways I can use this as an aid to help my recovery. While the pillow is soft enough to mould to your body, it’s also firm enough to be able to use as a ‘rail’. I can sit with it on the sofa, using the the pillow as head and back support, while using the ‘arms’ on the pillow as an aid to help myself sit up. Not only does it stop me slouching, it means I don’t have to struggle to get up from the back of the couch. I’ve also been testing this out on the bed with getting up from a lay flat position using this as extra padding to help me lift myself.

The ‘arms’, as I like to call them, wrap snuggly around you and I’ve even been known to use it as a rest for my laptop. Superior blogging comfort I think you’d call it. It’s also the perfect cuddling up place for me and a little one! I think I’ll try to use it as a breastfeeding aid but think it might be a bit too bulky to go manoeuvre into position – I think I’ll probably take a look at the nursing pillows they have to offer instead, especially as these are likely to be a bit more portable too!

However, there is but one down side to the pillow. It’s just too big to store, especially as it doesn’t come with any kind of storage case. If you were hoping this might fit in your hospital bag, or an overnight bag, or even a suitcase, you might need to reconsider and opt for one of their smaller pillows. You can view the full range on their website.

If you want to see what they’re like for yourself, PregnancyPillows will be at The Baby Show in Birmingham between 15th-17th May on stand C11. Speaking of which, did you know you can win tickets to go? You can say you read my review and I might even see you there on the Sunday. Alternatively, you can find them at www.pregnancypillows.net

Do you like the sound of one of these and fancy winning your own? Well.. here’s your chance!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

• The prize is for one Original U-Shaped Pregnancy Pillow
• Entry is for UK residents aged 18 or over only.
• Entries can only be completed through the Rafflepcopter widget.
• All entries will be checked and verified.
• The winner is chosen at random
• The winner will be announced within 24 hours from close of competition and the will be emailed, as well as announced through Raising the Rings social media. They will not be formally announced on the blog.
• The winner will have 72 hours from announcement to respond with their details, otherwise a new winner will be picked, following the same procedure.
• The item will be sent out once winner’s details have been received, from PregnancyPillows.net directly