A C-shaped pregnancy pillow, for belly and back on one side
A C-shaped pregnancy pillow fits you because it holds your belly and your back at once while you stay on one side.
Updated .
In short: A curved pillow that runs behind your back and under your bump, sized to your height, with a cover you can take off and wash.
The fit
Lengths and fills come from published maker dimensions and the sources cited on this site. This site measured nothing and gives no medical advice.
| Part | What fits | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | One curved piece that can help provide support to tummy, back, hips, and legs. | maker listing |
| Length | Published lengths are 52.4 x 24.8 x 8.3 in, 55 inches L x 31.5 Inches W x 7 inches H and 58.75 x 25.5 x 7.75 inches. One extra-long curved pillow, sold to meet the needs of taller women, lists 77.5 x 28.25 x 8.5 inches. | 52.4 in, 55 in, 58.75 in, 77.5 in |
| Fill | The usual fill is polyester fibre. One listing gives Pillow Filling: 100% polyester fiber, and another gives ≥2300g Polyester Fiber. | 100% polyester, 2300 g |
| Cover and washing | A zipped, removable cover. One maker says to machine wash warm, gentle cycle for the cover, and do not machine wash pillow. A maker that allows washing the whole pillow says Use commercial size washer or dryer. Machine wash delicate cycle, 30˚C/85˚F. | cover care, whole pillow |
| Where it goes in the bed | On your side of the mattress, with the open side of the C facing you. Listed widths run from 24.8 in to 31.5 in. | 24.8 in, 25.5 in, 31.5 in |
Reading your answers back
You said the pillow is for support while pregnant, which usually means holding the belly and the back at once. A curve does both from one piece. Staying mostly on one side means the support only has to sit on that side. That is why a C is enough. A U wraps both sides, and the guide on how a U-shaped pillow differs from a long one sets the two shapes side by side.
If you answered that you mostly lie on your back, the result still points here, for a different reason. The NHS says the safest position to go to sleep is on your side, either left or right. It adds that after 28 weeks, falling asleep on your back can double the risk of stillbirth. A C keeps support behind the spine. Questions about your own pregnancy belong with your midwife or doctor.
Height decides the length. For the shortest height in the quiz, the shorter listings in the table, such as the 52.4-inch one, should reach from shoulder to knee without trailing off the bed. For the middle height, a standard length works, and the longer ones leave room to tuck a leg over. For the tallest, a standard length stops short of the knee. The 77.5-inch extra-long listing is worth the room.
Feel decides the fill. A firm pillow needs a fill that does not drift to the ends, which is harder over five feet of curve than over two. A soft one needs a fill you can push back into place. One maker's care note says if your pillow starts to clump or becomes flat, fluff as you would any other pillow.
Washing only the cover is how most long pillows are meant to be kept. Check that the cover is zipped and comes off whole. Washing the whole pillow is harder. The maker in the table that allows it names a commercial-size washer, which for most homes means a laundromat, and a 30˚C delicate cycle.
If your situation changes
Three things would change it.
- For anyone who turns from side to side through the night, a U-shape holds both sides, so the pillow never has to be lifted over.
- On a small bed, a C takes up width, and a wedge under the bump may do the job in less room.
- If you want a natural fill rather than polyester, the guide on what makes a pregnancy pillow organic covers what to look for.
Trying the fit in your own bed
Lie on your usual side and have someone measure from your shoulder to your knee. Compare that with the listed length, remembering that a C spends part of its length on the curves. Then check the gap between you and the edge of the mattress. It should fit the listed width, which reaches 31.5 in on one listing, with room to spare. Read the care label first. For setting it up night to night, see how to use a pregnancy pillow.
Other body pillow guides
- When is the right time to start using a pregnancy pillow?
- How do you use a pregnancy pillow?
- What makes a pregnancy pillow organic, and what is kept out of it?
Back to which shape and length
Sources
Gathered here, the outside pages this body pillow guide quotes, each beside the part of the guide that needed it.
- maker listing (leachco.com), needed in “The fit”.
- 52.4 in (vevor.com), needed in “The fit”; “Reading your answers back”.
- 55 in (regalo-baby.com), needed in “The fit”; “Trying the fit in your own bed”.
- 77.5 in (leachco.com), needed in “The fit”; “Reading your answers back”.
- whole pillow (boppy.com), needed in “The fit”; “Reading your answers back”.
- NHS (nhs.uk), needed in “Reading your answers back”.