Guides

Guides appear monthly and gather here.

What is published?

12 guides written up so far. Latest shown first.

Pregnancy and pain claims are checked against obstetric guidance, clinical advice and trials, and each one links to its source.

Is an organic pregnancy pillow worth it, and what makes one non toxic?

Plenty of pregnancy pillows say organic on the front. Far fewer back that up for the fill, which is the part you lean on every night. This guide shows you how to check the gap befo

Does a body pillow help with back pain?

Back pain is common enough to feel ordinary. In 2019, 39.0% of adults had back pain in the past 3 months, according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. For many peo

How do you use a pregnancy pillow?

Almost half of pregnant people say they sleep badly. A meta-analysis of 11,002 participants found that 45.7% had poor sleep quality, and that sleep got worse from the second trimes

Which pregnancy pillow should you buy, and when should you start using one?

A pregnancy pillow is a long, shaped cushion that holds a sleeper on one side while it props the bump, back and knees. Nobody needs one to sleep safely. Many people find side sleep

Is a pregnancy wedge pillow enough, or do you need a U or C shape?

A pregnancy wedge pillow is a small foam ramp. You slide it under your bump or behind your back while you lie on your side. U-shaped and C-shaped pregnancy pillows do the same job

Is a U-shaped body pillow worth it, or will a long body pillow do?

A U-shaped body pillow wraps around both sides of the body at once, so a sleeper can turn over without dragging a pillow across the bed. That comfort costs bed space. You also pay

When is the right time to start using a pregnancy pillow?

Most pregnancy pillow advice tells you to start when sleep gets uncomfortable. That is a feeling, not a date. The sleep research does give a date. The clearest line is 28 weeks, wh

Does a cooling body pillow keep you cool all night?

A cooling body pillow is the usual long pillow, most often 20 by 54 inches like this Walmart listing, sold with a cover, fill or gel meant to feel cool on your skin. Will that feel

Should you buy a weighted body pillow or a memory foam one?

On a product page, a weighted body pillow and a memory foam body pillow look much the same. They do different jobs. One gives you pressure to hug, and the other holds your legs and

What category is a body pillow?

A body pillow is bedding, and every system that sorts products files it next to ordinary bed pillows. Google's shopping taxonomy puts it under Pillows, and US customs taxes it with

What body pillow works for side sleepers?

Most adults spend more of the night on their side than in any other position. In a Danish study that fitted working adults with motion sensors, people spent 54.1% of their time in

Which body pillow is right for how you sleep?

Most adults spend more of the night on their side than in any other position. In a Danish study that tracked working adults with body-worn sensors, participants spent more than hal