Awesome Sauce: Preggo Body Pillow

Oh man, you guys, this pillow is amazing. I started having hip pain not too long into this journey and thought I could manage without spending extra money...but wow, what a difference!

PROBLEM - I had extreme soreness in my right hip while laying down, sitting, and (you guessed it) standing. I'm normally a back and stomach sleeper and you aren't allowed to use either position while pregnant, just left (preferably) or right side. TORTURE! Absolute torture. Not only was my hip sore ALL. THE. TIME. but my hip joint was pinching some nerve that runs down my legs and caused me serious pain while doing pretty much anything. Add in the fact that my shoulders felt like they were being crunched and my neck was sore every morning and I had myself a real mess of a situation.

SOLUTION #1 - I tried using the extra pillows we had around the house to put between my knees and then another to have as back support (which also helped train me to stay on my side during the night). There were a few flaws with this setup, one is that the pillows are older and all went flat within minutes. Any relief I got was soon lost due to inferior stuffing. The second problem was that any time I moved I had to take the pillows with me. This made for a serious scene and woke me up to the point of no return and also woke my husband up which is no good either. Something needed to change.

RESEARCH - Typically before I buy anything, and I do mean anything, I research it to find the best one for the money and the best one all around. This time I decided to consult my other "mommy" and "mommy-to-be" friends on Facebook about what they used to help with this whole side sleeping problem. The responses I got included the following, massage and chiropractic alignment, one of those c-shaped snoogles, and two normal sized pillows joined at the long sides by fabric so that both your back and belly are supported. These are all valid options, but not what I was looking for. Them, one friend told me she had tried several pillows and finally broke down and bought the expensive one because the others just didn't cut it. That's when I realized that I could try cheaper options knowing I'd probably be disappointed, or I could just go for what I really wanted. So I did.

SOLUTION #2 - I bought a huge U-shaped body pillow that is as long as I am (I'm 5'6") and it is HEAVEN! After three nights my hip was no longer sore and even my shoulders were improving. That is the best $99 I have ever spent, seriously. I can't imagine the state I'd be in now if I had not addressed this problem early on. My husband calls it my "nest" which is not totally wrong. It is my own space that helped me reclaim my half of the bed and kept my skeleton from falling apart.

PHOTOS - Here's how the pillow arrived. So small!

And after. It looks like it takes over most of the bed, but once you are in it and have it tucked around you it really isn't a bed hog. Some people in the reviews for this pillow were complaining about how much room it takes up, but I don't find that it does. It's my sanctuary and I love it.

I've had this pillow for a few weeks now and I'm happy to report that the stuffing is holding up well. I am optimistic that it will last me past this pregnancy which is nice. You do have to fluff the pillow each day though, otherwise you will notice it all condensing. It's a small price to pay for something so useful. In case you are in the market, I got this one on Amazon and it's called the Comfort U MATERNITY Pillow. It is sold by a bunch of different companies on Amazon, so it's up to you to choose the one that's right for you.

There you have it, my two cents on maternity body pillows and a stellar recommendation. I hope this helps some of you make a decision about what you'd like to use. Sweet dreams!

Week 22 Day 3

According to many sources my baby is now the size of a spaghetti squash! The second most mind blowing development is that I only have 17 weeks and 4 days left until my due date...what?!?! I'm not freaked out or anything, just constantly amazed at how fast this is blowing by. It seems like yesterday my little babe (who is a girl and is named Violet) was the size of a poppy seed.

I know it's been a few weeks since I last wrote, but I'm going to just dive right in.

HEADACHES are gone! Hallelujah! I finally broke out of the constant headache situation with nothing but the aid of peppermint essential oil and it feels so GOOD! (I should note that I am not a doctor, and you should speak with your healthcare practitioner before starting any new remedies. Also, if you are planning to use peppermint oil, avoid it in the last trimester if you are planning to breastfeed as it might dry up your impending milk supply).

NAUSEA is also gone! Woot! I left that badness behind around week 15 and what a blessing that has been. I never had truly horrible nausea, but as we all know, being sick is never fun no matter what degree or length. I've heard personal stories from women I know about having nausea all through the pregnancy and with each child...ouch.

FEET are swollen *insert super frowny face here* This Brooklyn heat has started to make my feet swell ever so slightly and I'm am not happy about it. I'm mostly concerned because it will slow me down and eventually swallow up my ankles. I have nice ankles and I'd like to keep them. It also makes me wonder if my feet will get bigger. I'd rather that did not happen either.

BELLY is gigantic for real! I still have people telling me that my belly is "so tiny" (not really a compliment btw) and it's annoying because they obviously don't realize that this thing is causing everything to be completely turned on its head! I can't lean forward like I used to, can't sit up like I used to, and my jeans no longer zip even one centimeter. This is huge! Oh, and the fact that it protrudes past my boobs is enough to make me think some people are blind.

BOOBS also gigantic (by my standards). I've always had 34Bs and they are very full Bs at the moment which is disconcerting. I've never wanted bigger boobs, and still don't, but it's a part of this whole experience so I'm allowing myself to be ok with this change. I'm still holding out hope they will return to normal after all this business is done.

EXCITEMENT 10/10 I am not just saying that for fear of being judged, I am actually super excited about the whole ordeal. I am gathering all the things I can find for my little one, making plans, and nesting a bit. It helps that my sister is due two months(ish) before me because that will be my reality check. This is going to really happen and you better get ready!

This picture was taken around 21 weeks. Don't mind the shoes in the background.