At 32 weeks pregnant, sleeping on my stomach — a position in which I often slept pre-baby — has become pretty much impossible. And since sleeping on your back while pregnant can compress a major blood vessel and cut off blood flow to the baby, I've had to resort to sleeping on my side exclusively.
But this sleeping position causes restless nights and groggy mornings.
After yet another sleepless night, I finally decided to search the internet for a product that would alleviate my nighttime woes.
After some research, I came across the Cozy Bump, a blow-up body pillow with a hole cut out for the pregnant belly. Invented by a couple when they were experiencing problems similar to mine, this pillow is designed to allow pregnant women to lay on their stomachs comfortably, and moms-to-be love this miracle pillow.
"It took my back pain away," one reviewer wrote on the Cozy Bump's website. "I also fell asleep so much quicker!"
With such positive reviews, I decided to try the Cozy Bump for myself and see if I could finally get a good night's sleep.
What Is The Cozy Bump?
The Cozy Bump is a six-foot long blow-up pillow designed to "allow pregnant women to rest and relax on their belly while pregnant" and "relieve pressure in the lower back".
As a mom-to-be who suffers from back problems, I was intrigued by the Cozy Bump's promise of easing back pain, and I immediately jumped at the chance to put this pillow to the test.
The Cozy Bump comes in two (very appropriate) colors: blue and pink. Even though I'm having a girl, I decided to get the blue Cozy Bump.
Each pillow also comes with a small blanket that you can drape over the hole before you lie down.
For portability purposes, the pillow comes in a drawstring bag so you can deflate it and store it or bring it with you wherever you go.
How Does The Cozy Bump Work?
The Cozy Bump's online instructions recommend using an air pump to blow it up, though the pillow doesn't come with one.
Since I don't own an air pump, I decided to head to the nearby gas station and try using theirs.
Unfortunately, the gas station's air pump didn't fit the Cozy Bump, so it was up to my husband to try to blow it up by mouth — despite the website's recommendations.
Thankfully, my husband was quite the trooper, and he was able to blow the pillow up in about 20 minutes with a few breaks.
Getting the Cozy Bump filled with air was a tiresome process, to say the least. I would suggest adding the Easy Inflator air pump to your order if you don't already have one.
Using The Cozy Bump On The Floor
The first place I tried using the Cozy Bump was on the floor.
When I first laid down on the Cozy Bump, I felt like I was on an air mattress or a pool float — which makes sense, given that they're all made out of similar materials and filled with air.
Because my bump was confined to the hole in the pillow, there wasn't a lot of room for me to shuffle around and get comfortable.
However, I had a hunch that it would be nice to work on the Cozy Bump since sitting down all day gives me back pain — and when I grabbed my laptop and sent a few emails from my pillow, I found that I was right!
I loved being able to lie face-down while I did some work for the first time in months.
Using The Cozy Bump On My Bed
At 6 feet long, the Cozy Bump took up half of my queen-size bed.
However, I felt that the Cozy Bump was definitely more comfortable on my bed than on the floor.
With a pillow and sheet, I felt much more ready for a nap when the Cozy Bump was in my bed. Before I knew it, I found myself drifting off on my Cozy Bump for my first face-down rest in ages.
Too bad there's no room left in bed for my husband!
Final Thoughts
Americanpregnancy.org recommends "SOS" sleeping, which stands for sleep on side — specifically your left side, because it increases the amount of blood and nutrients that reach the placenta and, ultimately, your baby.
Unfortunately, the Cozy Bump prevents me from SOS sleeping, so I don't think it's a long-term solution.
However, I do think I will keep the Cozy Bump around for naps and lounging around the house.
The Cozy Bump definitely helped me lounge on my back, and I definitely felt my back pain ease up. Plus, the angle I was lying down in made it easy for my husband to give me a nice back massage.
Ultimately, I just don't think I could sleep on the Cozy Bump for more than an hour or two — and my husband would kill me if I slept with it every night!
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