Product Review: Bump Nest pregnancy pillow relief system

What's a pregnancy pillow?

     As I mentioned in a previous post (Pregnancy Not like the movies) there are a number of alignments that come along with pregnancy. Some of the more common ones that affect sleeping are aches and pains, heartburn, and insomnia. And that's were pregnancy pillows come in. Pregnancy pillows are marketed as a tool to help pregnant woman get comfortable and alleviate pain so they can get rest. Pregnancy pillows come in a variety of shapes and sizes from wedges that target a specific area or problem to full body pillows that claim to be designed to handle a list of alignments such as back pain, knee pain, ankle pain, restless leg syndrome, and sciatica. For more on pregnancy pillows and how to chose/ use one check out- WikiHow Pregancy Pillow

Why I decided to get a pregnancy pillow

     If you have been following my blog you already know that I have a lot of hip and back pain because of my hip dysplasia and that pregnancy has made increase this pain as well as given me a list of other problems since I've been " blessed" (read the sarcasm) with so many pregnancy symptoms. I was still in my first trimester when it became increasingly difficult to get comfortable and fall asleep at night. Having had my hip problem all my life I already know that I can get some pain relief by placing pillow between my legs and sleeping on my side but I found myself tossing and turning too much and constantly re positioning the pillows around me. Being pregnant gave me nose bleeds and sinus issues so I also needed to stack some pillows behind me to elevate my head. For all these reasons I decided to look into getting a pregnancy pillow.

 The Bump Nest Relief System Pregnancy Pillow

     After reading a bunch of reviews and checking out a number of full body and pregnancy pillows in baby stores I decided to go with the Bump Nest. Yes, this product is on the high end of the price spectrum but based on reviews and write ups I decided to give it a try. The reason I decided to go with this pillow rather than the many others out on the market was the soft natural material and because it's machine washable. Many of the other pillows had synthetic materials or covers and although many covers are washable now, few of the pillows are able to be washed without losing their shape.

    The bump nest can be purchased as either the relief system or pillow only. If you purchase the pillow only you'll receive one that looks like the candy cane shaped pillow in the picture above (priced at $99 on the company website). The pregnancy pillow does not include the white with pink feather base that is pictured above. The bump nest pillow is very soft which I like but if you want a firm pillow this is not your best option. The cover has a hidden zipper, which is nice so when you cuddle up to it there are no scratchy seams. I love the soft cotton breathable material of  the knit fabric cover (it's a mix of polyester and cotton if I remember correctly). The cover comes in eight different colors and additional covers can be purchases separately ( $24 each). Both the cover and the pillow are machine washable. I have not yet washed the pillow so I do not know how it will hold up but I'll add an update after a few goes through the laundry.

     Bump Nest also sells a relief system that is marketed to help relieve acid reflux and heartburn, which is made up of three pieces (priced at $199). If you purchase this option you'll get a pregnancy pillow and two base support pieces. One of the two bases is wedge shaped and the other is like a big fluffy pillow. The base pillows fit together by the button strap material sown in on the sides. The strap utilized 2 buttons on each side to link these two pieces. The strap also has 3 positions for the buttons so it can be adjusted to pull the two pieces closer together or spaced out more. See picture below:

     I purchased the bump nest relief system. I figured it will come in handy even if I do not need all three pieces yet. It just seemed like a good investment especially since I was only in my first trimester when I purchased this product. Although I've had some heartburn and re flux it's not too bad yet so I found that I do not need a high incline every night when I sleep. Instead I detach the base pieces so I can get a little incline with the wedge base for my upper back and head. I use the second part of the base as an extra pillow that I place to my side of use to elevate my feet. The pillow (candy cane shaped portion) is great to lay on my side and get support under my belly and breasts or to throw a leg over. What is not ideal with the pillow is that one side is longer than the other so if you flip sides you can't just wrap your legs around it if you face the shorter side. Although I list that as one of the cons of this product, it really did not bother me much since overall I do sleep much better and don't toss and turn as I used to. I've been able to get comfortable and sleep through most of the night without waking up in pain and needing to adjust the way I'm positioned.

   Here's a list of pros and cons I found

Pros and Likes of the Bump Nest pillow only:

• The soft breathable material
• The wrap around design is great to get back and front support
• The whole pillow is machine washable- the case and pillow!
• The hidden zipper in the pillow case and no harsh scratchy seams
• The soft and easy to twist pillow can me manipulated to various positions
• Its like a cuddle buddy!
• Free shipping! If you purchase this product directly from BumpNest

Cons and Dislikes of the Bump Nest pillow only:

• One side is shorter than the other so you might need to flip the pillow if you flip to your other side
• The sections you lay on the most such as were your head rests flatten out from use- although that's too be expected and just requires some re fluffing of the pillow or the use of an extra pillow (which I use anyway)
• Not sold in retail stores so you can't check out/ touch the product until it's delivered to your home. (* Quick update I just noticed the website states that this product is also available that Pea in a Pod Maternity and Nordstrom stores but I'm not sure if all stores carry it in stock)
• Price

   

Pros and Likes of the Bump Nest Relief System (3 pieces):

• Everything listed above
• Base(s) gives you incline helpful when you have heartburn, re flux, or sinus congestion
• The bases are detachable re positioned for other uses; wedge can be while laying on side to support the belly and big fluffy base can be used under feet in early pregnancy when still laying on back

Cons and Dislikes of the Bump Nest Relief System (3 pieces) :

• Limited color options; although the pillow comes in 8 colors the relief system only have 4 color choices
• Amount of space it takes up in the bed. This isn't issue for me yet as I have a full bed to myself but when Teddy shares the bed- the bump nest system and I will occupy a good 2/3 of the bed leaving him limited space.
• Price- this by far will be what sways some people away from purchasing this product. 

    

     Overall I like the bump nest system and would recommend it to others. I do find that it's improved my sleep. If you can afford the price I say it's worth it; although I find the bump nest relief system a better buy than just the pregnancy pillow. Although the pillow alone is great I just think that there are so many other pregnancy pillows out there that the price may be a deterrent. That might seem strange since I had no issue paying double the price and purchasing the relief system but to me it was a better investment and came with three pieces that can use through my pregnancy and after. Which brings me to my final thought... why don't they market these to people with back and hip issues? If I knew how great this product is I would have purchased it for hip dysplasia years ago, pregnant or not. 

** Final note: I did use or try any other pregnancy pillows so this was not based on a comparison to other products. It's simply a review of my experience with the Bump Nest.