Pregnancy Problems: Relieving Back Pain With The Perfect Organic Pillow

Being pregnant isn’t easy. Ligament pain, morning sickness, and exhaustion are just some of the unpleasant things you might be experiencing. But as your belly grows, your center of gravity changes and all that extra weight in the front can really hurt your back. You also just become generally uncomfortable.

All those symptoms can make it REALLY hard to get a good night’s sleep. One way to help relieve some pressure and make you a little more comfortable is a pregnancy pillow. But going to the store and buying a regular pregnancy pillow could mean accidentally exposing you and your baby to toxins and allergens. 

We spend about a third of our lives sleeping, and when you’re pregnant, you know that number goes up! That’s why it’s so important to get a safe pillow for a healthy rest. 

TOXIC PILLOWS

Many mainstream pillows are made with chemical flame retardants to meet federal fire regulations. When you sleep, you breathe in those those chemicals and they can seriously affect your health over time. Exposure to flame retardant chemicals can lead to allergic reactions, liver damage, infertility, obesity, and cancer.

You know that funky smell when you first open a pillow? That smell is known as “off-gassing.” It happens when the chemicals in the pillow break down and disperse in the air. Those emissions stem from volatile organic compounds (VOCs). And here’s me thinking it was just a “new pillow” smell, kind of like cars have a “new car” smell. YIKES.

Memory foam pillows are particularly harmful as they often contain polyurethane which is highly combustible. To combat that, manufacturers use polybrominated diphenyl ethers (or PBDEs) for flame retardation. PBDEs are known to disrupt hormones, are not biodegradable and can build up in your home.

LURKING ALLERGENS

The chemicals in mainstream pillows attach themselves to dust in your home. Pillows also collect dirt, oils, mold, bacteria, and even fungi. These allergens can irritate respiratory allergies, sinusitis, or asthma and cause wheezing, sneezing or other reactions. 

WHAT TO USE INSTEAD

When choosing the perfect non-toxic pregnancy pillow, look for organic materials. It’s also good if the pillow holds third-party, independent certifications that indicate it has been tested free of certain chemicals.

Our favorite is this certified organic body pillow. It’s filled with GOTS-certified wool, and can help you relieve that back pain that comes with carrying a baby. It will give you a more restful and healthier pregnancy.

Even if you aren’t pregnant, this pillow is perfect to provide support and align your spine alleviating the potential for back, hip, shoulder, and neck pain.