Relvay makes a pregnancy pillow. We also tell you below when you should not buy one.
The short answer
A pregnancy pillow is a good gift when it fits her bed, her body and her season. Since you cannot see those, ask a few questions or let her choose.
- Skip the surprise if you do not know her bed size.
- Ask where it aches and if she sleeps hot.
- What matters: she can swap it without asking you.
Three pillows, one closet
A pregnancy pillow is one of the most common shower gifts, and one of the most often unused. Not because it was a bad pillow, but because it was chosen for a body and a bed the giver had never seen.
Sunday, 6:40 p.m.
The shower was over and I was 30 weeks, sitting on the living room floor with wrapping paper everywhere. Three people had given me a pregnancy pillow. I was so touched I teared up. Then I tried to fit them into my life.
The first was a giant U from my aunt. It filled our whole queen and Dan ended up on the couch the first night. The second was a long body pillow from a coworker, lovely, but I am a hot sleeper and it was like hugging a duvet in August. The third came with no receipt at all.
Two of them went into the hall closet. Every time I opened it I felt guilty, because people had spent real money trying to help me sleep, and I was still awake at 3 a.m.
- If you want to give something useful, not another tiny outfit...
- If you know she is not sleeping, but not what kind of pillow she would want...
- If you have no idea how big her bed is, or whether she sleeps hot...
- If you are afraid a surprise will end up in a closet...
The idea is right. The guessing is what goes wrong.
"This thing is pretty dang big, though. Took up a ton of our bed and we have a queen."Amazon review of a full-body pregnancy pillow
"The velor cover gets a bit warm in the warmer weather."Amazon review of a pregnancy pillow
"I tried eight different kinds before settling on this one."Amazon review of a pregnancy pillow
How pregnancy pillow gifts usually go wrong
Most pillow gifts miss on one of four things: bed size, body heat, the kind of support she needs, or a return she cannot make. Each one is easy to check and hard to fix after the bow comes off.
- The biggest, best-reviewed U pillow, as a surprise.It looks generous in the box. In a full or queen bed it can take her whole half and some of her partner's, and the first week of sleep goes to working out who goes where.Missed check: her bed.
- A plush, velvety pillow because it feels nice in the store.Soft to the hand, warm at night. Many pregnant sleepers already run hot, and a thick cover can make it worse.Missed check: her season and her heat.
- A pillow that supports the wrong spot.Some people mainly need the bump held, others the back, others the knees. A gift that covers a spot that does not bother her is just more bedding. "I just needed a pillow to go between my legs to keep my hips from hurting." (Amazon review) · Missed check: where she actually hurts.
- No gift receipt, or a return only you can start.She does not want to ask you for the order number. So she keeps it, and it sits in a closet.Missed check: how she can swap it without asking you.
Why is a pregnancy pillow hard to pick for someone else?
Because whether a pillow works is decided in her bed, not in the store. Three things you usually cannot see from the outside decide it.
Her bedHow wide her half of the mattress is, and who else sleeps there.
Her bodyWhere it aches, how far along she is, and whether she sleeps hot or cold.
Her way outWhether she can exchange or return it without an awkward conversation.
A friend can learn all three in a two-minute chat. A surprise gives you none of them.
The kindest pillow gift is not the one you chose well. It is the one she gets to choose, with an easy way out.
Below is a short script to find out what she needs without spoiling the surprise, a delivery and return check to run before you pay, and the type of pillow that is easiest to give when you still are not sure.
How do you find out what pillow she needs?
Ask about her nights, not about pillows. Five casual questions tell you almost everything, and most people answer them without guessing a gift is coming.
- "How are you sleeping these days?" If the answer is "fine", a pillow may not be the gift. If she sighs, keep going.
- "What wakes you up?" Listen for a sore back, sore hips, the bump pulling, or having to rebuild pillows after every trip to the bathroom.
- "Is there room in your bed for one more thing?" A laugh and "barely" means think small. Ask what size bed they have if it comes up naturally.
- "Do you run hot at night?" If yes, skip thick plush covers.
- "Have you tried anything yet?" If she already owns a pregnancy pillow, a second one is rarely the answer.
If she is a close friend, you can just ask outright: "I want to get you a pregnancy pillow. Which kind would you actually use?" Most pregnant people would rather be asked than surprised with the wrong one.
When is a pregnancy pillow a good gift?
It is a good gift when she is struggling to sleep and you know at least her bed size and the spot she needs held. Tick what you know:
- She has said she is not sleeping well.
- She sleeps on her side, or has been told to.
- I know roughly how big her bed is and who shares it.
- I know whether her bump, back or hips bother her most.
- I know if she sleeps hot.
- She does not already own one she likes.
Four or more? You can choose with confidence. Two or three? Choose, but make the return easy. One or none? Give a gift card from a store that sells pregnancy pillows, or ask her directly.
Timing matters too. The NHS advises going to sleep on your side from 28 weeks, so the second trimester is usually when a pillow gift is most welcome. A pillow that arrives a week before the due date gets far less use.
What should you check before you buy a pillow as a gift?
Check delivery and returns as carefully as the pillow. Fill in this sheet for any pillow you are considering, and if a line is blank, ask the seller before you pay.
| Check | What to look for | Why it matters for a gift |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery date | Arrives before the shower or the date you planned | Large pillows often ship separately and take longer. |
| Ship to whom | Your address or hers | Shipping straight to her may put your price on the packing slip. |
| Gift receipt | Can she return or swap without your order number? | If not, plan to handle the return for her. |
| Return window | Counted from order or from delivery, and how many days | A gift opened two weeks later may already be outside a short window. |
| Used returns | Does it have to be unopened? | She cannot know if it works without sleeping on it. |
| Return shipping | Who pays, and the box size | Vacuum-packed pillows do not fit back in their box. |
| Care label | Removable, washable cover | She will be washing it, not you. |
Our guide to sleep trials and returns explains the conditions in more detail.
Which type of pregnancy pillow is easiest to give?
The safest gift is a type that fits most beds and supports the most common spots, or a gift card if you know nothing. Here is how the main types compare as a gift.
| U or C full-body | Long body pillow | Single wedge | Two wedges strapped together | Gift card | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fits a full or queen half | Often not | Usually | Yes | Yes | Her choice |
| Bump and back at once | Yes | One side | One or the other | Both | Her choice |
| Between the knees | Yes | Yes | No | Add a regular pillow | Her choice |
| Easy to send back | Bulky | Medium | Small | Small | Nothing to return |
| Feels like a real gift | Yes | Yes | Modest | Yes | Less personal |
If you learned only one thing from your questions, let it be the bed size. For more on that, see pregnancy pillow for a small bed.
What changed when the gift came with a choice?
When she got to choose, the gift got used. The pillow mattered less than being asked.
At 33 weeks Elena's sister Rosa came over with a card instead of a box. Inside was a note: "I owe you one pregnancy pillow. You pick. I asked the store, you can swap it." They sat on the couch with Elena's laptop and went through the questions Rosa had already half asked her the week before.
Queen bed, Dan on the other half. Hot sleeper. The bump pulling on her back, not her knees. That ruled out the U and anything plush. Elena chose two small wedges joined by a strap and kept her regular pillow between her knees. The U from the shower went to a friend with a king bed, who was thrilled. And Rosa got the best thank-you text of the whole pregnancy.
Frequently asked questions
Is a pregnancy pillow a good gift?
Yes, if she is struggling to sleep and you know her bed size and where she needs support. If you know neither, ask her, or give a gift card so she can choose.
What is the best pregnancy pillow to give as a gift?
The one that fits her bed and supports her sore spot. When you are unsure, a compact type that fits half a full or queen bed is easier to live with than a large U pillow.
When should I give a pregnancy pillow?
Usually in the second trimester, when sleep starts to get harder. The NHS advises going to sleep on your side from 28 weeks, so a pillow that arrives before then gets the most use.
Can she return a pregnancy pillow that was a gift?
It depends on the store. Check whether there is a gift receipt, whether the window counts from delivery, whether used pillows are accepted and who pays return shipping.
Is it rude to ask what kind of pillow she wants?
No. Most pregnant people would rather be asked than receive the wrong pillow. You can also ask about her sleep in general and keep the gift a surprise.
Where the Relvay 3-Piece pillow fits in
The Relvay 3-Piece is the two-wedge set in the table above. It is a reasonable gift when you know she shares a full or queen bed and her bump or back is the problem. Here is what is in the box, and what it does not do.
1. The bump wedgeA crescent-shaped wedge that tucks under your bump, thin edge toward your belly button, so the weight is not pulling on your back.
2. The back wedgeThe same shape, snug against your lower back so it has something to rest against.
3. The strap and small cushionA flat strap runs under you and joins the two wedges, so they stay together instead of drifting apart. A small oval cushion sits on the strap between them. You can set the distance as the bump grows.
Each wedge is about 17 by 13 inches and about 4 inches thick at its outer edge, tapering thinner toward your body (supplier measurement). Opened out, the set is roughly as wide as your torso, so it stays on your half of the bed and you keep your normal head pillow. Soft ribbed pink fabric on top, white sides. It is small enough to pack for a trip.
What it does not do: it does not go between your knees. Keep a regular pillow there, the way the NHS suggests. That combination covers all three points without a giant pillow.
Probably not the right gift if
- You do not know her bed or what bothers her. A gift card is kinder.
- She mainly needs support between her knees or wants one pillow that wraps her head too.
- She sleeps very hot and wants a cooling cover. Ours is a soft ribbed fabric, not a cooling one.
- You need free return shipping. With us the buyer pays it unless the item arrives faulty.
A good gift if
- She shares a full or queen bed.
- Her bump pulling or her lower back is what wakes her.
- You want her to have 90 days from delivery to decide.
Try it for 90 nights
Sleep on it through the weeks that matter. If it is not right for you, email us within 90 days of delivery and send it back for a refund. Return shipping is on you unless it arrived faulty.
$79.99
90-day money-back guarantee · Free US shipping over $70 · 3 pieces, one set
Check price and availabilityElena's story is a composite based on real reviews and public posts from pregnant side sleepers and the people who shop for them. Names and details are changed.
