Relvay makes a pregnancy pillow. We also tell you below when you should not buy one.
The short answer
Pack the support you cannot replace there, not necessarily the whole pillow. For most trips that means bump and back support, while knees can use any spare pillow.
- Bring the whole pillow: road trips with room, or long stays.
- Bring a small part: flights and shared beds.
- Use what is there: short stays with plenty of firm pillows.
1:15 a.m. in somebody else's bed
At home your sleep setup works because nothing moves: your bed, your pillows, your side. A trip takes all three away at once. This is what that first night can feel like.
1:15 a.m.
I was 26 weeks, three days into a week at my in-laws' place for my sister-in-law's wedding. The guest bed was a full. My husband Tom was asleep on the edge of it, one arm hanging off.
I had left my big U pillow at home because it would have taken the whole back seat. So I lay there with two soft guest pillows that had gone flat years ago, one shoved under my bump and one behind my back. Every time I turned, the one behind me slid off the bed. By one in the morning I was sitting up in the dark, wide awake, counting how many hours until I had to smile through a rehearsal dinner.
I remember thinking it was ridiculous to cry over a pillow I had chosen to leave behind. I cried anyway, very quietly, so I would not wake anyone.
- If your pillow at home is so big it would need its own seat...
- If you have tried hotel pillows and they fold flat under your bump...
- If the bed at your destination is smaller than yours...
- If you have a trip coming up and you are already dreading the nights...
Leaving the pillow behind is not the mistake. Leaving the support behind is.
"I packed this for European travel at 26 weeks pregnant"Amazon review of a portable pregnancy pillow
"It doesn't take up our whole bed like the C/U pillows do"Customer review of a wedge-style pregnancy pillow
What most of us try on the first trip
Most people either drag the whole pillow along or leave everything and improvise. Each one costs something on the trip, usually sleep, space or the person sharing the bed.
- Bringing the whole U in a garbage bag.It made it to the car, then took the entire back seat. At the hotel it filled half a queen, and Tom slept on the far edge all week.Lost: the back seat and the shared bed.
- Hotel pillows, stacked.Four soft pillows built into a fort. Each one folded flat under the bump, and every turn knocked the fort apart in the dark.Lost: two hours a night rebuilding.
- Asking for extra pillows.Front desk sent up two more, as thin as the first. A friend's guest room had none to spare at all.Lost: the hope that someone else would have the answer.
- A rolled bath towel behind the back.The best of the improvised fixes, honestly. But it unrolled by morning and the bump still had nothing under it.Lost: half the support, every night.
- A travel neck pillow, turned sideways.It was what she had in the carry-on, so she tried it under her bump. It was the wrong shape and far too small, and by 2 a.m. it was on the floor with everything else.Lost: the one spare slot in her bag, for nothing.
Why is pregnancy sleep so much harder away from home?
Because the support you rely on at home comes from things you do not pack: firm pillows you know, a bed you know, and enough room to set them up. Away from home you get soft pillows, a strange bed, and often less space.
Under the bumpThe part strangers' pillows do worst. Soft pillows fold flat under the weight.
Behind the backSomething firm to lean into, that does not slide off a smaller bed when you turn.
Between the kneesThe easy one. Almost any pillow does this job, so it rarely needs to travel.
Notice that none of the failed fixes were about comfort. They were about the support moving, folding or falling off a bed that was not built around you. Guest pillows are made for heads, not for holding the weight of a bump all night. And a smaller bed leaves no wall or partner-free space to wedge them against, so they drift off the edge instead.
You do not need to pack your pillow. You need to pack the one or two jobs the destination cannot do.
Below is a simple table for every kind of trip: when to bring it all, when to bring just a small part, and when to leave it home. At the end I will show you what Georgia packed the next time, and how small it was.
Can you get by with pillows at your destination?
Often, yes, for a short stay. The trick is asking early and using firm things in the right places.
- When you book or tell your host, ask for two or three extra pillows, firm if possible. It is a normal request.
- Use the firmest pillow under your bump, folded in half if it is soft, so it lifts rather than flattens.
- Push a pillow or a rolled towel behind your lower back, tucked under the edge of the sheet so it stays put.
- Any spare pillow goes between your knees and ankles.
- Bring your own pillowcase. It weighs nothing and makes a strange bed feel a little more like yours.
If that holds for a night or two, you do not need to pack anything bigger. If you are rebuilding it all night, the next sections are for you.
When is it worth packing a pregnancy pillow?
When the trip is long enough, or your nights at home already depend on the pillow. Tick what applies:
- At home I cannot sleep well without my pregnancy pillow.
- The trip is more than two or three nights.
- I do not know what pillows or bed I will have.
- I will be sharing a smaller bed than my own.
- Long days are planned, so good nights matter.
- I have room in the car or a checked bag.
Zero or one tick: travel light, ask for extra pillows, and use the free setup above. A night or two of so-so sleep on a short trip is usually fine, and you skip carrying anything big through an airport or a parking lot.
Two or more ticks: bring something. The question is how much, and that is the table below. Whether and when to travel at all is a question for your midwife or OB; this guide is only about what goes in the bag.
Bring it all, bring a part, or leave it: the trip table
Match your trip to a row. Each row has one packing answer.
| Trip | Bring the whole pillow | Bring a small part | Use what is there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road trip, room in the car | Best, if it fits without taking a seat | Fine | Only for one night |
| Flight, checked bag | Only if it fits the bag with room for clothes | Best | Short stays |
| Flight, carry-on only | Rarely fits | Best, if it fits your bag | Ask for extra pillows ahead |
| Staying with family or friends | If you will be there a week or more | Best for a smaller guest bed | If they have firm spares |
| Hotel, one or two nights | Not worth the space | Optional | Usually fine with extra pillows |
| Several stops, packing every day | Hard to haul | Best | Backup only |
A small part means the piece that does the job hotel pillows cannot: something firm for the bump, ideally with something for the back. If your pillow at home comes apart into pieces, that is exactly the bit to pack.
Not sure which row you are? Pick the one with the least luggage space. Space is the limit you cannot negotiate at the airport or in a full car, while extra pillows at the other end are often one polite question away.
How much luggage space does a pregnancy pillow take?
A full U pillow is about the size of a person lying down; a single wedge is about the size of a small cushion. Measure your bag and compare.
| Type | Typical size | Packing reality |
|---|---|---|
| Full U pillow | Covers sold for U pillows run about 50 to 59 in long and 28 to 31 in wide | Needs its own bag or a car seat |
| Long body pillow | Often around 60 in long | Car trips, or a large checked bag if it squashes |
| Single wedge | One travel pick lists about 13 by 12 in | Fits in most bags |
| Two small wedges | Two cushion-size pieces | Fits many bags; measure yours |
Pack the pillow last, on top, in a clean pillowcase or a laundry bag, so heavy shoes and toiletries are not sitting on it for the whole trip. When you arrive, take it out first and give it a few minutes to fluff back before bed.
Sizes vary by model, so use the measurements on your own pillow's tag or listing. For a car ride itself, Sleepybelly suggests a pillow behind the lower back to support the curve of your spine on long drives.
What changed on the next trip?
She packed the job, not the pillow, and slept like she did at home.
Two months later Georgia and Tom drove four hours to her parents' house for a long weekend. This time the big U stayed home. In her bag, between the sweaters, she packed two small wedges joined by a strap, one for under her bump and one for her back. Her mom's spare pillow went between her knees.
The guest bed was a full again. She turned over at 3 a.m. and the wedges came with her. Tom had his half of the bed and his arm around her. On Saturday morning she came down to breakfast before everyone else, and her dad asked if she had even been to bed.
Frequently asked questions
Should I bring my pregnancy pillow on vacation?
Bring something if you rely on it at home and the trip is more than a couple of nights. For flights or smaller beds, packing only the bump and back support is often enough, with a borrowed pillow between your knees.
Can I take a pregnancy pillow on a plane?
Many people pack a small wedge in a carry-on or a larger pillow in a checked bag. Airline size rules differ, so check yours and measure the pillow before you go.
What can I use instead of a pregnancy pillow when traveling?
Ask for extra firm pillows ahead of time. Fold one under your bump, tuck one or a rolled towel behind your lower back, and put a spare between your knees.
What is the best pregnancy pillow for travel?
One that does the bump and back job in pieces small enough for your bag. A full U pillow rarely fits luggage; wedges and compact sets usually do. Measure your bag first.
How do I pack a pregnancy pillow in a suitcase?
Put it in a clean pillowcase or bag, pack it last so it is not crushed under heavy items, and use it as padding around soft clothes. Give a squashed pillow a few minutes to fluff back when you arrive.
Where the Relvay 3-Piece pillow fits in
The Relvay 3-Piece is the two-wedge set Georgia packed. It is the same pillow for home and for the suitcase, and it covers the two jobs hotel pillows do worst. Here is what is in it, 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 for you if
- Your trips are by car and your current pillow fits fine.
- You travel with one very small bag. Measure it first: each wedge is about 17 by 13 inches.
- You want free return shipping. With us you pay it unless the item arrives faulty.
Made for you if
- You need bump and back support at home and away.
- You often sleep in smaller or shared beds.
- You want a washable cover and 90 days 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 availabilityGeorgia's story is a composite based on real reviews and public posts from pregnant side sleepers. Names and details are changed.
