Relvay makes a pregnancy pillow. We also tell you below when you should not buy one.
The short answer
Measure the space it takes with you in it, then try the smaller layouts its design allows. Keep it only if it fits your half and still supports you.
- Adjust if a smaller layout fits and keeps support.
- Replace if you still need support, just less of it.
- Return if nothing fits, while the window is open.
Adjust, replace or return: decide in five steps
Measure the space it really takes, try the smaller layouts its design allows, and keep it only if it then fits your half and still holds what you need. If not, return or replace it while the window is open.
- Measure it in use. Lie in your normal position with the pillow set up, and have someone measure from the mattress edge to the far side of the pillow. Measure the box, not the listing.
- Compare with your half. Half a full bed is 27 inches, half a queen 30, half a king 38. Your partner's half is theirs.
- Try the smaller layouts your model allows. Detach a section, fold the long arm, take out filling through a zip meant for it. Only what the instructions describe.
- Check the support is still there. A smaller layout that drops the piece under your bump or behind your back is not a fix.
- Check your return date. If steps 3 and 4 failed, the return window is now the deadline that matters most.
Night 9
Eliza was 26 weeks and had given the big oval pillow nine nights. Every one of them ended the same way: Luis on the last few inches of their queen, one arm off the edge, and Eliza feeling like she had evicted him from his own bed. On night nine they measured it. Thirty-four inches, with her in it. Her half was thirty.
"I had previously bought one of those giant, bulky oval-shaped pregnancy pillows and was totally not a fan (and neither was my husband based on how much space it took up on the bed)"Amazon review of a portable pregnancy pillow
"My partner complains I take up too much of the bed rolling over."YouTube comment
How much space is too much?
It is too much when the pillow, with you in it, takes more than your half of the bed, or when you cannot get out of bed without climbing over it. Three numbers tell you.
| Check | How | Too bulky if |
|---|---|---|
| Width in use | Mattress edge to the far side of the pillow, with you lying in it | More than half the mattress: 27 in on a full, 30 in on a queen |
| Partner's space | Their side, measured to the pillow | Less than their shoulders need to lie on their side |
| Getting up | Time how long it takes to get out to pee | You have to lift or climb over a section every time |
Planning a purchase rather than living with one? The small bed fit guide covers measuring before you buy.
What parts can you safely take away?
Only the parts the design lets you remove or fold. Making a pillow smaller by cutting it or emptying a sealed section usually ruins it and ends any chance of a return.
- Detachable sections: some pillows unzip or unclip into pieces. Try a night with only the pieces you need.
- Adjustable filling: if there is a zip meant for this, take out a little at a time and keep it in a bag.
- Long arms: on a C or J, folding the end of the long arm back under itself can shorten it.
What not to do: cut the pillow, stack it differently so it boxes you in, or push it against your partner to "make room". If a smaller layout feels awkward or traps you, stop there.
A bulky pillow is not a bad pillow. It is the right support in the wrong amount for your bed.
Should you adjust it, replace it or return it?
Adjust when a smaller layout fits and still supports you. Return when it cannot fit your half. Replace when you still need support, just less of it.
| What you found | Best move |
|---|---|
| A smaller layout fits your half and keeps the support | Adjust and keep it. |
| It fits only when you drop the bump or back support | Return, then replace with a compact type that keeps that support. |
| It never fits, whatever you try | Return while the window is open. |
| You are outside the return window | Keep the best layout, or pass it to someone with a larger bed. |
| You found you do not need a pregnancy pillow at all | Return it. Regular pillows are a fine answer. |
Before you send anything back, read the store's conditions: whether the window counts from delivery, whether used pillows are accepted, and who pays return shipping. Our guide to sleep trials and returns goes through each one.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my pregnancy pillow take up so much space?
Full-body U and oval pillows are often 28 inches wide or more before you lie in them, which already fills half a full or queen bed. With you inside, they take more.
Can I make my pregnancy pillow smaller?
Only in the ways its design allows: detaching a section, removing filling through a zip meant for it, or folding a long arm. Cutting a pillow or emptying a sealed one usually ruins it.
Can I return a pregnancy pillow because it is too big?
Often, if you are inside the window and the store accepts used pillows. Check whether the window counts from delivery and who pays return shipping before you pack it.
What should I get instead of a bulky pregnancy pillow?
A compact type that stays on your half and still holds the spot you need, such as a wedge or two wedges joined together, with a regular pillow between your knees.
If you are replacing it with something smaller
If you decide to replace a bulky pillow, the Relvay 3-Piece is one compact option. Relvay describes it as a modular set with a longer and a more compact arrangement. It keeps bump and back support without the full-body part, so it still needs about a torso's width of your half.
Two wedges for bump and back, joined by a flat strap, about as wide as your torso. Keep a regular pillow between your knees. $79.99, 90-day returns.
Eliza's story is a composite based on real reviews and public posts from pregnant side sleepers. Names and details are changed.
