Best Pillows For Pregnancy Hip Pain

Author, Zoe Griffin

If you ask a group of pregnant women what keeps them awake at night, hip pain will almost always come up. As pregnancy progresses, many people struggle to find a comfortable pregnancy hip pain sleeping position, especially once side sleeping becomes necessary.

I’ve had four babies, and each pregnancy came with its own sleep challenges. Every baby seemed determined to settle in a different position. My last was particularly memorable. He was transverse breech, with his head wedged into my ribs and his bottom pressing into my hips. There was no comfortable side. Every position seemed to put pressure somewhere new.

As the babies dropped lower before birth, the hip pain worsened. Which is ironic when everyone tells you to “get plenty of rest before the baby arrives”. In reality, resting is difficult when turning over in bed feels like a three-point manoeuvre.

And I was relatively lucky. A neighbour of mine developed SPD (symphysis pubis dysfunction), a condition that causes severe pelvic and hip pain during pregnancy. Her discomfort became so intense she eventually stopped commuting because walking or sitting for long periods made the pain worse.

Experiences like these are why so many expectant parents start searching for the best pillow for pregnancy hip pain.

Why Hip Pain Often Gets Worse At Night

If you find yourself tossing and turning all night, you’re not alone.

One reason is the hormone relaxin. During pregnancy, the body releases relaxin to loosen the ligaments around the pelvis in preparation for birth. While helpful for labour, it can also make the joints around the hips feel less stable.

Sleeping on your side is usually recommended because it improves circulation and reduces pressure on major blood vessels. However, side sleeping places direct pressure on the hip underneath your body.

Without support, the top leg tends to pull forward slightly. This twists the pelvis and puts extra strain on the hips. Finding the right pregnancy hip pain sleeping position can help reduce that pressure.

The Best Sleeping Position For Pregnancy Hip Pain

If you’re wondering how to sleep with hip pain while pregnant, side sleeping is widely considered the safest position.

However, simply lying on your side is not always enough. The key is keeping the hips, pelvis and spine aligned. Keeping the knees slightly bent and supported prevents the top leg from dropping forward and twisting the pelvis.

I discovered this quite late in my first pregnancy. Until then, I had been stacking random pillows around me and hoping for the best. The moment I properly supported my knees, the difference in my hips the next morning was noticeable.

Keeping the Hips Aligned With a Knee Pillow

One of the simplest ways to reduce hip pain is placing a pillow between your knees while sleeping on your side.

This keeps the hips level and prevents the top leg from pulling the pelvis forward. When the hips stay aligned, there is far less strain on the joints and lower back.

It was a 2am Google search for the best pillow for pregnancy hip pain that led me to this trick, and it worked almost immediately. Whenever my knee pillow slipped away during the night, I would wake up with noticeably stiffer hips.

A friend of mine described it perfectly. Without a pillow between your knees, it feels like your top leg is slowly pulling your whole body forward during the night. Using a dedicated pillow for hip pain during pregnancy helps keep the hips and legs supported without constant readjusting.

Full Body Support for Side Sleeping

For some people, a knee pillow alone isn’t enough. This is where a full-length body pillow can help.

Body pillows support multiple areas at once, including the knees, hips, bump and upper body.

The Groove body pillow runs the full length of the body, allowing you to support your knees while cushioning your bump and upper body.

Sleeping with a full-length pillow can help:

• keep the spine aligned
• reduce pressure on the hips
• support the growing bump
• prevent rolling forward during sleep

For many people trying to figure out how to sleep with hip pain while pregnant, this type of support can make side sleeping far more comfortable.

Even during my most uncomfortable pregnancy, the more support I had around my bump and legs, the easier it was to stay comfortable for longer stretches.

Common Sleep Mistakes That Make Pregnancy Hip Pain Worse

Small sleep habits can sometimes make pregnancy hip pain worse without you realising it.

Sleeping with the top leg unsupported is one of the most common issues. Without a pillow between the knees, the pelvis twists forward and puts extra strain on the hip underneath.

Trying to stay in one position all night can also increase discomfort. I remember nights where I refused to move because I had finally found a comfortable position, only to wake up with a stiff, aching hip from lying on the same side too long.

Another mistake is not supporting the bump. One friend told me her hips were constantly sore at night until her midwife suggested placing a small pillow under her belly. Once she added that support, she said it felt like her whole body could finally relax into the mattress rather than fighting gravity all night.

Final Words

Hip pain during pregnancy is incredibly common, particularly in the later months when side sleeping becomes the main way to get comfortable.

While it may not disappear entirely, supporting your hips, knees and bump properly can reduce pressure on the joints and make sleep much more comfortable.

Using the best pillow for pregnancy hip pain, such as a combination pillow or a full-length pillow for hip pain during pregnancy, like the Groove body pillow, can help keep the hips aligned, prevent that overnight stiffness and help you sleep better before your baby arrives.