Getting decent sleep is quite difficult when one is pregnant and even more so when there is pain and discomfort from IU (irritable uterus). People often don’t understand how painful it is and I sometimes feel I’m not conveying it well. So, I did a little internet search and found this post by a woman who described it perfectly on this forum:
My stomach feels ‘bruised’ and neither I nor my husband can touch it. I also can’t sleep because it’s so tender that even lying in bed hurts and if I fall asleep then move the pain wakes me up.
Amen. That’s exactly how I feel. When hubby goes to kiss the belly, I wince. When he brushes against it, I cringe. And when I turn in bed, I flinch and groan. But it wasn’t always like this. In the beginning, I slept quite comfortably with the aid of a $75 body pillow made for preggo’s like me.
Exhibit A: A “Snoogle”
The Snoogle allowed me to rest my belly on one side, while I straddled my legs around it and found support on my backside. But once I got to 6 ½ months, the cushion didn’t cut it anymore. And, I must admit, a recent FTM (first-time mom) warned me.
But Thank God for answered prayer. As I became more sleep deprived, my prayers centered more around my desperate need for a sleep solution. Lord, please, I need sleep. I can’t endure this for 3 more months. Help me, Lord, please! And the next day, my cousin D suggested I purchase a memory foam wedge pillow. A what?
Exhibit B: A “GIANT” Foam Wedge Pillow
I told D that I simply could not spend anymore more money on pregnancy inventions. I knew such a pillow had to be expensive and since I was on bed rest and disability, finances had to be budgeted more carefully. Moments after our phone conversation ended, I received a text that said she had ordered me the pillow and I would be receiving it in a couple of days. I was incredibly touched by her kind gesture. Little did I know that this “wedge,” which arrived in an enormous Amazon box, would resemble a mini-skateboard ramp. When hubby opened it, my first thought was: “Oh, my word. We really need a king-sized bed.” Hubby brought the “ramp” up to our bedroom and I laid the Snoogle on top of the wedge. I climbed onto my stepstool, which my Uncle J made for me (D’s dad), and got into bed. Mission (somewhat) accomplished!
Exhibit C: My Handmade Step Stool by Uncle J.
While this step stool doesn’t help me sleep better, it sure makes it easier for me to get in and out of our bed, which is way too high for my 5’1” frame to reach. These new mattresses are colossal! I’ve struggled to get into bed since before I was with child.
Uncle J is a gifted furniture maker but merely as a hobby. The top lid of my stool lifts up so I can store all my childbirth books inside. And before you ask, no, Uncle J won’t make any more stools for money. I already tried to convince him of an Etsy business and he declined.
Exhibit D: The Actual Thingamajig
So here is how it’s really set up in my bedroom. If I place the Snoogle (#2) on top of the wedge (#1) and add 4 more pillows, one on each side of the inner Snoogle (#3 and #4), one more by my feet (#6), and one on the opposite of the wedge, so I can rest my arm when it hangs off the edge (#5), I can rest comfortably for a few hours a night without waking hubby up from his narrow space (#H) on our queen-sized bed. Normally, 12 to 6:00 am. After that, I have too many aches and pains in my shoulders and back and need to get up for awhile.
In the future, I will demonstrate how I get into this pillow-wedge contraption which is a challenging and comical sight to see.
So, there it is. I am now getting sleep thanks to my cousin, and the Lord, who used my cousin to provide this elaborate but effective contrivance.
What new adventure awaits me!
