Dreamgenii Pregnancy Pillow Review

If you’ve been following me a while you’ll know I’ve mentioned that I suffered with SPD in my pregnancy with Archer and my subsequent pregnancy with Harry. I’m actually still feeling the effects of my pregnancy with Harry- I still can’t sleep with my knees together and have to use my pregnancy pillow or my pelvis aches and I physically can’t move without help or it’s agony.

I spent the first four to five months of Harry’s pregnancy slowing stealing cushions from around the house in a rather awful attempt at getting comfy. Jack ended up with less than the bare minimum amount of space and I still wasn’t comfy (and neither was the sofa once I started to pilfer those cushions too).

I was kindly offered a Dream Genii pillow to try. This pregnancy pillow is designed with safe sleeping (on your left side) and pelvis aches in mind. The long front side runs along your stomach, between your knees, and you sleep on your left in the small flat section of fabric. The smaller pillow rests on your back and means you can rest assured that you won’t be rolling onto your back in your sleep.

If you’ve ever rolled onto your back in pregnancy you’ll know that it can make you feel quite sick as everything gets compressed with the weight of your bump- knowing I couldn’t roll was great and actually I did lean back a fair bit into it which gave me the “illusion” of laying back which I always found comfier.

It was like sleeping in a hug- something I emotionally declared to Jack after I finally managed a decent nights sleep after weeks of discomfort. I felt so physically supported and I genuinely couldn’t have slept without my by the end of pregnancy as my SPD had gotten so bad.

Jack appreciated the fact the extra ten cushions were relieved on their duty in the bed, and he was able to get in. He was also grateful that I was held in place as I slept so I couldn’t toss and turn or kick him with my discomfort as much as I had before (I did still attempt to aim a good kick at him if he snored).

I only invested in a cheap V shaped pillow my last two pregnancies and I don’t know how I managed to survive without the Dream Genii. I highly recommend it to anyone newly pregnant and especially anyone with SPD / PGP.


This product was sent to me in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

33 Weeks- Pregnancy Update

I wonder if I’m writing far too much about pregnancy sometimes on this little blog of mine, but the fact is pregnancy literally takes over nearly every aspect of life.

I’m 33 weeks now, and it’s nearly all I can think about. It’s a big change considering a month or so ago I was worried that I was too switched off from it all and dismissive. I was actually forgetting I was pregnant sometimes.

I’m obsessing over the baby’s bedroom and his furniture. We’ve been waiting for the decorators to come in and do some work and we’ve had to fully empty what is currently Archer’s room for them, so the entire house is in disarray. That didn’t stop me going to Ikea because I simply couldn’t wait any longer and buying all his things to go in there once we reassemble the room. Of course my pregnant brain glossed over the fact I couldn’t actually build the furniture or store it anywhere so my living room is now full of unopened boxes in top of the million packages of baby things I haven’t got a home for yet.

I’ve also began getting the occasional “nesting” panic. I was cleaning the bathroom a few days ago and began worrying about the few mildew spots in the sealing around the bath and the fact the gaps between the tiles aren’t properly white anymore. When will I wash and organise his clothes if the decorators don’t hurry up? Will be have to be naked if he’s born before then? This is all illogical thinking of course because I have seven weeks. Relax Steph. Perhaps I was better off not caring so much about the prep!

Physically I’m not amazing. The SPD is of course still an annoyance and I still can’t push myself too much or I’ll be in pain the next day or so and unable to do anything- I actually just got an exciting product designed especially for helping with SPD which I’ll be sharing soon, hopefully it helps. Round ligament pain is irritating me in the night too which has made moving in bed in general nearly impossible without a lot of effort and grunting... sorry Jack. It’s generally worse when I need to pee as it adds weight and pressure to everything, but needing to pee is exactly why I need to move to get out of bed and of course I can’t move because of it all.... it’s a very annoying cycle.

I’m moaning so much about it all. I do enjoy being pregnant, I just don’t particularly enjoy the fact my body just doesn’t seem to cope with pregnancy. It’s disheartening to see women about to give birth who can still jog or exercise or just bend over in general when my body seems to have struggled physically all three times. I understand some people have it worse, but that doesn’t make me feel better. At least I can say I’ve officially passed the milestone I ended up in a wheelchair last time!

Baby is doing well. He kicks regularly and he seems to be getting quite heavy now. Favouring head down, he spends a lot of time massaging my lungs with his feet which is the absolute worst so of course I give him a shove because I do need to breathe actually mate! I just can’t wait to meet him.

7 weeks to go!

32 Weeks- Pregnancy Update

Let me preface this post with the following statement: I love/hate my iron pills.

I’ve been taking them for two weeks now, and the difference is ridiculous. I didn’t realise how tired and miserable and just *done* I felt until they made me feel a bit better. Anyone who has had anemia knows how horrible it is- it shouldn’t be taken lightly and brushed off as normal pregnancy exhaustion and I couldn’t even climb the stairs in one go- but honestly even just two weeks of these pills and I’m a different person.

The side effect of iron... not so good. Let’s just say my poop is not nice... it’s green and very often (though for some, its a once a week treat) and I’ve nearly been caught short on my waddle home from taking Isla to school. The pills are also causing a huge amount of heartburn as I’ve been taking them with a little orange juice as recommended. To counteract the heartburn, I take antacids. They contain calcium that stops the iron being properly absorbed as well as it should - it’s all a very dull cycle, so the midwife has told me I can cut down to two a day till a few weeks postpartum. 

Back to the general pregnancy though! I’m 32 weeks today. The home stretch is flying by and absolutely nothing is ready, yay! We have the majority of the things we wanted and needed for him and I’m really excited to share it all with you, but nothing is actually ready, it’s all just stacked in my living room. We’re waiting for the builders to come and fix up the back bedroom before we buy our storage bits or set up. Thankfully they’re coming on Monday so I’m feeling confident we will get it done. 

Maybe it’s a third baby thing... I feel the urge to nest and get ready but I’m being patient as I know I can’t. It’s a strange comparison to the last two where everything (even my bag for hospital!) was done by this point.

I do feel more well in myself. It’s a huge relief. The SPD though? That’s getting worse. I’m needing a long hot bath with salts nearly every other night just to relieve some of the pain and pressure from my pelvis and even moving slightly too fast has me crying out in pain, worrying anyone who hears. I’m doing what I can to not just tough it out and I’m still not as bad as last time (by this week of pregnancy I couldn’t go out without a wheelchair) so the midwife is happy to ignore the topic of induction so I can stay under her care instead of moving to a consultant. 

Yes it’s a little miserable. I can’t carry my son. I can cook and do dishes and tidy, but slowly and with rests during even the smallest jobs. I can’t roll over in bed without sounding like a cow mooing in pain. I’m coping though and I’m happy to carry on for the next 8ish weeks!

Finally, baby is doing well! We had a couple of days over the last week where I noticed his movements reduced/changed and I’ve kept in touch with the midwife and know if it happens much more, to head in and get a more in depth check. I’d always rather go in and be told it was nothing, than not go in and have something be wrong! 

He’s growing on the 90th line still, and I’m sure he’s going to come out covered in hair because of the amount of heartburn he causes. 

8 more weeks!

30 Weeks- Pregnancy Update

Thirty weeks pregnant! The ten week countdown begins- of course that’s with the assumption I give birth on my due date, which is unlikely. Isla was born at 38 weeks and Archer at 37, and my poor sister is currently nearly two weeks overdue. So really, it’s a pointless countdown but one I’ll participate in anyway! Yay!

I skipped my 29 week update because I’ve been feeling absolutely awful. I did have a check up on the day I turned 29 weeks with the midwife, but there wasn’t much to update on until my blood results came back. 

Recently I’ve been feeling very run down- normal in pregnancy to an extent, but I mean to the point where climbing the stairs had me breathless and resting before I even reached the top. At only 29 weeks when it started, how was I supposed to last till 40? I’ve also had horrendous restless legs. All my muscles seize up and I find myself kicking out involuntarily and unable to sit still for more than a few minutes at a time... it’s been driving Jack insane as he’s taking the brunt of most kicks in bed!

The most concerning symptom I had with all of this has been my resting heart rate. I feel breathless for no reason, and my heart starts to pound and my BPM have been up to 120 when I’m doing nothing at all. The answer here was pretty clear- anaemia. I had it with Isla and highly suspected I have it again, and I was right. My levels have dropped from 126/L to 105/L. While not exceptionally low, it’s low for me and I’m now taking iron supplements and I have to keep an eye on the breathless/heart pounding feeling in case it relates to anything worse. 

Other than that, I’m feeling mostly well in myself and trying not to let it get me down. The SPD is still creeping up on me but I’m thankfully educated enough to keep it manageable- you can read an update on that here. 

I had my first bump measurement at 29 weeks! I measured the 91st percentile with Isla and the 50th with Archer (and those numbers translated exactly to them at birth!) so I was weirdly excited to see how this little one is doing. I measured exactly 29cm at 29 weeks meaning he isn’t big or small, but it did line up to the 90th line on the chart- I’ll see over the coming appointments if he stays on that line. 

It’s been getting me down a lot that the little complications are coming up. Compared to my last two pregnancies, this one has mostly been easy so far but as I approach the end it is getting more tricky. I struggle with basic daily tasks without feeling sore or exhausted to the point of tears and I know it’s having a strain on Jack to do so much to help when he also works full time. Thankfully he understands, but it doesn’t make me feel less guilty. 

Hopefully with these pills I pick up in the next few weeks and can cope a little better!

Am I getting SPD again?

As you may know, my second pregnancy I suffered severely with symphis pubis dysfunction, otherwise known as SPD or pelvic girdle pain. In short, it’s a condition that up to 1/5 of pregnant women get and suffer with to varying degrees. Your pelvis itself becomes hyper mobile, and can misalign which is extremely painful and reduces your movement.

If you haven’t read about my past experience and why I was induced as a result, be sure to check it out here. 

It was around this stage of pregnancy I began to feel the pain last time. At 28 weeks I was on crutches and I was in a wheelchair by 32 weeks. Of course, because of this, I’ve been ridiculously worried and over cautious about doing everything I can to not get it again.  

It’s unavoidable really, if it happens it happens and nothing I do can stop it essentially, but I can stave it off and ensure I don’t just “soldier through” so I don’t cause myself more pain and reduction of mobility than necessary. 

Simple things like not hoovering, or pushing the pram often or standing at the sink for too long have helped so much. Jack has been an absolute star as of course, he’s very worried about it all happening again- it was very hard for him to work and come home to a toddler, and immobile wife, and messy house. 

I’ve chatted to the midwife and she’s given me these tips to try reduce my risk of getting too bad again, I thought I’d share them in case anyone who reads this is going through similar:

1. Knees Together 

Whenever I need to move, I try do it with my knees together. If I’m rolling over in bed- knees together. If I’m getting out of the car, I swivel around with my knees together instead of climbing out one leg at a time. You get the idea!

2. Short Walks

One of the biggest mistakes I made last time was trying to just push through the pain. It meant double the pain the next day- I just hated admitting I couldn’t do what I did before. Now I make sure I rest often and keep my distances short wherever possible. It’s a shame but it’ll help in the long run. 

3. Epsom Salts

If I feel the pain creeping in after a busy day, and begin dreading moving or climbing the stairs to bed, a warm bath filled with a cup of Epsom salts genuinely works magic. I don’t know how or why the salts work but they do! Plus free floating in the warm water helps get everything aligned again. The midwife said similar can happen just floating in a swimming pool. 

4. Maternity Support Belt

I have been using one of these for all three pregnancies. I had it with Isla initially as I couldn’t walk home after a long shift without crying in pain (in hindsight I probably had SPD with her too) and I relied on it with Archer by the third trimester! You can get them on Amazon or free from an NHS physio (your midwife or GP can arrange this appointment) and they’re easy to stick on under your clothes. They hold everything “up” a bit whic relieves the weight on your pelvis, and holding the bump in place stops it misaligning. 

I do think I have SPD again. It’s been clear it’s affected me for all three pregnancies at varying degrees.... I just hope with all my heart that it doesn’t get as bad as last time. 

Have you been affected by SPD/PGP in subsequent pregnancies? I’d love to hear your experiences. 

28 Weeks- Pregnancy Update

I did it, I’ve made it to the third trimester with only some moaning. Okay- that’s a lie, I’ve moaned an awful lot. Of course I’m grateful to be having a healthy baby and after two miscarriages I know how special each successful pregnancy is... but it’s bloody exhausting.

The great thing about hitting the third trimester is, despite there being anywhere between 9-12 weeks till I should give birth, I feel like the end is in sight. It’s the home stretch, and of course I’ll be getting much fatter and much more sore but there isn’t another stage after this where it’ll happen again!

I have been getting sore. I don’t know if it’s just inevitable after having SPD so severe I was induced (read about that here) last time. I’ve been trying to take it easy but the wincing pain is creeping back every time I roll over or walk further than normal- if I do push myself I find I’m useless for a day or so after. Epsom salt baths and general rest are helping, I just hope I can carry on staving it off till I’m full term and avoid induction. 

Other than that, I do feel really well in myself. I’ve started having a lot of dreams about when he’s here and what he may look like- and a whole lot of crazy dreams with enough drama and details as a blockbuster movie! 

My cravings are also moving on from vinegar and sweeties- I’ve been obsessed with green grapes! The only issue is, some strains of green grapes taste sort of leafy and grassy and I want the specific strain with that crunch and tart/sour taste. I’ve bought the “wrong” grapes home from Tesco twice and promptly left them in the fridge to be neglected or eaten by someone else. Nothing has felt more disappointing in my life. 

We’re going for a 4D scan this week and I am so excited to see baby boy again. He’s gaining baby fat and should look nice and squashy and like a real baby! I think it will be a lovely experience as we get to bring Isla and Archer to see him!

He does have a name by the way, we just aren’t sharing it with the whole world till he’s here. I shared Archer’s name with a lot of people before he was born, and even though it was definite, people took it as an invitation to offer alternatives. 

Overall, nothing has really changed this week. Baby is as big as a coconut apparently and I don’t want to think about pushing a coconut out of my foof right now so I’m avoiding the fruit comparisons from now on!

Three Months Postpartum- Baby #2

Three months out! That means we're out of the fabled fourth trimester, where baby is all floppy and helpless and their instinct to not be abandoned means they shriek and cling to you for 12 weeks...

It also means I'm finally starting to feel a bit more myself and a bit more human. I'm not fully there, but it's a start and I'm definitely trying to be more patient as Archer is my second baby (although I didn't even come close to bouncing back with my first either).

Weight: I only gained 3lbs in my pregnancy as I suffered with Hyperememis Gravidarum (HG). I was still overweight to begin with though as I never lost my baby weight from Isla. I am now at 12st7 meaning I have lost 17lbs since Archer was born.

Mobility: I spent the end of my pregnancy wheelchair bound due to severe SPD (you can read about this here). My hip and pelvis still ache if I walk too far in a day and I end up limping but I'm able to get about if I take it easy which is a big improvement.

Body: I still feel pretty huge despite the weight loss. I'm smaller than I have been for two years following my 5 stone weight gain with Isla's pregnancy, but I'm not happy. I'm soft all over despite being smaller so clothes are fitting quite weird. My breasts have gotten pretty huge from breastfeeding too so I'm struggling to find anything to wear that suits them. I think a lot of it is just poor body image which is something I've always had an issue with.

Mentally: For the first few months, I did suffer with PND (post natal depression). I talked to a lot of people and this has improved, but I'm still feeling up and down. The really bad days are mostly due to my body image and how I see myself. I've dyed my hair recently which helped as I've decided to stop trying to look like "mum" and just be myself, but it's weight loss that will make me feel better I'm sure. I feel pretty burnt out when both children have a bad day and I do get stressed the day after a bad night, but at three months out it's really improving.

How were you feeling three months out?

Steph xo

Pregnancy: Why I had to be induced early

My first pregnancy with Isla, besides her attempt to be born at 31 weeks, was fairly smooth sailing. I did not have any morning sickness- not even once, I did not suffer too much with aches and pains and besides a little period of low blood pressure I was feeling fine physically for the most part.

With this in mind, I expected my second pregnancy to go as smooth, if not better, as I'd been giving the false impression that the second one is always easier. I was sorely mistaken. 

I am fully aware every pregnancy is different, but I never imagined myself unable to gain any weight, or wheelchair bound and dosing on Tramadol while injecting myself with blood thinners. With all this, I had to be induced 3 weeks early.

I suffered early on with morning sickness- except not just in the morning or a particular time of day. The sickness seemed to be hitting all day and even as a result of sipping water. After a week of it getting particularly bad I ended up in A&E. I'd woken up feeling DRY. That sounds silly, but I felt like I had heat stroke, my wee was brown and I was really dehydrated. I was given IV fluids and kept in for observations before being sent home with sickness tablets. 

The tablets made me feel like a zombie, and they didn't stop me being sick fully. I was told I was suffering with hyperemesis gravidarum. To put it into perspective, by 30 weeks pregnant, I was 4lbs UNDER my start weight at 4 weeks pregnant. My baby was growing perfectly, but I had lost so much weight that even with my fluids, the baby and the weight of my placenta I was in negative numbers.

The sickness kept me moderately house bound, however around 28 weeks pregnant I noticed I was beginning to ache around my hips and pelvis and leaving the house was a slow painful process. I'd intended to work until 34 weeks, but by 30 weeks I found my 5 minute walk to work had turned in 20 minutes and I would be barely able to walk for the rest of the day.

My pelvis had misaligned due to a severe acute case of SPD. I jumped from walking with a limp and aches, to needing crutches, and within 2 weeks of me noticing it, I was in a wheelchair for any journey further than 1 minute. I was having to take Tramadol up to four times a day- a drug so strong it is not recommended for pregnancy and is highly addictive. I was also having to inject myself with blood thinners due to my lack of mobility, to avoid clotting.

The sickness, the wheelchair, the pain... it left me unable to look after myself, let alone my two year old daughter or my family and home. I couldn't cope with my mood. I was crying every day and I began to fear I was going to hate the baby as a result.

The midwife took one look at me and booked me in to see a specialist and arrange induction as early as was safe for the baby. It was not in my best interest to be pregnant anymore. The benefit for baby to stay inside was being outweighed by the drugs I was having to put in, and the affect it was having on myself and my families mental well-being.

Archer was born at 37 weeks following a two day induction, and within a few days I was able to move around the house with ease and I felt a million times better. The pain and sickness seemed to subside hours after he was born- it felt like a miracle. 

My pelvis still aches, three months out, if I walk too far or for too long. I have to remember the severity could have caused permanent damage and am still waiting for my follow up physio, so hope it goes away for good one day.

Were you induced at the end of pregnancy? Did you suffer with HG or SPD? I'd love to hear from you- let me know!

Steph xo