There’s a third party putting a wedge in some people’s relationships, and it’s not another person.
With their massive, curved builds and thick cushioning, pregnancy pillows have exploded across TikTok — seemingly as popular for expecting moms as non-pregnant women seeking something softer to land on.
There’s just one problem. Their partners despise them. The viral plush pillows, marked down to just $27 ahead of Amazon’s Big Spring sale, seem like they’d pose no threat against a full-grown man, but social media would tell you otherwise.
Thousands of posts are dedicated to women doting on them, speaking to their many benefits — such as alleviating hip and back pain and providing emotional comfort. For pregnant women, who are often advised not to sleep on their backs after the 20th week of pregnancy, these pillows may be the only thing helping them fall asleep at night. One TikToker admitted she “can’t live without the pregnancy pillow.”
Despite the profound benefits for pregnant women, their somewhat jealous partners don’t feel the same way. TikTok is filled with clips of men whining about them, tossing them off the bed, and even angrily chucking them in the garbage bin post-childbirth.
In the past month alone, one of the most popular pregnancy pillow brands on Amazon has sold over 10,000 units. Reviewers rave about the U-shaped design and mention that it helps with circulation and swelling. Some claim the pillows are responsible for putting an end to their tossing and turning.
Many men find the pillows to be a huge inconvenience, citing that they make it difficult for them to get close to their partners and they’re taking up too much real estate in bed.
“My wife has now decided she can’t sleep without this stupid thing she calls a ‘pregnancy pillow,’” one man complained in his post.
The audio he had playing in the background has been used over and over for this scenario, “Just the three of us. You, me, and the brick wall you built between us.”
In another facetious video captioned, “The first thing he did when we got back from the hospital,” one woman recorded her husband running into the bedroom to grab her beloved pregnancy pillow, only to drag it outside and dump it in the trash bin.
The comments section was filled with shocked women demanding answers, and asking what the pillow ever did to him.
“Nope, mine will stay with me forever, we’re bonded,” one commenter responded.
“Would order a new one the same day,” another chimed in.
One user decided to stand up for him, “That’s hilarious!! And all of you women who are mad at him for throwing the pillow away. He’s doing it because he misses cuddling with his wife.”
Men might feel displaced by them, but the pregnancy pillow doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. And, if your husband is still grumbling about it — the couch is always waiting.
This article was written by Miska Salemann, New York Post Commerce Journalist. As a Gen Z first-time mother of one, Miska tests baby, maternity and postpartum products ranging from stylish new kids clothes to long-trusted diaper brands with her daughter. She evaluates baby- and mom-approved products for practicality and quality, and consults medical and parenting experts to weigh in on safe ingredients, usage and more. Before arriving at the Post, she covered the lifestyle and consumer verticals for the U.S. Sun.
