Pregnancy has a way of making you feel uncomfortable in ways you genuinely didn’t know were possible. One week you’re sleeping fine, and the next you’re somehow simultaneously overheating, sweating, dealing with hip pain, lower back pain, rib pain, and trying to strategically rotate your body like a rotisserie chicken every 45 minutes without waking yourself up completely.
During my pregnancy, I became absurdly hot at night. And I was pregnant through winter in New England. I’m talking about AC blasting, window wide open in January, husband wrapped in blankets like a sick Victorian orphan. It truly made me realize how much your mattress can work against you during pregnancy.
That’s partly why mattress toppers become such a popular pregnancy purchase. They’re less expensive than replacing your entire mattress, they can temporarily solve comfort issues during pregnancy, and they let you customize your sleep setup for a phase of life that is, thankfully, temporary.
Still, not all mattress toppers solve the same problem. Some help with pressure relief. Some help with overheating. Some are better for side sleeping. And some will just make you sink deeper into a sweaty memory foam crater that becomes its own fresh nightmare by 2AM.
Here are the mattress toppers and sleep systems I think make the most sense for pregnancy, depending on what specific problem you’re trying to address.
What Pregnancy Does to Your Sleep
Before choosing a topper, it can be helpful to identify why you’re uncomfortable in the first place. For pregnancy sleepers, it might come down to a combination of:
- Overheating and night sweats
- Hip and shoulder pressure from side sleeping
- Lower back pain
- Pelvic discomfort
- Needing more cushioning without feeling trapped
- Constantly changing sleep positions
- Feeling unsupported as weight distribution changes
Pregnancy can make your existing mattress preferences completely change temporarily.
If you normally love a firm mattress, you might suddenly crave pressure relief. If you usually like plush beds, you may suddenly feel like you’re collapsing into quicksand with no support. That’s why a topper can be one of the smarter pregnancy purchases, as it allows you to modify your sleep setup for 6-to-12 months without panic-buying an entirely new mattress that you may not even want postpartum.
Best Mattress Topper for Pregnancy Overheating: Eight Sleep Pod
If overheating is your main pregnancy issue, traditional mattress toppers may not be the most practical option. Most cooling toppers are passive, meaning they use breathable foam, gel infusions, or cooling fabric to try to reduce heat retention. That can help a little, but pregnancy overheating is often hormonal and aggressive. Your body temperature changes rapidly throughout the night, and passive cooling can only do so much.
Instead of just “sleeping cooler,” the Eight Sleep Pod actively cools or heats the bed using water-based temperature regulation. It can automatically adjust throughout the night and cool each side of the bed independently. The downside, however, is the price.
This is not a casual purchase; it’s an ultra-premium sleep system and will not be the right fit for every budget, especially during a life stage where you’re already buying approximately 700 tiny expensive things for a person who cannot even hold their head up yet.
However, if overheating is severely affecting your sleep, you already struggle with hot sleeping outside pregnancy (I deal with this now after having my first), or if you plan to have multiple pregnancies, this system will genuinely address heat in a meaningful way. Prices for the Pod 5 start at $3,098.
Best for:
- Severe pregnancy overheating
- Postpartum overheating
- Hot sleepers
- Couples with different temperature preferences
Best Mattress Topper for Hip and Shoulder Pressure: Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Adapt Topper
Pregnancy side sleeping can wreak havoc on your hips.
The TEMPUR-Adapt topper is one of the better options for pressure relief because the foam responds slowly and contours around the body without immediately collapsing underneath you. This matters the most during pregnancy because side sleeping creates concentrated pressure around your hips, shoulders, ribs, and lower back.
The TEMPUR material distributes weight more evenly, which can reduce that “aching pressure point” feeling many pregnant sleepers develop. That said, traditional memory foam can sleep warmer. So if overheating is already a major issue for you and you don’t want to purchase an additional cooling topper to add to this one, this may not be the best fit.
The topper is available in sizes Twin up to California King. The Queen size is $349 and you can add a cooling topper to it for an additional $80.
Best for:
- Hip pain
- Shoulder pain
- Side sleepers
Best Budget Mattress Topper for Pregnancy: Linenspa Gel-Infused Memory Foam Topper
Let’s be real, pregnancy (and the rest of your life after this point) is expensive enough already.
Sometimes, you genuinely just need something softer for a few months without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars. The Linenspa Gel-Infused Topper is one of the more reasonable budget options because it adds cushioning without feeling overly dense or complicated. It’s also infused with cooling gel which may help keep the night sweats at bay if they aren’t too severe.
Is it life-changing luxury? No. But for many pregnant sleepers, adding even just a little bit of extra softness to a mattress that suddenly feels too firm can make a huge difference.
I also appreciate that this category of topper is low-commitment financially. Because realistically, most pregnancy sleep issues, like hip and back pain, improve postpartum, and not everyone wants to invest heavily in a temporary sleep phase. The topper comes in two heights, 2- or 3-inch, and in sizes Cot all the way up to California King. The price of a 2-inch Queen topper is $59.99.
Best for:
- Budget-conscious shoppers
- Temporary pregnancy discomfort
- Guest beds or secondary beds
Best Mattress Topper for Back Pain During Pregnancy: Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper
Pregnancy back pain is tricky because too-soft toppers can actually make it worse.
The Saatva Graphite topper does a better job at balancing cushioning, spinal alignment, and support compared to many softer memory foam toppers. The graphite infusion also helps slightly with heat management, though again, this is still passive cooling rather than active temperature regulation, despite their claim of it being “active cooling technology.” The cover is also made with naturally breathable and moisture-wicking organic cotton.
What I like about this style of topper is that it feels supportive without becoming stiff. During pregnancy, there’s this weird balancing act where you want softness for pressure relief but still need enough structure to avoid feeling like your spine is folding into a taco overnight and I feel like this topper blends that combo pretty well. This topper is available in Twin all the way up to California King. The Queen size is $305.
Best for:
- Lower back pain
- Combination sleepers
- People who dislike ultra-soft memory foam
Best Organic Mattress Topper for Pregnancy: Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper
For pregnant moms specifically looking for natural materials, latex instead of memory foam, or less heat retention, latex toppers can be a really good option.
The Avocado latex topper feels more responsive and breathable compared to traditional memory foam. Instead of slowly sinking in, the surface has more bounce and airflow.
Some pregnant sleepers love this because it’s easier to reposition at night. And trust me, pregnancy already turns every rollover into an Olympic-level maneuver involving a 17-point turn.
Latex also tends to sleep cooler naturally than dense memory foam. It also included an organic cotton cover with an organic cotton canvas base. The topper is available in size Twin up to California King. It also comes in two heights, 2- and 3-inch, and in two feels, medium and plush. The Queen topper in 2-inch height and in a medium feel will cost you around $399. If you upgrade to the 3-inch, it adds another $90. The plush feel will add another $135.
Best for:
- Eco-conscious shoppers
- People who dislike sinking foam
- Combination sleepers
Is a Mattress Topper Actually Worth It During Pregnancy?
For many people, yes. Pregnancy is temporary, but sleep deprivation during pregnancy feels eternal. Additionally, you don’t know what your post-partum journey may look like. Personally, I still suffer from back pain and hip pain 15 months in.
And while a mattress topper will not magically solve every discomfort pregnancy throws at you, it can significantly improve:
- Pressure relief
- Temperature regulation
- Spinal support
- Overall comfort
From a budget perspective, I actually think toppers make more sense for many pregnant moms than buying a completely new mattress during pregnancy itself. Your body changes so dramatically during this phase that your preferences may shift again postpartum. A topper lets you adapt your sleep setup without fully committing to an entirely different mattress long-term.
How I’d Personally Shop for Pregnancy Sleep the Second Time Around
After going through pregnancy once already, I would approach sleep completely differently the second time. The biggest mistake I made was trying to “push through” discomfort instead of adjusting my environment earlier. I kept thinking “this is only temporary.”
But temporary sleep problems still affect your energy, recovery, mood, pain levels, and your overall quality of life every single day. And don’t you want to try and make your journey better for yourself? Why be miserable when you can just… not? Also, I want to add again that a lot of my issues I had during pregnancy with sleep have continued well into my postpartum life.
If I got pregnant again, I would prioritize (in this exact order):
- Temperature regulation
- Pressure relief
- Ease of movement
If I’m being honest, overheating ended up affecting my sleep more than anything else, and still continues to plague me.
Once you stop sleeping well during pregnancy, everything else somehow feels harder too. A simple mattress topper can go a long way toward changing that.