By the Cambridge Beds & Furniture Team — Cambridge, Waikato

Somewhere around the second trimester, most people discover that the mattress that worked perfectly fine for years suddenly doesn't. A hip that never used to ache starts complaining after twenty minutes. Rolling over becomes a production. None of this means anything is wrong with you — pregnancy changes how your body interacts with whatever you're sleeping on, often faster than expected. This guide covers what genuinely matters when choosing a mattress during pregnancy: firmness, sleep position, temperature, getting in and out of bed, and a few practical details that don't get much attention elsewhere.

Quick answer: A good pregnancy mattress in New Zealand generally means a medium to medium-firm feel that supports the hips and lower back without creating pressure points, good edge support for getting in and out of bed comfortably, and breathable materials to help with temperature regulation. From 28 weeks, side sleeping is the sleep position recommended by New Zealand health authorities, so a mattress that stays comfortable on your side through a full night matters more than firmness alone.

A quick note before we start: this article covers mattress comfort and support — it isn't medical advice. For anything specific to your pregnancy, including pain, sleep difficulties, or health concerns, please talk to your midwife (LMC), obstetrician, or GP.

Why Your Mattress Matters More During Pregnancy

Weight distribution changes as pregnancy progresses, putting more pressure through the hips, lower back, and shoulders than most mattresses are designed around by default. A mattress that felt perfectly supportive before can start to feel too soft (letting the hips sink, pulling the spine out of alignment) or too firm (creating pressure points at the hip and shoulder during side sleeping) without the mattress itself changing — it's your body's needs that have shifted.

Sleep quality during pregnancy is also worth taking seriously in its own right. Disrupted sleep is extremely common in later pregnancy, and while some of that comes down to factors a mattress can't fix, a mattress actively working against your comfort makes it all harder.

Sleep Position: Why Side Sleeping Matters From the Third Trimester

This is worth covering properly, since it's specific to New Zealand health guidance. From 28 weeks of pregnancy, the advice from New Zealand health authorities — based on research led by the University of Auckland with Cure Kids and the Ministry of Health — is to go to sleep on your side for every sleep, including daytime naps. Lying flat on your back in later pregnancy can put pressure on major blood vessels, and NZ-led research has linked back-sleeping in the third trimester to a higher risk of late stillbirth. Either side is fine — research hasn't shown a meaningful difference between left and right. Healthify, New Zealand's RNZCGP-endorsed health information service, covers this guidance in more detail, including tips for getting comfortable on your side.

Practically, this means comfort in side-sleeping position matters more than it might have before. A mattress that's fine for back or stomach sleeping but creates pressure at the hip and shoulder when side sleeping makes an already-recommended position harder to stick with — which is exactly where a slightly softer comfort layer, or a mattress built with zoned support (firmer through the centre to support the hips and lower back, softer at the shoulders), earns its keep. Not every mattress is built this way, so it's a reasonable thing to ask about directly if pressure relief at the hip and shoulder is your main concern.

Pro tip: A pillow between the knees, and sometimes another supporting the belly or lower back, can make side sleeping noticeably more comfortable regardless of which mattress you're on — it's a cheap, easy adjustment worth trying before assuming the mattress itself is the problem.

How Your Mattress Needs Can Change Trimester by Trimester

Comfort needs during pregnancy aren't static, which is part of why this can feel like a moving target.

• First trimester: Physical changes are usually minimal, and most people can sleep in whatever position and on whatever mattress feels normal. Fatigue and nausea are more likely to affect sleep than the mattress itself.
• Second trimester: As the bump grows, side sleeping generally starts to feel more natural, and pressure points at the hips and shoulders can start showing up on a mattress that's firmer than ideal.
• Third trimester: Side sleeping is specifically recommended here, and physical discomfort (hip pain, getting in and out of bed) tends to peak — this is when a supportive-but-pressure-relieving mattress makes the biggest practical difference.

If you're buying because of pregnancy discomfort, later in the second trimester or early third is often practical — early enough for a proper adjustment period, but close enough to when your needs have actually shifted.

What Firmness Actually Helps During Pregnancy?

There's no single firmness that's correct for every pregnant person, but some general patterns help. A mattress that's too firm tends to create pressure points at the hip and shoulder during side sleeping — the position you'll likely spend most time in. A mattress that's too soft can let the hips sink too far, pulling the lower back out of a neutral position and making hip and back pain worse.

For most people, a medium to medium-firm feel — enough give to cushion the hip and shoulder, enough underlying support to keep the spine reasonably aligned — works best during pregnancy, particularly in the second and third trimesters. Cambridge Beds & Furniture stocks mattresses across seven comfort levels from X-Firm through to X-Soft, so it's worth testing a few in the medium to medium-soft range in-store rather than guessing from a label, since firmness labelling isn't standardised between brands.

Mattress Types and What They Offer During Pregnancy

Construction type affects how a mattress handles the specific demands of pregnancy — pressure relief, motion transfer, and temperature.

• Pocket spring: Individual springs respond independently, generally meaning good motion isolation — useful if a restless night is already common. Springs also tend to sleep cooler, since air moves through the coil layer.
• Memory foam: Contours closely around the body, helping relieve pressure at the hips and shoulders during side sleeping. Can run warmer than spring constructions, worth considering if you're already prone to feeling hot at night.
• Latex: A more responsive feel than memory foam, generally sleeps cooler, and natural latex is naturally resistant to dust mites — a genuine plus if you're managing allergies too.
• Hybrid: Combines a spring base with a foam or latex comfort layer, aiming for pressure relief without the heat retention of an all-foam build. A reasonable middle ground for many pregnancy-specific comfort needs.

None of these is universally "the pregnancy mattress" — the right choice depends on whether temperature, pressure relief, or motion isolation matters most for you.

Managing Temperature and Night Sweats

Running hotter than usual is common during pregnancy, and it can make an already-tricky sleep situation worse. If overheating at night is already a factor for you, a pocket spring or hybrid mattress with good airflow is generally more breathable than a dense, all-foam mattress. Natural fibre bedding and a breathable mattress protector can also help more than people expect, independent of the mattress itself.

Getting In and Out of Bed: Edge Support and Bed Height

This gets surprisingly little attention in most mattress advice, but it matters a lot in later pregnancy: getting in and out of bed becomes physically harder as balance shifts and bending becomes less comfortable. A mattress with firm, well-supported edges makes sitting on the side of the bed and standing up meaningfully easier. Bed height matters too — a bed that sits very low can make standing up more of a strain than it needs to be.

Good edge support keeps paying off after your baby arrives too — a stable, supportive edge to sit on makes a genuine difference during the many hours of nighttime feeding that follow, whether the mattress itself is new or not.

If getting in and out of bed is a genuine ongoing issue, it's worth looking at our adjustable beds range. Being able to raise the head of the bed can also help with heartburn — Healthify specifically suggests raising the head of your mattress a few centimetres to help keep stomach acid down during pregnancy — though it's worth discussing persistent heartburn, swelling or pain with your midwife or GP rather than treating an adjustable base as a fix on its own.

A Practical Note on Mattress Protectors

A good waterproof, breathable mattress protector is sensible at any stage of pregnancy, and worth having on hand well before your due date. It also matters for another reason: our 60-Night Comfort Guarantee on mattresses requires a protector to be purchased alongside the mattress to be eligible, so it's worth budgeting for from the start.

New Mattress Smell: A Practical Note

Many new mattresses, particularly foam ones, have a noticeable smell for the first few days as materials off-gas. It's generally not something to be alarmed about, but if you're pregnant and sensitive to smells — a common symptom — it's worth airing a new mattress in a well-ventilated room for a few days before regular use, and asking the retailer what materials are used if this is a specific concern.

When to Buy: Timing It Around Your Due Date

If discomfort has made your current mattress genuinely uncomfortable, order with enough buffer before your due date for delivery and a short adjustment period — most people need a week or two to adjust to a new mattress, easier to manage before the final few weeks than during them. Check delivery timeframes before you buy, especially for larger sizes.

Warranty and the 60-Night Comfort Guarantee

Mattress warranties at Cambridge Beds & Furniture typically range from 2 to 10 years depending on the product — full details on our warranty information page. Because pregnancy comfort needs can shift between trimesters, the 60-Night Comfort Guarantee is genuinely useful: if a mattress bought with a protector doesn't feel right after a proper trial, our team can help you exchange it, subject to the guarantee's terms and an exchange fee. Our mattress care guide has further tips on getting the most out of a new mattress.

Common Mistakes When Buying a Pregnancy Mattress

1. Buying based on first-trimester comfort. What feels fine early on may not suit how you're sleeping by the third trimester — if you can, wait until your needs have actually shifted before committing.
2. Ignoring edge support. It seems minor until getting in and out of bed becomes physically harder, at which point it matters a lot.
3. Assuming firmer is always more supportive. Too firm can create pressure points at the hip and shoulder during side sleeping, which is the opposite of what you want in the third trimester.
4. Skipping the mattress protector. Beyond general practicality, it's a requirement for our comfort guarantee to apply.
5. Not allowing time to adjust. A new mattress can feel slightly different for the first couple of weeks — that's normal, not necessarily a sign it's the wrong one.

Pregnancy Mattress Checklist

1. Tested the mattress lying on your side, in the position you'll actually sleep in
2. Chosen a medium to medium-firm feel, or tested a few comfort levels in-store
3. Checked edge support if getting in and out of bed is already a challenge
4. Considered temperature and breathability if overheating at night is an issue
5. Bought a mattress protector alongside the mattress
6. Confirmed delivery timeframes with enough buffer before your due date
7. Checked warranty length and whether a comfort guarantee applies

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best mattress firmness for pregnancy?

For most people, a medium to medium-firm feel works best — enough give to relieve pressure at the hips and shoulders during side sleeping, with enough support to keep the spine reasonably aligned. Test a few comfort levels in person rather than relying on firmness labels alone.

Is it safe to sleep on your back during pregnancy?

Early pregnancy is generally fine in any position. From 28 weeks, New Zealand health guidance recommends going to sleep on your side for every sleep, including naps, based on NZ-led research linking back-sleeping in the third trimester to increased stillbirth risk. Talk to your midwife or GP with specific questions.

Does it matter if I sleep on my left or right side?

Research hasn't shown a meaningful difference between left and right — either is fine. What matters is sleeping on your side rather than your back from the third trimester onwards.

What mattress type is best: memory foam, spring, latex or hybrid?

It depends what matters most to you. Memory foam offers strong pressure relief but can run warm. Pocket spring and latex generally sleep cooler. A hybrid balances pressure relief with better airflow than all-foam options.

Why does my hip hurt more at night during pregnancy?

Increased pressure through the hips during side sleeping, combined with pregnancy-related joint and ligament changes, commonly causes hip discomfort. A mattress with better pressure relief may help, but persistent or severe pain is worth discussing with your midwife, GP or a physiotherapist.

Should I buy an adjustable bed during pregnancy?

Not necessary for everyone, but some find raising the head or foot of the bed helpful for comfort or for getting in and out of bed more easily later on. It's a personal comfort choice — discuss ongoing symptoms like swelling with your GP or midwife.

When should I buy a new mattress if I'm pregnant?

If discomfort is driving the purchase, later in the second trimester or early third is often practical — early enough for delivery and an adjustment period, close enough to when your needs have actually changed.

Do I need a mattress protector during pregnancy?

It's a sensible addition at any stage, and at Cambridge Beds & Furniture it's also required alongside your mattress purchase for our 60-Night Comfort Guarantee to apply.

Is a new mattress smell dangerous during pregnancy?

The smell from a new mattress is generally not something to be alarmed about, but pregnancy can heighten sensitivity to smells. Airing the mattress in a well-ventilated room for a few days can help if this is a concern.

Can raising the head of my bed help with pregnancy heartburn?

Healthify, New Zealand's health information service, suggests raising the head of your mattress a few centimetres may help keep stomach acid down during pregnancy. An adjustable bed base makes this easy to adjust, though persistent or severe heartburn is worth mentioning to your midwife or GP.

Final Thoughts

There's no single mattress that's correct for every pregnancy, but getting the basics right — a supportive-but-pressure-relieving firmness, good edge support, and materials that suit how warm you're running — will do more for your comfort than chasing a specific brand or label. If you'd like to test a few options in person, you're welcome to visit our beds & mattresses range at our Cambridge showroom, where our team can talk you through comfort levels and construction types, or check our finance options if you'd rather spread the cost.

Disclaimer: This article covers general mattress comfort and support considerations and is not medical advice. For anything specific to your pregnancy, including pain, sleep difficulties or health concerns, please speak with your midwife (LMC), obstetrician, or GP.