I’m preggo with my 3rd child. With each child we have invested in a new mattress…all innerspring. I’m frustrated b/c ALL of them seem great for a year or maybe even two but, all end up sinking in the center of the bed which causes lots of problems… especially when your larger and hotter than usual, don’t want to be touched and everything aches. I have a hard time getting comfy to go to sleep then feel like a truck hit me when waking. Yes, some of this is the pregnancy but, I believe the mattress has a fair amount to do with it as well. I’ve tried researching products but, I have no clue what to look for. I can go into a shop and pick out a comfy mattress that seems great for some time after getting it home but, it NEVER lasts. We are also planning to upgrade to a king for those nights when there are awful thunderstorms or all three kids are sick at the same time and end up in the bed with us. I would love to get advice from someone who knows the industry and NOT trying to just SELL me something. We like mattresses that are on the softer side. When at the mattress store today the ones I like where the Sterns & Foster Rosalie Euro Pillow top, the I comfort revolution (both which were on sale and in our budget) and of course the tempur-pedic cloud supreme and Luxe (which are NOT in our budget) I hate to say b/c I always research larger purchases before making them but, I’m at the point where I really do need someone to just say “okay this is what you should get…” I’m too tired and overwhelmed with day to day working, cooking, cleaning, managing my two very active kids and growing yet another set of arms, legs, toes…and so on 
…to spend so much time trying to learn the mattress lingo and what materials do what. If anyone could help me at all it would defiantly make my year;)
I’ve been trying to read other posts in the forum…so I thought maybe I would include the following info as well…
I’m just starting out in my pregnancy…right now I’m around 150lbs., my hubby is around 200lbs. We are bother around 5"9. I am a side sleeper and he is a side/back/stomach sleeper…I say this b/c he starts on his side then tosses and turns A LOT!
Hi Preggo … and welcome
My heart goes out to you. Unfortunately what you are describing are the issues that are common to ALL of the major manufacturers who use cheap soft polyfoam in the upper layers of their mattresses. These types of problems are the single biggest reason I developed this website to help people break through the misleading advertising and sales stories which are so common in the industry … and so often lead to disappointment in a mattress purchase.
To be clear … I would avoid ALL major manufacturers and look for smaller independent mattress manufacturers who will actually tell you how they make your mattress … which ones will work for you … and then sell you a great mattress at a great price. Even the better mattresses sold by the major manufacturers are usually way overpriced and have poor value.
I can sympathize with you in terms of not wanting to do a lot of research in your circumstances so perhaps the best thing I can do for you would be to help you find some outlets that are near you which will not steer you wrong and will genuinely help you find something that that is suitable for your needs and will last you much longer than what you have purchased in the past. The single best advice I could give you in terms of materials is to look for latex … especially in the comfort layers but even here many outlets will say that their mattress is latex when in fact it has only a meaningless thin layer inside it or it has cheaper polyfoam over it (which is what causes the impressions).
If you can let me know the city you live, your budget range, and your rough height/weight and “normal” sleeping position (although I realize that there is no such thing as normal when you are pregnant) … I’ll be happy to give you some ideas for some trustworthy and helpful sources that are near you so you won’t have to go through this process again for many years.
Phoenix
PS: I just saw that you included your height, weight, and sleeping positions so if you could let me know your budget and city I’ll be happy to send you “in a good direction”.
I live in Altavista, Va…just outside of Lynchburg, Va. I’m 5"9 and 150lbs. right now. That will change soon:) I’m mostly a side sleeper but, when pregnant I often sleep on my back as well. My hubby is around 200lbs. and about the same height…although he insists he is much taller. He is a side/back/stomach sleeper…I say this b/c he starts on his side then tosses and turns A LOT! He also gets very hot when sleeping…it’s like sleeping next to a furnace! I’m normally cold natured but, that too will change soon as well.
Thank you so much for your help!!! Even though I SHOULD be sleeping in order to get two little one’s off to school in the morning….I’m up at 2:45am here with a heating pad on my achy back b/c I can’t get comfy enough to sleep. I’ve been searching the web for some sort of answers that may help. I’m very glad I happened upon your site:) I was ready to give up b/c most sites tell you that they will help then the only info you get is the price THEY would charge you for the mattress they want to sell. It is very discouraging!
Oh and we are looking to spend around $2000 or less of course:)
Hi Preggo,
I can certainly see that you like “soft” mattresses
The first thing I should mention is that if you are planning to have a baby or infant sleep on your mattress at times … then I believe you should completely avoid all memory foam. It is not suitable for babies or infants and could be dangerous.
Stearns and Foster has 6.5" of soft polyfoam foam on top. The iComfort Revolution has 5 3/4" of soft polyfoam and memory foam on top. Both of these are a recipe for early foam breakdown and a repeat of your other experiences.
I made a few calls this morning to see what was available around you and I have to say that there is not a lot. You are in a “difficult” area of the country in terms of buying a quality mattress that will last (I looked at what I knew about or could find within about 50 miles or so). Some of the calls I made today and the websites I looked at include these …
http://www.beds4u2.com/products.html Retailer in Lynchburg. They carry a brand called Paramount which is a regional manufacturer which may have some better value. I would make sure thought that they can provide you with the information you will need about the quality/density of all the layers in their Paramount mattresses because they may not be completely transparent about the foam densities of the layers in their mattresses.
http://perfectlatexmattress.com/ or http://sleepessentials.com/ Roanoke, Henrico, VA. They are an independent manufacturer which makes high quality natural latex mattresses. While I realize they are some distance from you … they are really the only ones I think highly of and I believe would give you truly accurate information and not lead you astray. I have talked with him for several hours and he will certainly IMO help you find the type of mattress and type of construction that would be most suitable for you.
ADDED: There is now a more complete list for the larger Lynchburg. Charlottesville, Waynesboro area in post #3 here.
While they may be a little over your budget (King size is $2400) … a similar mattress in mass market outlets (if you could find something similar at all) would likely cost well over $1000 more. They are good quality and reasonable value.
The first step is to find out which version of his mattresses would work the best for both of you. The final step is to make a decision whether to actually purchase that mattress or whether the knowledge you gain can help you find something similar that is a little less … or if that would even be worth considering.
I wish there was more around you that was even worth considering … but unfortunately (to my knowledge) … there isn’t. At least there is one outlet which you can count on to give you accurate and reliable information and who is more interested in finding something that actually is suitable for you and long lasting than they are in just “selling you something” for the sake of the sale itself.
Hope this helps
Phoenix