Why I Designed The Bellini™ BBL Pillow After Years of Treating Post-Op Patients
Monica Skalsky, CAMTC #33056, C-MLD holding The Bellini BBL Pillow
When people ask me why I created The Bellini™ BBL Pillow, I usually tell them “I didn’t want to sell product.”
But, here I am, selling my therapist-designed BBL Pillow.
And, it all began with my post-op BBL clients.
For over 30 years as a licensed massage therapist—and the last several years specializing in post-operative recovery—I have spent my days helping people heal after cosmetic surgery. Every week I work with patients recovering from BBLs, liposuction, tummy tucks, breast procedures, and mommy makeovers. Recovery has become my passion because I know how physically and emotionally challenging it can be.
During those years, I noticed something.
Almost every patient came to their appointment carrying a different BBL pillow.
And almost every one of them had something to complain about.
"I can't get comfortable."
"I feel like I'm balancing."
"My thighs hurt."
"It slides around in my car."
"I have to keep adjusting it."
As therapists, we pay attention to patterns. When hundreds of patients tell you similar stories, you stop seeing isolated complaints—you start seeing a problem that needs to be solved.
One day, after hearing the same frustrations yet again, I turned to my husband, Kenny, and said...
"There has to be a better way."
That conversation became the beginning of The Bellini™ BBL Pillow, the first therapist-designed recovery product from Peaches by Wrthit.
I Never Wanted to Sell a Pillow
This might surprise you, but I didn't wake up one morning wanting to start a product company.
My goal wasn't to manufacture another BBL pillow.
My goal was to help my clients heal more comfortably.
As a post-op therapist, I get to see something most product designers never do. I see what happens after surgery. I watch people get in and out of cars. I see how they sit during appointments. I hear what hurts and what makes their day just a little easier.
Those real-life experiences became our blueprint.
Instead of asking, "How do we make another bbl pillow?"
We asked...
"How do we solve the problems patients experience every single day?"
About Monica Skalsky
I'm Monica Skalsky, a licensed massage therapist, CAMTC #33056 and MLD Certified, with more than 30 years of experience and the founder of Wrthit, a mobile post-operative lymphatic drainage massage practice serving Southern California. Over the last several years, I've dedicated my practice to helping patients recover after cosmetic surgery, including Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs), liposuction, tummy tucks, mommy makeovers, and other procedures. Working with post-op patients every day has given me a unique perspective on what truly helps people recover more comfortably. Those years of hands-on experience inspired my husband, Kenny, and me to create Peaches by Wrthit, a recovery brand built around thoughtfully designed products that solve the real challenges I see in my practice. The Bellini™ BBL Pillow is the first product in that mission.
Every Complaint Became a Design Goal
Kenny and I spent months talking through everything I had observed in the treatment room.
If patients felt unstable...
We needed to improve stability.
If they constantly shifted...
We needed to make sitting feel natural.
If they complained about being uncomfortable...
Comfort had to become the priority without sacrificing support.
Every design decision had to answer one simple question:
Will this make recovery easier?
If the answer wasn't yes, we moved on.
Why Stability Became My Number One Priority
If there's one thing I hope people remember about The Bellini, it's this:
Comfort begins with stability.
When you're recovering from surgery, the last thing you want is to feel like you're balancing on a small platform.
Many bbl recovery pillows are simply too narrow. Your thighs are forced into a limited sitting area, and your body spends more time trying to maintain balance than relaxing.
That constant shifting isn't just frustrating.
It's exhausting.
I wanted people to sit down, feel supported, and stop thinking about their pillow altogether.
That's why we designed The Bellini™ BBL Pillow with a generous 18-inch by 9-inch surface. That additional space creates a noticeably more stable sitting experience, giving your body room to relax instead of constantly making tiny adjustments.
Because healing is already hard enough.
Your pillow shouldn't make it harder.
Why I Chose a Flat Top Instead of Thigh Cutouts
This was one of the easiest decisions we made.
Every body is different.
Every thigh is different.
So why would I force every patient into the exact same position?
Many BBL pillows use cutouts or molded shapes that assume everyone's anatomy is identical.
Years of treating real patients taught me otherwise.
The flat memory foam surface allows each person's body to settle naturally into a comfortable position while still allowing the pillow to do its job.
Instead of forcing your body to fit the pillow...
The pillow gently adapts to you.
That's exactly how recovery should feel.
Two Types of Foam Were Better Than One
Finding the right combination of foam didn’t take too long since we worked directly with a foam manufacturer close to us.
We experimented with several prototypes before discovering what worked best.
The base of The Bellini is made from a firm but slightly flexible support foam.
That flexibility matters.
Not every chair is flat.
Office chairs curve upward.
Car seats aren’t flat.
Airplane seats all feel different.
A completely rigid pillow can feel awkward because the chair underneath isn't perfectly flat.
Our supportive base flexes just enough to conform to different seating surfaces while maintaining the support patients need.
On top of that sits 2 inches of gel-infused memory foam.
The cooling gel helps dissipate heat, while the memory foam contours to each individual's body shape.
Together, the 3-inch supportive foundation and 2-inch comfort layer create a pillow that supports over 300 pounds while still feeling incredibly comfortable.
That balance didn't happen by accident.
It took months to get right.
We Built Five Different Prototypes
Designing The Bellini wasn't a weekend project.
It took us about six months from that first conversation to production.
During that time, Kenny helped source different foams, worked through countless design ideas, and found manufacturing partners in Los Angeles County who shared our commitment to quality. I’m glad we’re not that far away.
Together, we built five different prototypes.
Each one taught us something.
Sometimes we solved one problem but still couldn’t figure out another problem.
So we'd go back.
Adjust.
Test.
Repeat.
Over and over again.
The Moment We Knew We Had It Right
I'll never forget it.
Kenny and I were both sitting at our desks using the newest prototype while working.
An hour went by.
Neither of us had shifted.
Nobody was fidgeting.
Nobody was complaining.
We were simply working.
We looked at each other and smiled.
Without saying much, we both knew.
This was the one.
That's the feeling I wanted every patient to experience.
Not thinking about their pillow.
Not constantly adjusting.
Just living their life while their body healed.
The Small Details Matter More Than People Realize
Some of my favorite features aren't the ones people notice first.
The removable black velvet cover feels luxurious, but it's also practical. Recovery isn't always neat, and black hides stains far better than lighter fabrics. When it needs to be cleaned, simply remove the cover and wash it.
The non-slip bottom helps keep the pillow where it belongs instead of sliding around on smooth seats.
The carrying handle makes it easy to bring from your car to work, restaurants, doctor's appointments, or the airport.
These details may seem small.
But during recovery, small conveniences can make a big difference.
More Than a Product
The Bellini was never about creating another recovery pillow.
It was about taking years of listening to real patients and turning those experiences into something that genuinely helps people.
Every dimension.
Every material.
Every layer of foam.
Every prototype.
Every conversation.
They all started with one question:
"How can we make recovery more comfortable?"
I'm incredibly proud that The Bellini is handcrafted in Southern California using carefully selected materials and built by manufacturers who helped us bring this vision to life.
Most of all, I'm proud that it was born from real patient care—not just white labeling or doing what everyone has done before.
After spending years helping people through one of the most vulnerable times in their lives, I believe healing deserves thoughtful design.
Because when you're recovering from surgery, comfort isn't a luxury.
It's part of the healing process.
If The Bellini can make even one recovery a little more comfortable, a little more stable, and a little less stressful, then every prototype, every late-night conversation with Kenny, and every lesson my patients taught me was worth it.
Ready to Experience the Difference?
If you're preparing for a BBL or currently recovering, I hope this gives you a better understanding of why I designed The Bellini™ BBL Pillow the way I did. Every feature has a purpose, and every decision was inspired by real patients.
Explore The Bellini™ BBL Pillowand see if it's the right fit for your recovery.