Approximate Reading Time: 8 minutes
SUMMARY: Pregnancy belts and belly bands are terms often used to describe products designed to alleviate some of the difficulties faced during pregnancy. It’s essential to recognize the potential benefits and limitations of these aids, ensuring their safe use based on manufacturer guidelines or healthcare provider instructions. Our objective is to enlighten you with necessary insights for making an informed choice, particularly during pregnancy.
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We will investigate different options available today, and explain how compression garments, like SRC Pregnancy leggings and shorts, may offer significant benefits. Often, women’s pelvic health physiotherapists recommend these over traditional pregnancy belts or belly bands. While these aids can be beneficial for many, evaluating personal comfort and consulting a healthcare professional is crucial when uncertain.
Pregnancy is a transformative journey filled with both joy and challenges
Nearly 70% of pregnant women experience low back pain, and up to 45% show signs of Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP). These conditions can significantly interfere with daily activities.
The Root Causes of Low Back Pain and Pelvic Girdle Pain During Pregnancy
A hormone called Relaxin, produced during pregnancy, softens ligaments and other tissues, making joints more mobile and potentially causing pain of varying intensity.
To minimize this strain, many expectant mothers opt for pregnancy belts or belly bands for additional support.
Distinguishing Between Pregnancy Belts and Belly Bands
Often used interchangeably, the terms ‘pregnancy belt’ and ‘belly band’ can be confusing due to various market offerings. For clarity:
a) A pregnancy belt is specifically designed to support the weight of the growing belly, offering relief to the lower back, hips, and abdominal muscles.
b) A belly band, per Medical News Today, provides coverage when pants no longer fit, and resembles a tube top. Typically, it's a seamless, knitted fabric like elastane/spandex, stretching with the expanding belly.
It’s crucial to note that terms like 'belly band,' 'belly belt,' 'maternity belt,' and 'tummy wrap' may refer to both pregnancy and postnatal products. In this article, we focus on their use during pregnancy.
Understanding the Pros and Cons of Pregnancy Belts and Belly Bands
Both belly bands and pregnancy belts are designed to wrap around the lower abdomen and back, providing support and alleviating common pregnancy discomforts like back pain and pelvic pain. However, they are not universally suitable and come with certain limitations. Here are key considerations:
- Stage of pregnancy: They are more beneficial during the second and third trimesters.
- Activity level: Ideal for physically active individuals, offering stabilization and injury prevention, although inappropriate for prolonged use or sedentary lifestyles.
- Personal comfort: Comfort varies, so selecting adjustable and breathable options is important.
Potential Risks and Precautions when Using a Pregnancy Belt or Belly Band
In their simplest form, belly bands provide coverage without therapeutic benefit. Brands often misuse the term, further confusing consumers. Overuse or improper use can mirror shapewear problems, such as compressing internal organs, reducing blood circulation, and causing yeast infections.
Medical experts like Dr. Sherry A. Ross and Dr. Orly Avitzur caution against overly tight shapewear, which can cause various health problems. Similarly, heavy reliance on such belts is counterproductive, potentially weakening core muscles.
Physiotherapy experts advise using these products sparingly and promoting active muscle engagement to avoid dependency.
Challenges with Wearing Belly Belts and Maternity Belts
Key challenges include poor adaptability to body movements, potential for discomfort, the risk of constant readjustment, and visibility under clothes. Additionally, hooks or Velcro strips may damage clothing.
Proper fit and personal comfort are essential; always consider the return policy if it doesn't work for you.
Advantages of Using Pregnancy Belts and Belly Bands
They’re often prescribed for severe Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) or Pelvic Instability to:
- Relieve joint, muscle, and lower back pain.
- Support sacroiliac and hip joints.
- Stabilize the pelvis and reduce discomfort.
- Improve posture.
Research indicates significant pain relief with pelvic support belts, with some drawbacks, such as comfort and the need for frequent adjustments.
The Benefits of SRC Pregnancy Compression Garments
For those seeking alternatives, SRC Pregnancy compression shorts and leggings offer enhanced support, consistent muscle activation, versatility, and a tailored fit.
Designed in consultation with an obstetrician, SRC garments are endorsed by the Australian Physiotherapy Association and the Australian College of Midwives. These products are proven to manage prenatal pelvic and low back pain effectively.
For more information, please visit Maternity Postpartum Support Belt.
The advantages of SRC garments include:
- Enhanced Support: Targeted compression helps reduce pain and discomfort.
- Muscle Activation: Designed to activate specific muscles, improving posture and stability without risking muscle deactivation.
- Versatility: Suitable for multiple activities and comfortable for prolonged daily wear.
- Tailored Fit: Adjustable and accommodating the changing body during pregnancy.
Customer Feedback on SRC Pregnancy Garments
Users have praised the SRC pregnancy shorts and leggings for providing substantial relief from pelvic girdle pain, back pain, and vulvar varicose veins. Many highlight their effectiveness in supporting everyday activities and enhancing comfort during pregnancy.
Some women combine pregnancy belts with SRC compression garments for additional support without compromising muscle activation. Consider discussing fitting options with a Women’s Health Physiotherapist for optimal results.
Comparing SRC Pregnancy Garments and Traditional Pregnancy Belts/Bands
- Pregnancy belts are unsuitable for prolonged use, potentially causing muscle deactivation.
- SRC garments provide treatment for multiple conditions, thanks to anatomical support panels.
- Rely on consistent compression during movement, unlike traditional belts needing constant adjustment.
- Superior fabric quality with moisture-wicking properties.
- Flatlock seams enhance comfort without irritating the skin.
- More convenient and comfortable, boosting compliance rates.
- Suitable for exercise, work, everyday wear, and aesthetic purposes.
SRC leggings and shorts essentially offer the benefits of pregnancy belts without their drawbacks, backed by scientific research.
Adopting a holistic approach with tailored physiotherapy programs and clinical Pilates can greatly enhance pregnancy comfort and recovery.
References:
- The Effect of Abdominal Support on Functional Outcomes in Patients Following Major Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Volume 62 Issue 3, Summer 2010, pp. 242-253. Oren Cheifetz, S. Deborah Lucy, Tom J. Overend, Jean Crowe.
- Effect of Abdominal Exercises versus Abdominal Supporting Belt on Post-Partum Abdominal Efficiency and Rectus Separation. International Journal of Medical, Health, Biomedical, Bioengineering and Pharmaceutical Engineering Vol:7, No:1, 2013. Hanan S. El-Mekawy, Abeer M. Eldeeb, Marzouk A. El-Lythy, and Adel F. El-Begawy
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6651323/
- https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/maternity-shapewear-safety-concerns
- https://www.webmd.com/baby/pregnancy-support-band-benefits
- https://www.webmd.com/beauty/features/shapewear-tips
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2510902/How-disturbing-Spanx-pregnant-women-maternity-have.html
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Curious about postpartum belly binding (and whether or not it works)? Here's what the experts have to say on this celeb-loved practice.
If you’ve been pregnant and have given birth any time during the last five years or so, odds are pretty high that your social media feeds have been inundated with photos of celebrities or popular mom bloggers wearing and raving about postpartum belly binding in the form of belly wraps and bands. Celeb moms like Cardi B and Jessica Alba swear that wearing one after giving birth was the key to getting back to their pre-baby bods.
But just how well do these postpartum wraps work, what can and can’t they do and how the heck are you supposed to wear them anyway? We asked experts and real moms for their thoughts and advice around postpartum belly binding.
What is postpartum belly binding?
Although the hype around belly wraps and bands has exploded over the last decade because of the celebrity moms who swear by them, the practice of postpartum belly binding has been around for centuries. Belly wrapping is an old practice in Malaysian culture where it is known as “bengkung,” and it has also been in practice in places like Japan and Mexico for hundreds of years. Women would wrap a piece of muslin or similar cloth around the abdomen of a new mom immediately after she had given birth to help give her extra physical support as her body healed.
These days, there are plenty of belly wrap products available in stores or online for moms to choose from if they decide to go this route after giving birth. In fact, some hospitals even supply new moms with a postpartum wrap to bring home.
What does postpartum belly binding do?
A postpartum wrap or band can be used to help support your abdominal muscles directly in the first few weeks after you give birth, when those muscles are at their weakest. They can also provide light compression to help your uterus shrink back, although that will happen naturally anyway. Many moms use postpartum wraps after vaginal births, but they can be especially helpful to women who gave birth via C-section.
“After you have a C-section, your abs are weakened and you have very little control over them,” says Sarah Ellis Duvall, founder of Core Exercise Solutions, physical therapist, and mom of two. “The wrap can help give you that extra bit of support.”
“After you have a C-section, your abs are weakened and you have very little control over them. The wrap can help give you that extra bit of support.”
SARAH ELLIS DUVALL, PHYSICAL THERAPIST
Is postpartum belly wrapping safe?
Postpartum belly wraps in and of themselves are completely safe. That said, women who use them improperly can end up doing more damage than good. There are two really important rules to keep in mind when you’re wearing your postpartum wrap:
1. Be careful not to cinch the wrap too tightly
Duvall says cinching the wrap too tightly is one of the worst things you can do to your postpartum body and the number one mistake many women make when wearing a postpartum wrap. Since many women are focused not just on recovery but on trying to get their bodies to “bounce back,” they tend to err on the side of taking the compression way too far. This is something to absolutely avoid doing, as it can lead to serious problems.
“Cinching the wrap too tightly can be a real concern,” says Duvall. “We have a pressure management system in our core, which has already been impacted by pregnancy and birth. If you cinch the wrap too tightly, the pressure has to go somewhere else, and the path of least resistance is your pelvic floor. This could result in prolapse (a bulge in your pelvic floor), which can take longer to rehab and recover from, so prevention is the best medicine. It is best to tighten it just enough to offer gentle support, but no tighter.”
2. Don’t wear the wrap for longer than you really need to
A postpartum wrap can provide some much-needed support right after you give birth, but there is no reason to keep wearing one for an extended period of time.
“I do like to wean women off of them fairly quickly because of the risk to the pelvic floor,” Duvall says. “The concern is delaying our bodies and muscles from recovering on their own. Begin using your own muscles without support whenever you feel comfortable. The sooner you start to use your muscles again, the more quickly they will recover.”
The only way for your body to fully recover is to allow your muscles to begin to do the work. This doesn’t mean hitting the gym to do a serious ab workout. Your muscles will begin to recover by doing everyday tasks, like getting out of bed, getting off the couch, standing up, picking up your baby and other ordinary movements. It’s important to use your muscles, but not to overwork them.
How do postpartum belly wraps work?
The way that belly wraps work is pretty simple. They all go around your abdominal area, typically from the top of your hips to right underneath your breasts. They are designed to compress around that area in order to give you core support. Most also include the ability to wrap the band as loosely or as tightly as you need, but remember, not too tight!
Do postpartum belly wraps help with weight loss or body shaping?
Experts are quick to point out two things that a postpartum wrap will not do — contrary to the promises from ads you may see online.
“They do not help you lose weight after delivery, nor do they have any effect on body shape,” says Dr. Joseph Chappelle, an assistant professor of OB-GYN at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, and creator of the OB/GYN Podcast.
“They do not help you lose weight after delivery, nor do they have any effect on body shape.”
DR. JOSEPH CHAPPELLE, OB-GYN
“The most important contributors to postpartum weight loss are diet, exercise and breastfeeding,” says Chappelle. “I do have an issue with the marketing of these products at postpartum women for the sake of weight loss or body slimming.”
Duvall agrees and says that, while the wraps offer valuable support to weakened muscles, they should not be looked at as a quick way to get back in shape. There is simply no magic solution that will get you the body of your dreams after you give birth.
“A wrap is not a substitute for building muscle,” Duvall says. “It is not meant to create a smaller waist. It is meant to support muscles that are feeling unstable.”
When to start using a postpartum belly wrap
“I had my husband bring my Belly Bandit to the hospital,” says Heather Manford, a mom of twins from Pittsburgh. “I wanted to put it on as soon as I could, because a friend told me that it would be helpful after my C-section. For me, it was a great source of support and I’m glad I had it right away.”
Experts agree that it is completely fine to begin wearing a postpartum belly wrap right after birth. In fact, that is when it’s likely to provide the most needed support.
“Wearing it immediately is OK if you feel like it’s helping to provide support,” says Duvall.
What’s the limit per day for wearing one?
According to Dr. Chappelle, there is no real time limit on how long you can keep the belly wrap on during the day. “They can be worn for as long as they are comfortable,” she says.
When to avoid a belly wrap altogether
Make sure you get the OK from your doctor before you start using any wrap. Some women who have had serious complications during birth, such
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