During your pregnancy, there are many changes happening to your body to accommodate your growing little one. The muscles and round ligaments that support your belly and uterus adapt and stretch to provide support for your growing tummy.
Your ligaments may cause discomfort and pain when they are strained. Maternity belts support your growing tummy, providing relief to your ligaments when you wear them under your abdomen. It is a noninvasive item that rests comfortably over your belly. But what is a maternity belt and how do you use it? Let’s take a look.
What is a Maternity Belt?
A maternity belt, which is also called a pregnancy belt or a belly belt, is a wonderful product that every mom-to-be should invest in if you find that the weight of your growing tummy is uncomfortable or painful.
They can also be used to help you feel more secure and comfortable as you go about your daily activities and chores. A maternity belt is a band that is specially designed to wrap around and under your tummy. This helps give your stomach, back, and pelvis relief from the strain they feel.
Why Should You Wear a Maternity Belt?
Many women agree that wrapping your belly during and after pregnancy is a huge part of comfort during pregnancy and recovery post-pregnancy. Here are a few reasons that you may choose to wear a maternity belt:
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Lessens discomfort
- Reduces swelling
- Speeds up recovery
- Decreases stretch marks
- Supports abdomen, back, and pelvis
- Helps heal Diastasis Recti
- Decreases bloating and water retention
- Belly Belts versus Belly Bands
Although they may look quite similar, there are a few differences between belly belts and belly bands, the main one being their specific purpose.
Belly bands are designed to stop your pants slipping down when you are pregnant. A belly belt provides support as your tummy grows and relieves discomfort associated with pregnancy.
A belly band is made from a stretchy fabric and looks like a tube. It is worn over the top of your pants, jeans, skirts, or shorts when you can’t do them up anymore. They cover the skin from your pants line to above your belly. Buying a belly band is a good investment which saves you money on maternity clothes.
A belly belt is slightly different in that it has bands and straps to support your belly and relieve muscle strain and discomfort. They have a sturdy, narrow panel made from stretchy fabric which wraps around the lower part of your tummy. It is secured in place with the side straps and structured back.
Should I Wear a Maternity Belt after C-section?
Many moms choose to stop wearing their maternity belt if they have had a caesarean delivery, mainly due to the discomfort. It can also increase blood pressure. But maternity belts are an essential part to getting you back to your pre-pregnancy body. They support your body as you lose your tummy and hold your abdominal muscles together.
As painful as it is to have a natural birth, women who delivery this way typically recover faster. Women who have a C-section need much more recovery time as a C-section is a major abdominal surgery. By wearing a maternity belt, you can speed up the recovery process by improving blood circulation in the surgical area, supporting your abdominal tissue, and increasing your mobility. The pressure exerted by the maternity belt also helps hold your body aligned, reducing the strain on your stomach and back.
How to Use a Maternity Belt
- Step 1: Place the abdominal support part of the belt under your stomach. The pad must rest on the area just above your pelvis.
- Step 2: Pull the strap attached to the support pad around your back until it meets the other side of the pad in the front. Using the hook and loop fastener, fasten the strap to the support pad.
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Step 3: Reposition the fastener to tighten or loosen the maternity belt until it provides adequate support and is comfortable.
Why Should You Wear a Maternity Belt?
Supports Your Back
Throughout your pregnancy, your baby bump will keep growing and add extra weight to your stomach. This places pressure on your back which can result in the weakening of your back muscles. Most pregnant women develop an aching back by the end of their second trimester or the start of the third, and it continues on past their delivery day. Maternity belts provide support for your back to help your muscles until they regain their strength.
Tucks in Your Tummy
When you are pregnant, your belly swells beyond what you ever could have imagined. After giving birth, your belly has loose skin and muscles that need support to return back to normal. A maternity belt helps tuck in your tummy to provide the relief it needs to heal.
Helps You Look Slimmer
You may be a mom who has just had a baby, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to look your best when friends and family visit, or when you are out running errands. Wearing a maternity belt holds everything in place, promoting a flatter belly and a curvier waistline.
Helps Heal Your Incisi
If you had a C-section, you may find it tough to get the muscles around your incision wound back to normal. A maternity belt helps you heal quickly as it holds your muscles together. Without the belt, your stomach may strain when you reach for or lift something. With the belt, you give your stitches time to heal and ensure that muscle separation is reduced. However, bear in mind that you should not wear the belt too much or too tightly as your internal wounds need up to eight weeks to heal.
Final Thoughts
Maternity belts are very easy to use. You may think you don’t need one, which may be true, but your pregnancy and first few weeks of post-pregnancy will be made more comfortable with the use of a maternity belt. Remember to ensure that you don’t wear the belt too loosely or tightly, and wear it for no more than two to three hours at a time.