What Is a Maternity Belt Used For?
Pregnancy is never easy, especially once the baby belly starts getting bigger and bigger. When the second and third trimesters of the prenatal period arrive, so do the back, abdominal and pelvic pains.
You would be surprised at how many women suffer from acute backaches, pelvic girdle pain, and even diastasis recti, which happens when the abdominal muscles split in the middle because of the size of the growing belly.
Sometimes, the pain is so severe that future mothers can’t even rest fully at night while laying down. If this is the case, the recommended thing to do is make an appointment with the doctor to be sure that no other medical condition is causing the discomfort.
If, however, everything is great but the pain remains, aside from rest, there is an old-as-time solution that is now quite popular among pregnant women—maternity support belts which are specially designed to ease backaches, carry part of the belly weight and improve the overall pregnancy experience.
What does it do?
Maternity bands are precisely that, belts that are worn around and under the belly in order to achieve several objectives:
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It provides support of the belly thus reducing the weight that the mother has to carry
- It lessens lower back, pelvic and abdominal pain
- It helps the active mother when working out by keeping the belly from bouncing
- It improves posture because as the baby bump grows, the mother starts to hunch in order to move all the weight
- In addition to that, depending on the type of the band, they can also be worn over non-pregnancy clothes to disguise unzipped pants or similar cases. These are quite helpful for those who do not want to stop wearing their old clothes or substitute them with maternity clothes.
Types of maternity belts
Although pregnancy support items are uncountable, in recent years, maternity belts have improved greatly, now being sold with breathable fabrics to prevent the belly from sweating, one-size that fits all the stages of pregnancy, and with many more features that you can see for yourself upon research.
What will be best for a specific mother will depend on her body and needs, but in general, there are five main types of pregnancy belts:
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Maternity wrap belt, which is a band that wraps from under the belly to the back of the mother and comes with a closing system that keeps it in place. This one is the most common type and provides great support in reducing lower back pain and bladder pressure. Although they can be bulky, they can be bought in different colors that can be matched with the outfits
- Tube top maternity belts are pulled over the belly and are great for exercising. Some on the market are made of breathable material that transfers heat and moisture
- Camisole-style pregnancy support, although not as good at carrying the weight of the belly as the first two, are great for creating a barrier between the sensitive belly and the clothing that can cause friction and rubbing
- Maternity girdles are a full-torso garment and usually comes in either two or three pieces. They provide a lot of support for mothers with big bellies
- Prenatal cradles are the least common type, at least among single baby mothers. However, they are frequently used by women carrying multiple offspring and it usually has straps that cross along the breasts and rest on the shoulders.
Recommendations: What Is a Maternity Belt Used For
Because of its many benefits, and if you are or know a pregnant mother that has been suffering from back pain, it might be a good idea to stop asking yourself “what is a maternity belt used for?” and get one today. They are usually quite affordable, all under $35, and some are sold in only one adjustable size, meaning that you will only have to buy one even as your baby belly gets bigger.
Likewise, if you are buying a sized one, make sure to measure the circumference of your belly and always try to buy it closer to the following bigger size as you will only keep growing with time.
Lastly, you should always speak to your doctor first. They might have some advice on which to buy, especially since maternity belts are items covered by most medical insurance.