As your pregnancy progresses, you’ll likely experience aches and pains caused by the extra weight, hormonal changes and stretching of your body as it grows & keeps safe your gorgeous bundle of joy.
Pregnancy & maternity belly bands can offer comfort, support & help alleviate pain & discomfort by using adjustable lift & compression on the abdomen, lower back pelvis.
Belly bands are easily found online or in stores and if you’re considering buying one - you’ll want to buy one that fits well, can be worn under or over your clothes & is comfortable. You should be able to breathe easily & still have freedom of movement when sitting, lying, exercising & moving around.
Let’s talk statistics - pain in pregnant women:
Pain during pregnancy is an important factor to address. In fact, some medical experts have cited that up to 85% of pregnant women experience some type of pain associated with pregnancy. Of course, different types of pain management work for different people.
For instance, some may find relief with heat while others may find it more effective with cold. Some of the other remedies include acupuncture, chiropractic and massage therapy.
A popular, cost effective & everyday option is the use of a pregnancy & maternity belly band which can help to relieve back and pelvic pain in pregnant women to provide extra support for the abdominal, back and hips area.
What is a Pregnancy Belly Band?
A belly band is a type of corset that wraps around the waist to lift and redistribute pressure on the abdominal area to help relieve back & hip pain. It can help with easing round ligament pain & assists many mothers to be able to move around with comfort during their pregnancies.
In addition, they can be used after birth as well! Pregnancy & maternity bands can be used to help support the weakened abdominal muscles postpartum, help heal ab separation, and provides wound compression for those C-section mummas. Women who have had C-sections often find that their stomach muscles are sore from the procedure and that a pregnancy belly band is also great for relieving discomfort.
How Belly band helps?
Maternity bands are designed to contour around your baby bump and body for a personalized fit and are usually made with an elastic material that can be adjusted to the size and pressure that you’re most comfortable with.
Sciatica (sciatic nerve pain) is a common experience during pregnancy. The pressure on your lower back can compress the sciatic nerve, leading to pain in your lower back, hips and down into your legs.
Hormones such as relaxin, affect how the ligaments, joints and muscles support your body. Relaxin works to loosen your joints and tendons to help accommodate your growing body & getting your body ready for the birth of your baby. This can lead to decreased space for the sciatic nerve, resulting in pain.
A pregnancy belly band may be able to help by adding support around your belly and lower back. Health professionals recommend using a pregnancy belly band as soon as possible after noticing any symptoms of sciatica, such as numbness, tingling, or the sensations that move into your legs and can even shoot down towards your foot.
For many mums, there are no warning signs of sciatica; it can hit suddenly with no prior signs or symptoms with a lot of mothers unaware they have sciatica until it strikes.
Pelvic girdle pain is common in the second and third trimester. Symptoms of pelvic girdle pain can include experiencing pain when putting weight on one leg, such as climbing stairs. It also causes discomfort and difficulty in straddle-like movements, such as getting in and out of the bath, the car and in and out of bed. Clicking or grinding in the pelvic area can also be a common symptom of pelvic girdle pain which is usually coupled with limited and painful hip abduction movements.
A pregnancy belly band can help alleviate pelvic girdle pain by offering targeted support around the lower pelvis.
A number of medical studies have shown that support garments like a pregnancy belly band may be used successfully as an additional measure in treatment of symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) in pregnant women. SPD tends to progressively get worse throughout pregnancy as your body creates more and more relaxin, loosening your pelvis to get ready for the birth of your baby.
SPD is caused by your pelvic joints moving unevenly at either the back or front of your pelvis.
Women with the condition experience pain, discomfort and difficulty moving, deep in their pelvis, when moving, sitting & even lying down. Symptoms typically subside after giving birth but many find the discomfort persists in postpartum life.
While stretch marks have genetic factors, you can help reduce the severity of them as your belly grows by limiting the extension and magnitude of your skin as it grows with your pregnancy by supporting your abdomen.
Many women who have used a pregnancy belly band have reported that their posture improved with the extra support, which in turn helped alleviate aches in the shoulders and back that they experienced from carrying the extra weight of their pregnancies. By wearing this belly band while sitting or standing, many pregnant women will notice an improvement in their posture right away.
Pregnancy belly bands have been shown to be more comfortable and effective than back belts, since they cover more surface area and come in varying styles and levels of compression while giving your tummy the gentle support it needs.
Types of Belly bands:
A pregnancy belly band is a specially-designed elastic band that helps provide the needed compression to help reduce lower back pain, improves circulation and supports the weight of your pregnant belly.
There are many different brands out there and they will all vary in design, quality and cost. Some are simple and easy to wear, while others come in multiple parts that need to be strapped to and on top of eachother.
Some pregnancy belly bands use thicker foam panels, rather than the more stretchy & adjustable “fish ribbon” material that Mumma Bear’s belly band uses, and are not as flexible or comfortable when you move or sit down - they have a tendency to dig in, when bending or sitting & can be quite hot to wear.
Mumma Bear’s pregnancy belly bands are breathable, stretchy, easily put on, adjusted with ease, non bulky / can be worn under clothes and are comfortable whether you’re moving around or sitting down.
How to use one postpartum?
Pregnancy and maternity bands can also be used postpartum. They provide much needed support to your weakened muscles, help with healing ab separation, provide c-section wound support & provide gentle but supportive pressure to your hips as everything slowly moves back into place from childbirth, with many mothers reporting quicker and more comfortable recoveries while using a belly band postpartum.
Conclusion
The most important things to consider when selecting a pregnancy belly band is the type of support you need, how easy it will be to wear, the level of adjustability & having the confidence that you’ll be comfortable wearing your band everyday.