Why I Wore a Postpartum Girdle {The Second Time Around}
If you followed me during my last pregnancy, you know that I wore a postpartum girdle to help to bounce back into pre-baby shape.
Postpartum girdles can aid in back support, help with muscle memory, provide support during breastfeeding, and decrease pressure on the back and legs. True abdominal compression wraps also speed up the recovery process after C-section surgery and aid in repairing Diastasis Recti or the condition in which your two abdominal halves split apart during pregnancy.
For women who are concerned about swelling after birth, postpartum wrapping can be especially beneficial. When it’s done right — which means wearing a custom compression garment with medical-grade pressure — belly wrapping compresses blood vessels and capillaries, which flushes fluids away from the skin, reduces swelling and minimizes post-childbirth bruising.
I swear by postpartum girdles upon delivery because there are so many benefits to wearing one:
- Faster bounceback rate
- Tummy support
- Flattens your tummy & hips
- Prevents enlargement of fat cells
- Straightens your spine
- Heals Diastasis Recti
- Helps compress your uterus to not only return the uterus to its original size, but to help swelling go down and extra fluid come out.
So it was a no brainer that I packed my Belly Bandit BFF postpartum girdle and Hip Bandit in my hospital bag to wear after my second delivery. Here I am wearing both after the birth of my daughter-I am just one day postpartum!
The Belly Bandit BFF postpartum girdle helps to compress my uterus back down to its original size (sometimes even smaller!) while the Hip Bandit compresses my hips back down as well. Wearing these aids your muscle memory and makes it easier to bounce back for this very reason. It is best to take advantage of these products as soon as you deliver while the pregnancy hormone Relaxin is still in your bloodstream. This will allow your body to shrink back down since it’s so flexible during this time. Use code SIA15 for 15% off ALL Belly Bandit goodies.
There are SO many different brands of postpartum girdles on the market and I have tried about every single brand (Bellefit, Cinch, Baboosh, Shrinkx, etc), but Belly Bandit has been-hands down-the best girdle I have come across in terms of durability, effectiveness, ease of use, and overall satisfaction.
I will answer a few of the most common questions that I get about postpartum girdles:
- When do I start wearing my postpartum girdle? As soon as you deliver! I strapped mine on within two hours after delivering both of my babies.
- How long do I wear the girdle for? It’s best to wear the girdle for the first 8-10 weeks postpartum until the hormone Relaxin is out of your system.
- Is 3 months too late to wear a postpartum girdle? Yes, usually since the hormone Relaxin is gone at this point.
- Can it help heal Diastasis Recti? YUP! It can help dramatically close the gap up some depending on the severity of your case because it acts as a binder to help hold both of your abdominal halves together, not to mention it is amazing to use while working out to prevent your abdomen from splitting further during healing.
- Can C-section moms benefit? YES!! It acts as a binder to help you feel more “together” after your surgery, if that makes any sense. It supports your tummy helps to keep your incision from feeling like its going to burst open.
- Which girdle do you recommend? I personally love the BFF Belly Bandit, but if you are not willing to spend as much money, I have heard the Original Belly Bandit is just as nice! Use code SIA15 for 15% off ALL Belly Bandit goodies.
- Is a postpartum girdle the same as a waist trainer? No, absolutely not. Same idea maybe, but completely different. Waist trainers are products that cinch your waist as tight as can be which can potentially hurt your internal organs-basically, they are made for the attempt to reshape your entire stomach which is ridiculous and also harmful. The postpartum girdle shrinks with you as you apply it upon delivery. It applies gentle pressure and compression to your abdomen and uterus to help shrink your uterus interally and tighten your lower belly back up.
- Can I breastfeed with it on? Of course! It offers abdominal and back support while breastfeeding to make it all easier.
- Does it show through clothing? Depends on what you are wearing, a little. I wear mine around the house and to sleep. Obviously, I take it off for skin-to-skin time with my newborn and for showering/going out.
- Can I skip it? Sure! Absolutely. Girdles just speeds up the process of getting back to your pre-pregnancy body and compress areas that your body normally cannot on its own.
- Does it roll up? Is it uncomfortable? Absolutely not! It stays put and is so comfy. I sleep in mine!
- What size did you get? What size should I get? Personally, I got a size extra small since I am usually a size 2 when I am not pregnant. You do not want to get your girdle too big because it defeats the whole purpose of shrinking with you and compressing your tummy! Belly Bandit has a sizing chart on their size that is super helpful when you go to buy, but when in doubt, go smaller.
- So, what’s with this Hip Bandit thing? The Hip Bandit is a new product from Belly Bandit that focuses on shrinking your hips during the postpartum period as with the girdle, it focuses mainly on your tummy. You wear both together for the maximum benefit! While the hormone Relaxin is still in your system, the Hip Bandit can and will shrink your hip size, sometimes to a size even smaller than pre-pregnancy.
- Can the girdle be used again with my next pregnancy or will I have to buy a new one? Yes, it can be recycled 🙂
Obviously, it is best to follow a clean diet and workout program in addition to wearing the postpartum girdle for the best results.
If you have Diastasis Recti and would to close the gap, check out my 12 Week Diastasis Recti Workout Guide. In this guide, you will have 4 exercises per day that only take 12 minutes! Cardio and sretch routines are included. All workouts are brown down into levels so you can go at the right pace.
To check out my Diastasis Recti Workout Guide, click here!
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Your trainer and friend,
