Maternity Belt And Postpartum Belt: Get the Skinny Before It's Too Late!

My wife used a postpartum belt and we strongly believe that it helped her to return to her pre-pregnancy shape. Her OB/GYN put on the postpartum belt 2 days after she gave birth. We made a mark on the Postpartum belt to show us how tight it was when the OB/GYN put it on. Everyday, we put the postpartum belt on a little bit tighter. My wife wore the postpartum belt for one month after delivery. Her waist is once again small and she fits into the same clothes she wore before she got pregnant.

There is not alot of clinical evidence to prove if a Postpartum Belt is effective or how it works. But many women swear by them. The idea is that a postpartum belt, like a big compression bandage, holds the abdominal tissues together and allows body parts which were pulled apart during pregnancy and birth, to return to their pre-pregnancy shape and position and for the underlying tissues to undergo "reknitting".

In many cultures, abdominal binding after birth is quite common. In several asian and latin american countries, women's mid-sections are routinely bound after pregnancy in order to help women return to a shape similar to their pre-pregnancy days.

In the book "Natural Health After Birth" By Aviva Jill Romm, belly binding in the first month after birth is recommended to help return the uterus to its rightful place. According to Judith Goldsmith, author of "Childbirth Wisdom From the World's Oldest Societies" in some cultures "the abdomen was bound to complete drainage of blood as well as to help contract the uterus".

Your midwife or ObGyn may be able to advise you if a postpartum belt, worn in the first month after delivery will be of benefit to you.

The tricky thing about buying a postpartum belt, is what size should you get? Remember you are buying a postpartum belt for a large belly that will be hopefully shrinking down to a small belly. So what size do you get?

The good thing is that postpartum belts have velcro straps in them, so you can adjust the size of the postpartum belt to a degree. But here is our recommendation:

* Your waist size after delivery will be MORE OR LESS the size you are in your 7th-8th month
* You waist size 1 month after delivery will be (hopefully) the size you were before you got pregnant. At least, that is the goal

Your postpartum belt should cover you over that entire range. If one postpartum belt does not do it, buy two.