If you’re an expecting mama and preparing for postpartum, you may have heard about a postpartum girdle (or belly wrap) and wonder if it’s something you need after you have your new baby. In this post, we’ll go over postpartum girdle benefits and how to decide if it’s right for you! Plus how to choose the best one for you and how to wear it properly to prevent any complications!
Postpartum Girdle Benefits
A postpartum girdle is a compression garment designed to aid in postpartum recovery. This compression provides many benefits that can help with healing and comfort. Some of the main benefits include:
- improving posture and mobility
- stabilizing your pelvic floor
- reduce back pain
- increase blood flow
- provides support to abdominal muscles
- reducing swelling and fluid retention
Let’s go over why some of these benefits are important for postpartum recovery. After you give birth, whether through a c-section or vaginal delivery, your core muscles will be very weak. A postpartum wrap will provide support to those abdominal muscles which in turn helps improve your posture, and reduces back pain.
The compression also increases blood flow which then reduces swelling and fluid retention. All of these things combined will help your mobility so that you can get up and moving a bit easier after giving birth.
Postpartum girdles are especially beneficial for new moms recovering from a cesarean delivery or that have diastasis recti.
C-Section
A c-section is a major abdominal surgery that cuts through multiple layers of muscle and tissue to get to the uterus. Your c-section incision may feel raw and vulnerable. Wearing a postpartum girdle provides all of the benefits listed above, but it also can make a new mom feel more secure with that slight compression on the incision. And many new moms reported it reduced their pain and discomfort postpartum.
Diastasis Recti
Diastasis recti occurs when your abdominal muscles separate as your belly expands during pregnancy. A few months after you give birth, those muscles may return to their normal place, or they may not. If they do not return and they remain separated, you would be diagnosed with diastasis recti.
A postpartum girdle is not a cure for diastasis recti. And there is no guarantee that if you wear one you won’t develop diastasis recti. However, wearing a postpartum girdle can help gently guide those muscles back together and provide support to your core muscles during the process.
Risks of Postpartum Girdles
Most of the risks that occur when using a postpartum girdle are due to improper use. This is why it’s really important to wear the postpartum belly wrap properly and check in with your health care provider if you have any questions or discomfort when using one.
Some of the risks include:
- Too much pressure on the pelvic floor
- Pain
- Pelvic floor prolapse
- Rash from being too tight or the type of fabric
Because the research on postpartum girdles is limited, if you ever have any concerns about your recovery reach out to your health care provider.
How to Wear a Postpartum Girdle
It’s very important to properly put on your postpartum belly wrap in order to prevent putting extra pressure on your pelvic floor. This would cause the opposite effect of what you want and may actually cause more swelling and potentially a pelvic floor prolapse.
Gentle Compression
Avoid placing your postpartum belly wrap or girdle on too tightly. We want to aim for gentle compression. You want it to feel snug but not like you can’t comfortably move around or breathe.
Wrap Up
This one is really important! When applying your belly wrap, start at your hips and wrap UP. If you start from your rib cage and wrap down, this will put that unwanted pressure on your pelvic floor. When you wrap from the hips up, it gives that supportive compression you want.
apply lower on the hips
Speaking of the hips, when you put your belly wrap on you want it to be lower on your tummy by your hips. Don’t place it up high on your actual stomach but down lower around your waist and hips. This is so the pressure is where you need it!
This is especially important if you’ve had a c-section birth. You wouldn’t want to place the end of that postpartum belly wrap right at your c-section incision. Ouch! Hence wanting it to be lower around the waist!
Give Yourself A Break
Wearing a postpartum belly wrap for too long can actually cause the opposite of what you want. Prolonged use may actually cause weaker core muscles and more problems like lower back pain.
Wear your wrap for no more than an hour at a time. Give yourself a few-minute break and then put it back on if you’d like. I liked to take it off for a break every time I went to the bathroom to change my pad!
Avoid Waist Trainers
A waist trainer is not the same thing as a postpartum girdle. Waist trainers can actually cause damage to your internal organs and reduce your lung capacity. And definitely cause further pressure on your pelvic floor. Definitely don’t recommend!
The goal of a postpartum belly wrap is to provide gentle support for your postpartum recovery process. Not to change your shape or tighten your tummy (although some new moms do report they had those results when using a postpartum belly wrap – it’s anecdotal!).
How to Choose a Postpartum Girdle
There are a few different factors to consider when choosing the right postpartum girdle for you. Some women try it once and have a poor experience, but that might be due to the belly wrap they chose!
Price
When it comes to postpartum belly wraps, there’s a pretty big range of price points out there. You can find postpartum girdles anywhere from $20 up to $110.
Style
Postpartum girdles or belly wraps come in a few different styles.
There are elastic wraps that are like abdominal wraps or binders. Support belts that look thinner and more like the belly belt you wear during pregnancy. And girdles which may close with a zipper or hook and eye closures.
Material
Since you’ll be wearing the belly wrap with direct contact with your skin, you’ll want to ensure the material is made of high-quality fabric and not scratchy material.
Ease of Use
Here’s where you will want to decide what would be easiest for you or worth your effort. You can choose to get with the elastic wraps that you wrap around your abdominal area, the girdles that you step into and zip or hook together, or a postpartum belt that just supports your lower abdomen.
Size
Check into the size guides on each wrap to determine if they will have the sizing you need. If you have a rather short or really long torso, you’ll also want to be aware of that and choose a belly wrap or girdle that supports those body types.
Best Postpartum Girdles
Bellefit Corset Postpartum Girdle
This girdle is on the pricier side, but is FDA-approved as a medical device and is great for c-section recovery mamas. This girdle relies on hook and eye closures and supports your core muscles, back, and pelvic floor.
It comes in many different sizes from XS to 3XL.
If you’re looking for full 360° support, this girdle is great! However, the crotch strap is one of the major cons. It can be a bit uncomfortable, especially when you’re freshly postpartum and still have to change your pads frequently.
Motif Medical Postpartum Recovery Garment
The Motif Medical Postpartum Recovery Garment is another great option if you’re looking for an FDA-approved medical device that offers pelvic floor support as well.
With this girdle, you step in, and then it zips on the side to offer gentle compression to your midsection and pelvic floor.
It goes down to about mid-thigh depending upon your height. This can also support blood flow as well and reduce swelling. However, some new moms with smaller thighs reported they didn’t get as much compression in that area.
This girdle is especially great for c-section recovery due to the full midsection support with no uncomfortable edges digging into your c-section incision.
I’ve linked to the product here on Amazon. However, the price can sometimes raise on Amazon so check out the Motif Medical website directly to compare. Just be sure to check on shipping timelines if you’re on a deadline.
UpSpring Baby Shrinx Charcoal Belly Wrap
This postpartum belly wrap is made with charcoal-infused bamboo with premium postpartum compression to help support weakened abdominal muscles. The charcoal helps increase circulation which reduces swelling.
The compression on this belly wrap is adjustable with triple point compression and a built-in back bonding for lower back support. It’s an elastic belly wrap with velcro closure.
Because this belly wrap can sit lower on the hips, it works well for c-section recovery as well.
Some new moms reported this wrap was fairly bulky and definitely visible under clothing. So keep that in mind if that’s important to you!
Belly Bandit Bamboo Belly Wrap
The Belly Bandit Bamboo Belly Wrap was designed with a buttery-soft fabric in mind. No more itching with this belly wrap!
It was created with a Power Compress Core material to support the midsection and provide customizable compression. This is an elastic belly wrap with velcro closure.
It comes in size XS to XL and has 6″ of adjustability so you can continue to tighten the wrap as you size down.
Belly Bandit Luxe Belly Wrap
The Luxe Belly Wrap by Belly Bandit has 6 body contouring support panels for core and back support.
It is perfect for women with long torsos because it’s a tall wrap. This also makes it perfect for mamas who had c-sections because it is long enough to wear down on the hips and won’t rub on your c-section incision.
It’s an elastic wrap with dual velcro closures for an adjustable fit. It comes in sizes XS to XL.
Helpful Tip
Some postpartum girdles and belly wraps are eligible for reimbursement from a number of different US health insurance companies.
Check in with yours before purchasing to see if you may be able to invest in a higher-quality postpartum belly wrap!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do postpartum girdles really work?
While there are limited research studies about the efficacy of postpartum girdles, they are still offered as medical-grade devices approved by the FDA. And anecdotal evidence shows that many new moms believe the postpartum girdles helped them with their postpartum healing.
And keep in mind what the postpartum girdle is designed for. To help support core muscles, prevent back pain, improve mobility and blood circulation, and encourage good posture.
One of the perks may just be helping you return to your original size or close to it. But that is definitely not the case for all new moms!
How long should I wear my postpartum girdle after birth?
You can wear your postpartum girdle immediately after giving birth and honestly up until as long as you feel necessary. Many women feel they don’t need them anymore after 6-8 weeks postpartum.
If you’re still finding comfort with your postpartum belly wrap, just check in with your health care provider at your check-up to determine what the best next steps are to take.
When should I start wearing a postpartum girdle?
You can start wearing your postpartum girdle immediately after giving birth! As long as you don’t have any complications that would prevent you from being able to wear one.
Does wearing a postpartum belly wrap help flatten your stomach?
It can! But the main purpose of wearing one is for the postpartum girdle benefits!
Your belly may flatten when wearing a postpartum belly wrap because of its ability to support and stabilize your core muscles while they naturally return to their normal place.