Postpartum Girdle

I have to start out by saying that I have never used a postpartum girdle, but I am beginning to wish that I had . Until very recently I didn't even know that such a thing even existed.

As I was browsing around on the internet I just happened to come across some articles on postpartum girdles for women after pregnancy and I started to read up on them a bit. There were some very strong claims being made about how they could make a significant difference when you are trying to get back into shape after childbirth. My initial reaction to the whole idea was that it was very old fashioned and probably not particularly effective. I also assumed that the whole thing would be rather uncomfortable. However as I read further my opinions started to change.

The postpartum girdle reviews that I read were very interesting - opinion from women who had actually used a postnatal girdle was overwhelmingly that they did make a difference, and a significant one. Not that I am going to need one now - having had four children that particular phase of my life is well and truly over!

Still, I thought the subject may be of interest to many women as the journey back to a normal body after pregnancy is rarely as easy one as I know only too well, and anything that may genuinely help is worth at least taking a look at.

The Gabrialla Postpartum Girdle pictured above is one of the most popular and seems to be particularly helpful to women who have has a cesarean section. It is very supportive and helps to relieve the discomfort of stitches. The girdle is comfortable with a 100% cotton lining so that it does not irritate your skin. It is not visible under your clothes so no one will know you are wearing it.

The idea with the girdle is that you start to wear it as soon as you can after giving birth. You then continue to wear it each day for a number of weeks.

The postnatal girdle helps to support your back and so alleviates some of the back pain associated with the immediate post natal period. This also helps to reduce the strain involved in lifting and carrying of your newborn.

However manufacturers of the postpartum girdle claim, and numerous users report this to be true, that these girdles also help to get you back into shape and regain a flat tummy. They say that wearing a girdle helps to get the internal organs, which have been displaced by the growing baby, back to their proper place. It also compresses the uterus, encouraging it to shrink more quickly.

Does Wearing A Girdle After Pregnancy Help?

A number of women say that they have worn a postpartum girdle after having their babies and that they have found that they regained their flat stomach in a very short space of time.

Of course they may have got back into shape exactly the same without the girdle - who knows?

Its was interesting to note, though, that some women who were using a postpartum girdle for the first time after their second baby reported that they got back into shape more quickly than they did after their first pregnancy. That does tend to lend some very real credibility to the usefulness of the postpartum girdle, given that it is usually far more difficult to get back into shape after second and subsequent babies.

One of the major benefits of wearing a postpartum girdle is that it can help to speed up recovery after a Cesarean section as well as making the recovery period more comfortable. Looking after a new baby, with the lifting and carrying that involves, can be very difficult indeed after a cearean delivery.

How Does The Postpartum Girdle Do This?

The girdle assists with recovery by supporting the muscles around the incision site. The effect of this is to reduce pain and enable the wearer to be more mobile thn would otherwise be possible. Having support for you stitches gives you more confidence. Being more active and mobile helps to promote a faster recovery.

Again many women who have used a postpartum girdle after a Cesarean section have reported significant benefits from doing so. it is a practice recommended by many doctors and midwives.

Muscular separation , otherwise known as diastasis recti, happens to a number of women as a result of pregnancy.

What happens is that the two sets of muscles which are normally lying side by side down the abdomen begin to separate leaving a gap in the middle. In other words the right and left sides of the Rectus Abdominis muscle begin to come apart . This happens due to the weight and force exerted by the baby and the expanding uterus. Also the significant hormonal changes which happen during pregnancy cause connective tissue to soften.

When the muscles separate their strength is reduced and this can lead to back pain. The condition is more likely to occur where the abdominal muscles were weak prior to pregnancy.

Using a postpartum girdle may help with this problem as it provides much needed support and allows the muscles to heal.

In many cultures the custom of using some form of abdominal binding after childbirth has been around for a very long time.

In some cases it would be tried and tested methods handed down from mother to daughter over many generations. In others cultures it would be the duty of the midwife to apply the binding as part of a post birth ritual.

In the west the postpartum girdle is gaining rapidly in popularity - suggesting that these age-old techniques really do work.

If you are considering using a postpartum girdle yourself then you will no doubt want to hear what other women think about the different models available.

There are a lot of postpartum girdle reviews on the individual product pages on Amazon so this is probably a good place to start. Although the girdles mostly do a similiar job there is a variety of styles and it will jusr be down to what you feel you will be most comfortable wearing.

If you have had a Cesarean Section then the Gabrialla Postpartum Girdle is thought by many women to be a good choice.