to consider buying a waist cincher for use post partum?

[Upwind]

Silly, I know, but I was just thinking how nice it would be to fit back into my old clothes a few days after giving birth and to have everyone astonished at my seemingly miraculous lack of post baby bulge

I know I AM being unreasonable both because I have more sensible things to spend money on, and because I have no idea what size I would need. Obviously I also will have better things to worry about when caring for my newborn... but still...

YANBU, I am expecting a full on body suit to arrive any day now for me to wear to DSs Baptism. Found a great one (well, will see how much it holds in!) that has shoulder straps so won't roll down but is cut under your boobs so can still breastfeed. Shhhh don't tell anyone though

Upwind not unreasonable but a nice thought, unfortunately think thats all itll be

Is this your first child? There will be so much more for you to worry about honestly you will probably be so nackered overjoyed with you newborn you wont care.

gosh the things people think are important

Actually, in The Gentle Birth Method book by Dr Gowri Motha, it is suggested that you wear a girdle/corset thing for the first month after your baby is born to help bring your flared-out ribcage back in, and also reduce your tummy.

Apparently lots of Asian women bind themselves with bandage type things or ready made girdles from day one, to help them get back their waist. The theory is that when the baby is born and all the fluid/baby etc is gone, there is a vacuum that will fill with fat, and by strapping your tum up you stop that happening.

Sounds unlikely, but who knows!

Anyways,

if you're feeling flush, this could be just the thing:

apparently, Gwyneth wore one!

Yep, it is my first and I've never even been especially vain or body conscious before. I've just been sorting out some of my old clothes for a charity colection and forlornly wondering when/if they will fit me again. I accept that it will probably be the least of my concerns once baby is here.

LadyOfRoffle - can you link to that? It sounds great! I've just been googling and reckon that between a rubber waist cincher and a quick access nursing bra I could look like some kind of dominatrix

Do your ribs flare out?? Mine already 'kink' out, when I was little it looked like I had 2 sets of breasts!

missblythe, that looks great but I was thinking of something more low-budget, like this maybe:

www.marksandspencer.com/gp/product/B00158U7J0/ref=pd_sbs_6/203-6836865-9658362?ie=UTF8&m=A2BO0OYVBKI QJM&mnSBrand=core

I'll probably wind up satisfied with control top tights from Primark!

There was one on the SKY shopping channels called Kymaro (?) body shaper, but their website wasn't working the other night and I need it quick so I found similar on Ebay, have no idea how good it is, but worth a shot I though! Figleaves only had belly bands that I know will roll down on me. Cor I sound really image obsessed, just want to hold in my rolls for one day Let me link to the ebay ones...

I think my ribs have definitely flared out - I need bra extenders and I don't think I've actually gained that much up there. Hard to tell to what extent as bump currently begins where ribs end...

ebay one

one on SKY

Both are a set of top and bottoms rather than a full suit so means you can wee!

In the Netherlands 'sluitlakens' (closing sheets) were commonly used postpartum right up to the 70s, usually for the first month. You can still get them, but they now reccomend only waering them for 10 days now.

The idea is to help close the stomach muscles, support the pelvis, stop that 'rolling grapefruit' feeling when you turn in the first few days and help posture. I wore one briefly and it felt AMAZING.

There's a picture here but the site is in Dutch.

So anyway, it wouldn't be bad idea, in principle. You would be slower to regain strength in your stomach muscles if you wore it for long though

Erm, not sure what happened with that link...

Here

Onze traditionele sluitlakens zijn via een groot aantal winkels in Nederland te verkrijgen.
Ook kunt u het sluitlaken hier bestellen of via telefoonnummer

hehe! Must say i'd probably widdle all over that tie up thingy...

telefoonnummer

They do look good, my hipsstill ached after DS was born and the top ones look very hip supportive

I bought one with the plan to wear it all the time but it was too small . Did wear it to some events though. Mine came from Littlewoods and it black satin and as comfy as it could be I think. You will need two in different sizes, or a proper corset.

Oh the old school 'sluitlakens' are totally impractical, have you seen that knotting Good magic knickers would be much easier.

It is great that you can always get them really tight the whole time your shrinking though.