The belly bandit - to bind or not to bind?

[Lobyd]

Hi all,

I'm not sure this is the right section for this thread but here goes...

A friend of mine whose parents are African keeps trying to convince me to bind my belly post birth so it gets back into shape quicker, with one of these bellybandit.com/ for example. Apparently it's very common in their culture(not sure exactly where they're from).

I don't actually know anyone who's done this and at 35+6 I'm kind of thinking anything that will help my enormous stomach shrink to anything like its former size is worth a go.

Have you done it? did it work? was it a waste of money? Opinions/advice appreciated!

Sorry to de down on this, but it looks like a waste of money to me! It's your insides that have to shrink down and I don't see how putting a band round your tummy will help. I also think that that is the last thing that should be on your mind in the first few weeks of your LOs life. I sure won't be worrying about having a post baby tummy for a good few months and by then it's usually all gone down by then anyway!

Just enjoy your baby and you'll be surprised at how quickly the weight comes off anyway, when you are running about after a new born!

I didn't do it myself but it does make some sense to me. I remember watching a programme about liposuction and how the patients wore tight pressure garments after surgery to try to help the skin recover. Having had twins and lost about 10 inches round my waist overnight I couldn't help but think their operations probably took less of their girth away than that. My skin recovered pretty well, luckily, even as it was.

I wonder if it helps to support the stomach muscles and help bring them back together - or at least stop them separating further?

That has been my biggest bugbear after my last pregnancy, although I don't carry extra weight at all, my muscles are not together enough and I have a bit of a pot belly and I used to be quite a flat stomach-ed person.

I have not used anything like this myself, but I think this time I will try something to help prevent further separation - although it will seem like a real fanny after the babies are born and probably something I don't get around to.

Having just been and looked at this belly bandit thing, I think it looks a waste of money though. It also looks like it could be quite sweaty and uncomfortable.

hi

I have read about this type of garment working before, it does make sense that it will help knit your muscles back together. It was something I was intending to look in too.

If you read the reviews on amazon.com (there are more reviews on the US site than here) Then just about everyone says that it works but a lot of people say that this product in particular is uncomfortable and bunches up and folds over.
I have been trying to find out if there was an alternative and hopefully cheaper product myself!

I have often thought these might be useful - your muscles have so little support at this stage that logically it would seem possible that supporting them in the correct position would be good for overall muscle health... I dunno though.

I would worry that it might 'massage' my uterus a bit too much and I might be spurting out more blood than is normal.

I had read somewhere that they can actually make recovery slower as your own core muscles aren't having to work so much as they are being supported - don't know if it's true though.

Hello All,

In India/Pakistan/Bangladesh it is standard practice to fold an old cotton sari and wrap it neatly around the new mum. From just below her breasts to under her navel. In Java (I think) they do the same but use an herbal rub underneath. An elderly (Indian) woman I met recently told me it was thought to help limit bloating and water retention as well as providing back support.

Personally, I think I will give it a go since nearly all the older Indian women I meet have mentioned this practice and frankly, all seem quite fit and trim after giving birth to many more children than I am likely to have! On the plus side, cotton saris can be cheaply found :D

A hostpital midwife 6 years ago told me to wear M&S hold it all in pants to get my belly down. She also sugested sleeping on my front.

I think rasperry leaf tea is as good for getting your womb to shrink as it is to help you ripen for labour.

Thanks all! Ladyem I'm sure I will be too busy to worry about it afterwards which is why I'm thinking about it now - I'm so not an obsessive over my figure but I wouldn't mind keeping as much of it as possible!

So I think I'm going to buy some big suck'em in pants from Primark with the sarong option as backup - plus keep up with the moisturising...

Will let you know how it goes, not promising pictures though, could be a bit unsavoury!