Support belts

[SuzieKD]

Hello all -

I'm 28 weeks with my first and keen to hear recommendations of support belts before I commit precious pennies to buying one!

My bump isn't particularly big, but I'm hypermobile so having issues with lower back pain when walking for any length of time. I've got a 6 month old labrador as well, so I spend a lot of time walking!

Before I got pregnant, I was also being investigated for some abdominal pain which they eventually put down to 'muscle damage' and that's obviously got a lot worse now that my abs have stretched with the bump so that's feeling like a really intense 'stitch' low down when I walk.

Anyone got ideas about a band/belt that would give decent lower back support but also support the lower abs? Hopefully without breaking the bank!

I was very sceptical about them in my first pregnancy and ended up completely immobile by week 37 - crawling to the bathroom (luckily was on mat leave!) and it took a good 6-8 weeks for the pain to subside post birth.

Now am zealous about doing everything I can to prevent it happening again (am 28 weeks) and am wearing a serola belt which seems to make a difference - didn't wear it out last Sunday between 9 - 3.30 and was in agony by the time I got home.

If you're starting to feel real pain I'm sorry to say one of the first things you should knock on the head is dog walking - my Physio has said no unnecessary walking and my max is about 500m. Our poor dog is having to make do with it too. Very very annoying but better to manage it now than suffer for much longer later.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0113WE0QS?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title&tag=mumsnetforum-21

That's the second one I bought, the first one came in 3 pieces and kept bunching up in the back so I returned it.

I wear it more tightly when walking or doing chores around the house, looser when sitting in office chair at work.

I don't wear it when relaxing on sofa in the evening or in bed because it gets in the way of one of my favourite activities of rubbing my bare belly.

I'm a fan of serola, it didn't seem so comfy around 20 - 28 weeks but has been invaluable since then!

I had one after my son due to bad pelvis issues and used it during flares and long journeys. Have had to buy a bigger size however due to baby weight big bum!

I'm
Hypermobile too - was going to add that a friend who had the pain at the front found a tubi grip effective. Mine is the si joint which I believe the serola is mainly for.

Any glute Pilates exercises really help; clams especially but lots of bottom clenching just generally and pelvic tilts also help. I find a spiky rubber Pilates ball really helpful too.

I have got a belt that my physio gave me, which I find very helpful. could your midwife refer you to physio?

Thank you for the input ladies!

Will have a look at the belts you recommended and poss a tubigrip too.

I doubt I'd get a physio referral in any reasonable timeframe, sadly. My sister is a physio (and her fiance is a obs & gynae doctor!) so that would have been ideal but they decided to go travelling for 6 months and don't get back until 2 days after my due date! Sigh.

Out walking today the abdominal pain was definitely more of a problem than the back, so definitely need to find something that will compress that a bit.

Oh the joys of baby-making!