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Belly binding?

post #1 of 62
1/12/08 at 1:18pm
Thread Starter 
Hi Ladies,

I know that Western Medicine doesn't promote belly binding...but it's my understanding that many cultures, worldwide, practice this art in the postpartum period.

I'm having a difficult time finding information about it and was hoping some of you lovely ladies could help me out.

Birth leaves me feeling hunched over and like my innards would fall out my belly button. I also suffered from diastasis recti with my last pregnancy, that, I'm told, is mostly healed now...but who knows what this pregnancy will do to my abdominals. I have this gut feeling (hahaha) that binding will leave me with more of a feeling of bodily wholeness during the postpartum period and would like more info on it.

I found this product: http://sweetnes.ipower.com/shop/cart...uct_detail&p=4
And was wondering if anyone used it? If it's any good? Any other recommendations? I know I'm months away, but I like to plan ahead, if I can.

Thanks!
Emily

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post #2 of 62
1/12/08 at 3:18pm
I didn't check you link, but belive in belly binding, show and teach it at my classes. Being really practical I typically fold and old twin sheet in thirds. You can also use any material, your sling (I did this) or a pre made product. I've had women say they use those stretchy resistance bands.

Yes it's helpful, yes it speeds healing and it FEELS WODERFUL!
post #3 of 62
1/12/08 at 3:44pm
Before I had my thrid baby, my midwife's partner (she's had several children herself) said it would help with afterpains to wear something tight on my abdomen after birth. I didn't have a chance to buy one that time,since baby arrived 4 hours later. But the afterpains were terrible for a week too.

So before baby #4, I bought a cheap girdle type thing at Walmart. It was wonderful--afterpains were somewhat less, but even better, I could stand up and walk around without feeling like my organs were all falling out. I wore it again after my last baby and my midwife commented on it to her student. I guess it's not something many women bother with, but I wish someone had mentioned the idea to me before my first was born. I hate that guts falling out feeling the first few days, and at minimum you do need to get up to walk to the bathroom, get a drink, etc.
post #4 of 62
1/12/08 at 4:36pm
one of the key tricks when binding- atleast the way I learned it while lying on the band on your back walk your feet up the wall and put a rolled diaper or a sock just above the pubic bone- this should trap the uterus upward and the roll should be pressing more on the neck of the uterus rather than the fundus-- then wrap yourself tightly keeping the roll in place-- this will hold your hips and hold the uterus upward so that the ligaments shorten and help prevent prolapse - as well as give some support to the stretched out belly--- of course with this you are suppose to squeeze the mom all over- using your hands you press everywhere -top of the head, face, shoulders, hips....
post #5 of 62
1/12/08 at 4:45pm
My mom used a surgical girdle after a c-section with my twin brothers and after her hysterectomy (both procedures which, IMO, were necessary but caused by earlier medical errors ) Anyway. She found it *so* helpful, because after her c-section she felt like she needed to walk around clutching her stomach to keep her intestines inside. I think she bought hers from a medical supply catalogue (supplied by the plastic surgeon, I think) and found them to be better than the ones she bought at Target/Walmart (though, of course, much more expensive..)
Bethany
post #6 of 62
1/12/08 at 5:28pm
Next time I am getting a pair of spanx power panties. I hate that awful insides-falling-out feeling.
post #7 of 62
1/12/08 at 8:31pm
My mother told me this time that she really believes in it. She said she was going to show me how to do it. She says that the reason she got her stomach back so quickly was because of it, and if you see pictures of her really soon after birth there might be something to it. She was HUGE, much bigger than I am, but she was back to "normal" very soon afterwards - no pooch at all. I wish I could duplicate that. She didn't say anything about her insides falling out, but then again she only had me and no other births to compare it to. She was merely talking about cosmetics but I imagine it feels better too. Well, it sounds a bit painful, but once it's on I imagine it feels good to have support.
post #8 of 62
1/12/08 at 8:46pm
My mother told me this time that she really believes in it. She said she was going to show me how to do it. She says that the reason she got her stomach back so quickly was because of it, and if you see pictures of her really soon after birth there might be something to it. She was HUGE, much bigger than I am, but she was back to "normal" very soon afterwards - no pooch at all. I wish I could duplicate that. She didn't say anything about her insides falling out, but then again she only had me and no other births to compare it to. She was merely talking about cosmetics but I imagine it feels better too. Well, it sounds a bit painful, but once it's on I imagine it feels good to have support.
post #9 of 62
1/13/08 at 12:18am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mwherbs View Post
one of the key tricks when binding- atleast the way I learned it while lying on the band on your back walk your feet up the wall and put a rolled diaper or a sock just above the pubic bone- this should trap the uterus upward and the roll should be pressing more on the neck of the uterus rather than the fundus-- then wrap yourself tightly keeping the roll in place-- this will hold your hips and hold the uterus upward so that the ligaments shorten and help prevent prolapse - as well as give some support to the stretched out belly--- of course with this you are suppose to squeeze the mom all over- using your hands you press everywhere -top of the head, face, shoulders, hips....
I read about that too!! I"m gonna ask my mw about it this week...I would want to place the dipe in the right place. I've heard it irritates the uterus as well, as a means to get it to keep clamped down and keep from turning boggy.
post #10 of 62
1/13/08 at 12:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mwherbs View Post
of course with this you are suppose to squeeze the mom all over- using your hands you press everywhere -top of the head, face, shoulders, hips....
:

Could you clarify?
post #11 of 62
1/13/08 at 1:48am
The mw I learned it from although British trained- she is Brazilian and while working with pregnant moms some grandmas first questioned why she wasn't doing more humph?!!. and then showed her what they meant- so there is some massage at every prenatal- especially toward the end and belly binding prenatally as well as belly binding postpartum-- the body squeezing has to do with thinking that pregnancy loosens everything up and that it all needs to be firmly replaced-- many years ago she wrote an article about it in MT- Sobada
post #12 of 62
1/13/08 at 9:38am
I'm a big proponent of belly-binding in pregnancy and postpartum. I recommend all my mama get a nice wide support belt for pregnancy and some kind of girdle or support panties for postpartum. I see less malpositioned babies, less back aches, less hip pain, and less varicosities in pregnancy, and moms feel so much stronger after birth if they wear supportive undergarments.(that sounds soooo Victorian!) That feeling of walking around like your organs are falling out is because they are actually falling back into place after being squished out of the way by the growing uterus.
post #13 of 62
1/13/08 at 4:24pm
This is from a company that is fairly local to me. I'm seriously contimplating getting the metro for before and after.

http://www.sugarbelly.ca/index.html
post #14 of 62
1/13/08 at 7:50pm
I did not know this was such a thing!...Its often just occured ...you know like an epiphany (sp? lol)...like I was the first to think of this (but I guess not! lmao) to me that something like this would feel right and would have helped - even now. I may buy one! I wonder if they ship to the UK! (or try and find a uk seller) - Thank you for this post!
post #15 of 62
1/14/08 at 2:26pm
actually, belly binding is a part of western medicine, particularly used post abdominal surgeries of any kind (excluding c-sections, oddly). it's used to help decrease the swelling in the area and support the organs and abdominal wall while the muscles are healing.

after pregnancy, it's great for this as well, because the abdominals are stretched and there is a good deal of swelling in the area.

personally, i love the design of that product and i'm considering buying one for myself, but after birth, using something more "heavy-duty" as well such as "spanx."
post #16 of 62
1/14/08 at 7:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sevenkids View Post
I'm a big proponent of belly-binding in pregnancy and postpartum. I recommend all my mama get a nice wide support belt for pregnancy and some kind of girdle or support panties for postpartum. I see less malpositioned babies, less back aches, less hip pain, and less varicosities in pregnancy, and moms feel so much stronger after birth if they wear supportive undergarments.(that sounds soooo Victorian!) That feeling of walking around like your organs are falling out is because they are actually falling back into place after being squished out of the way by the growing uterus.
Any links for your fave undergarments?
post #17 of 62
1/14/08 at 8:28pm
i can't open their instructions?

Quote:
Originally Posted by AnneCordelia View Post
Hi Ladies,

I know that Western Medicine doesn't promote belly binding...but it's my understanding that many cultures, worldwide, practice this art in the postpartum period.

I'm having a difficult time finding information about it and was hoping some of you lovely ladies could help me out.

Birth leaves me feeling hunched over and like my innards would fall out my belly button. I also suffered from diastasis recti with my last pregnancy, that, I'm told, is mostly healed now...but who knows what this pregnancy will do to my abdominals. I have this gut feeling (hahaha) that binding will leave me with more of a feeling of bodily wholeness during the postpartum period and would like more info on it.

I found this product: http://sweetnes.ipower.com/shop/cart...uct_detail&p=4
And was wondering if anyone used it? If it's any good? Any other recommendations? I know I'm months away, but I like to plan ahead, if I can.

Thanks!
Emily
post #18 of 62
1/15/08 at 11:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tinyshoes View Post
Any links for your fave undergarments?
No, no links, sorry!

Most of my Moms got to Target or some such. Even bicycle shorts work great for postpartum! Control Top panties are good, too.

For the maternity belts, Baby's R Us and similar places, just make sure they are WIIIDE, at least 6 inches. They sell some belts that are really narrow, I don't know whose belly they're supposed to support!
post #19 of 62
1/15/08 at 3:14pm
This is really great information. I remember after having ds that I just didn't want to get up b/c of that "organs falling out" feeling. I hated it. I stayed in bed for 2 days and only got up to go to the bathroom because of that feeling.
post #20 of 62
1/15/08 at 3:53pm
This is a really interesting thread! I've seen those maternity support belts before, but never knew they had such a purpose, I always thought it was more of a vanity thing.

I will have to ask my MW about this. I really hated the "guts falling out" feeling after DS was born. And I'm all for things returning to normal as quickly as possible!

You may also like:

Sitting or Squatting: What's Really Best in the Bathroom?
There Is Not Always a "Fix" For the Difficult Child
10 Things You Don't Need For a New Baby