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Belly binding?

43K views 64 replies 53 participants last post by  cynthiamoon 
#1 ·
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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#2 ·
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!
 
#3 ·
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.
 
#4 ·
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....
 
#5 ·
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
 
#7 ·
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.
 
#8 ·
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.
 
#9 ·
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.
 
#11 ·
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
 
#12 ·
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.
 
#14 ·
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!
 
#15 ·
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."
 
#16 ·
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?
 
#17 ·
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
 
#18 ·
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!
 
#20 ·
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!
 
#23 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by sevenkids View Post
No, no links, sorry!

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!
I do 2 belts
One to belt myself and the smaller one to support- these 2 were a set I got from singapore.
I have an Indian friend and they tie saris, I believe- (they wear them, about 6 yrd of cloth, ) they just wrap round and round , tightening as they go- tummies supposed to really zap back into place
 
#24 ·
Hon I've got the Medela post partum belt. If you want it I'll send it to you to try, PM or FB me your non-pg weight to make sure it's the right size but I think it will be since we're both little-ish. It was a little too big for me (smallest size) after the first week or so but it really did help for as long as it fit!

The one thing is, if there's a support belt out there that somehow supports the area between your hip bones that's the one thing that might improve it. I found I wanted the support to go lower than it did, but I'm curvy and so if I had it tight enough to support me around my waist, there was no way it would go around my hips, so I couldn't get support for where I *really* wanted it.

At any rate let me know and I'll send you that one to try, and while you're researching ifyou find one that will actually support the area between the hip bones please let me know!!!

xo
 
#26 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by lily2 View Post
I have an Indian friend and they tie saris, I believe- (they wear them, about 6 yrd of cloth, ) they just wrap round and round , tightening as they go- tummies supposed to really zap back into place

OK I have a Moby that shrank too much in the wash and is now just a long strip of fabric (not long enough to tie as a baby wrap though). Do you think I could achieve the same results with it? I would love to buy a wrap but we are so low on money it's not an option, not even a used one...
 
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