Maternity or Pregnancy support garments can be helpful for a variety of reasons.
A lot of women experience low back, pelvic pain or round ligament during pregnancy. Support belts can help you get more comfortable so you can stay active throughout your pregnancy. These garments are made to offer gentle compression depending on where you are experiencing the discomfort.
These garments are great for providing day to day support during pregnancy, especially if you are a mom of multiple kids or have a job requiring extended standing or are busy going out and about in general.These can be really helpful to alleviate the day to day aches and pains and provide more support while you are pregnant.
There are also specific garments that can provide postpartum support, while not all pregnancy support garments are appropriate for the post-partum period, there are some that we will highlight that can be utilized during both periods.
Better Binder: wraps below and above the belly, which is good for abdominal and low back support. This one is well loved by our clients, especially because they say it doesn’t cover the belly itself. This is a good one to consider, if you are sensitive around the belly button, and can avoid pressure applied directly to the belly button. It is stretchy and elastic and has velcro for adjustment. This can be a “catch all” support belt and apply compression where you need it. This belt can be transformed during the post-partum period into an abdominal binder and give good post-partum support and assist with diastasis (abdominal wall separation) recovery.
Maternity support binder – wraps below the belly and around the back. This gives the belly a lift, especially if you have round ligament pains or pelvic girdle pains. These types of bands take the pressure of the pelvis and support the belly underneath. This type of band would not be used post partum.
Serola belt – it wraps around the pelvis, a little lower than a traditional belt you would put on pants, and gives compression. This is not going to support your belly, but instead its job is to take pressure off the pelvis. This will help with providing relief for pelvic pain, low back pain and sacro-iliac pains. This belt is typically recommended for relieving pain more so than providing support.
Compression Garments:
SRC Compression Garment – a compression short or legging, goes up and over the belly, provided day to day compressions support. These look like maternity leggings or shorts and can provide great support for women who want to stay active in the gym. There are several different types in the market.
Our recommendations with any of these supports, belting or compression garments is to make sure you try them out and see what feels best for you. You can also partner with a women’s health physical therapist who understands the type of support you may need based on your discomfort.
Here at Legacy Physical Therapy, we offer free belt fittings. You will meet with a physical therapist and can even try on the supports we have discussed today for free. Give us a call today.
