The benefits of a belly band in pregnancy are numerous. Flexible, tube- shaped clothing called belly bands can offer light compression and support for the hips and lower back during your pregnancy. Sizes, forms, colours and even designs of belly bands vary widely. Belly band names can also vary and be called pregnancy belts, maternity belts, and pregnancy support garments just to name a few. Although there are many differing names for these support garments for pregnancy the overall aim of a pregnancy belt or band is to provide support for your growing bump, wherever you may need it.
Pregnancy belly belts or bands are simply pregnancy support belts that wrap around your lower back and abdomen to gently cradle your growing belly, while relieving pressure on your back and pelvis. Pregnancy belly bands are specifically made to support your growing belly and come in a plethora of designs and flexibility. Belly belts can equally be worn under garments or over garments, which allows for great flexibility.
How Do Belly Bands Work?
By circumnavigating your growing belly, belly bands work by stabilising your pelvis. Belly bands may also help with your balance and help reduce some discomfort from your pregnancy. Pregnancy belts can aid also help to more equally distribute the weight of your baby and this may help to relieve some pressure on your muscles, ligaments, joints and your back.
Pregnant women are more likely to experience round ligament pain when they change positions, such as when sitting up and beginning to walk or just after exercising. For this reason, pregnancy support bands can be especially beneficial for moms-to-be who are on the go and have a big list of jobs to do – (which is seriously all of us!).
Additionally, pregnancy belly bands might make exercising more pleasant as the pregnancy progresses and if exercise and movement can be maintained this is very beneficial for the ongoing health of mums and can also play a role in postpartum recovery.
The majority of pregnancy support bands and belts have the same basic design: a cloth band in the style of a belt that rests beneath or over your pregnancy bump. Pregnancy bands generally are flexible weave fabrics made of elastic that enables velcro to be connected on the garment to join the pieces together. Typically a blend of fibres, such as cotton and elastane/spandex and lycra are used to make belly bands. Flexibility is key to not only help the garment stay in place but also as you move around but also to “grow” with the mothers belly as it develops during pregnancy.
Are Belly Bands Good for Pregnancy
Belly bands provide support to the baby bump and may help to relieve pain in the lower back and they are wonderful for aiding good posture. The benefits of belly bands are numerous.
Benefits of a Belly Band
1. Comfort
Belly bands can help pregnant ladies as they help to decrease leg swelling and provide great support for multiple pregnancy bellies. They also help to take pressure off your pelvis, which can relieve back pain and pelvic pain (such as round ligament pain). They can also help to reduce sciatica pain and help provide support when you need to change positions.
2. Relieving Pains
Belly bands have been proven to relieve pains such as ligament pain and hip pain.
3. Aiding Posture
These belly bands help to improve posture as they provide external cues for posture and can aid to reduce the risks of falling.
4. Prevention
Belly bands may also help to prevent diastasis and pre term contractions. They aid in exercise tolerance as they help to support the baby’s weight.
5. Support
Belly bands can also help with umbilical hernia symptoms and reduce the pressure on our bladder and stabilise sacroiliac joints. Belly bands can also provide the uterus support and there are some claims that they may help to prevent stretch marks.
High quality belly bands can be expensive. This is where looking at review sites such as www.pregnancysupportwear.com can help you to make sound economic decisions so that you can determine the cost per wear of an outfit and also the probable use postpartum.
Knowledge and understanding are the keys to choosing he best option for yourself, as is the case with all health related products. We strongly advise speaking with a womans health care specialist if you are concerned about your pelvic health.
What are the Benefits of Belly Bands - What do the studies say?
Wearing a pregnancy support belt enhanced balance and decreased the chance of falling during all trimesters according to a 2014 study involving 90 pregnant women.
By easing the weight of a pregnant woman’s belly and balancing her centre of gravity belly belts can assist to stabilise lower backs and abdomens. Wearing a maternity support belt during all trimesters was proven to slightly improve posture in an 2018 study.
In Summary Pregnancy Bands....
- reduce lower back, muscular and joint pain
- help to relieve hip and sacroiliac joint pain
- stabilise the pelvis and alleviate strain on the lower back
- decrease discomfort and provide support to the pelvic area, making it easier to exercise
- belly bands can assist in enhancing posture
Sources:
Quintero Rodriguez, C., & Troynikov, O. (2019). The effect of maternity support garments on alleviation of pains and discomforts during pregnancy: a systematic review. Journal of Pregnancy, 2019.
Rothman, B. K. (2018). The meanings of choice in reproductive technology. In Living with Contradictions (pp. 325-330). Routledge.
Cakmak, B., Inanir, A., Nacar, M. C., & Filiz, B. (2014). The effect of maternity support belts on postural balance in pregnancy. PM&R, 6(7), 624-628.
Bey, M. E., Arampatzis, A., & Legerlotz, K. (2018). The effect of a maternity support belt on static stability and posture in pregnant and non-pregnant women. Journal of biomechanics, 75, 123-128.