Pregnancy support belts aka maternity bands are becoming more common as pregnant women discover just how useful they are. A pregnancy belt can be worn under clothing, but most of the time, it is worn over clothing. They are rigid bands worn around the waist from the beginning of the pregnancy to the end and sometimes, even after. Pregnancy belts are designed to support the growing baby and help the mother carry it. Below are seven reasons pregnancy mothers should be wearing one of these belts.
Table of Contents
1. Helps to Reduce Pain
Pregnancy pain comes mostly from the joints. As the uterus grows, it distends the muscles that support the abdomen and lower back. This causes more pressure on the joints and spine. The pregnancy belt provides support to the lower back, pelvis, hips, and abdomen — thus reducing the pain.
2. Provides Posture Support
The belly bump tends to ruin a woman’s posture due to overextension of the lower back and spine. The rigid belt provides needed support to the lower back as well as not allowing slouching by making it uncomfortable to do so.
3. Comfort During Activities
You tend to see pregnant women holding the underside of their bellies as they walk to keep the belly from moving and causing them pain. This means reduced activity especially exercising. The belt does the work for the women by supporting the belly bump and with gentle compression, keeps it in place. This means women can be more active, even exercise without discomfort.
4. Relieves Compression of Leg Swelling
The weight of the baby puts a lot of strain on the lower back and spine. It can compress nerves and cause swelling in the legs. The pregnancy belt helps to distribute the weight evenly across the middle of the body, and this relieves the compression preventing swelling.
5. Relieves Bladder Pressure
As the uterus grows, it lowers itself and tends to rest on the bladder. This causes the woman to feel pressure to relieve herself even when the bladder isn’t full. The belt lifts the uterus and supports it so it doesn’t rest on the bladder. This relieves the pressure and prevents accidents.
6. Lessens the Threat of Falls
These are a pregnant woman’s worst nightmare. Not only are falls painful, they can also be dangerous to both mother and fetus. The growing uterus destabilizes a lot of core muscles, including those in the pelvis, and posture is adversely affected. The pregnancy support belt provides support to the pelvis and corrects posture so there is less of a threat of falling.
7. Provides After-Pregnancy Support
After-pregnancy, abdominal wall muscles are still distended and weak. Other core muscles are weakened as well. It takes time for these muscles to return to normal, and this can cause pain and discomfort long after the baby is born. The belt provides needed support, in the short term, for these muscles to return to normal. Used with exercise, recovery time is greatly shortened.
Takeaway
Wearing a pregnancy support belt can make being pregnant a much better experience than it has been for women in the past. It can help the body support the growing baby with less pain and discomfort.