Like all new moms, I was worried my body would never recover from gaining 55 pounds with my first child! I wondered what my belly would look like after the baby popped out and how long it would take to return to its former flat self. After my daughter was born, I looked at the limp, stretched out skin of my abdomen and wondered what I could do. Little did I know that famous celebrity moms like Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba, and Tori Spelling have a secret: the Bamboo Belly Bandit.
The Belly Bandit is an abdominal compression wrap to be worn postpartum. Research has shown that wraps like these help reduce the swelling of the uterus, decrease bloating caused by water retention, support your legs & back and provide additional comfort and support while breastfeeding. The Belly Bandit is also great post c-section. The Belly Bandit is designed to wear under your clothes and is smooth, comfortable, and tagless.
Since my birthing days are over, I can’t give first hand testimonial as to whether the Bamboo Belly Bandit really works to get your body back to “normal” quicker and prevent stretch marks, but I do remember wishing I had some extra support during those first few weeks post pregnancy. I can attest to the bamboo fabric, which is inherently anti-microbial and made from sustainable materials.
Post-delivery abdominal wrapping is actually an ancient tradition.
For centuries, Japanese mothers have used their “Sarashi” to speed up weight loss and toning of the abdominal muscles and skin after childbirth, while Hispanic mommies believe their “faja” helps bring all the muscles used in the birthing process back together again. No matter what she calls it, women in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Latin America, Mexico, Spain, England, and the Philippines have benefited from using an abdominal compression wrap after childbirth. No wonder so many US celebrities have gotten on board!
From reasons spiritual to medicinal to plain-old-vanity, stomach binding has been around as long as the Buddha. In ancient Indian rituals, binding is practiced to warm and close the open stomach and birth canal. They also believe it speeds up the ridding of waste blood. It is still common for modern Indian women to wear these binders to promote good posture during breastfeeding, persuade the stomach muscles back together, reposition the womb, and eliminate stretch marks.
Although some doctors recommend postpartum belly wrapping, others do not. As with anything, it is important to listen to your body and not bind your abdomen with anything too restrictive. Belly Bandit comes in five sizes, so you can get the right one for your postpartum body.
I lucked out and the hospital that I delivered at had one of these waiting for me in my room(not the bamboo one). It was a life saver, I did end up having a C-section and it made my recovery very easy, I was up and walking the night I had my son. I have no stretch marks and my tummy is all but back to what it was pre baby a year later. I firmly believe in wraping your belly post partum.
Very interesting. I might try this with my next baby.
Nothing against the product (looks nicer than the girdles I’ve used PP), but I suspect the “secret” celebrity moms use to get their bodies back is called “plastic surgery”….
Love bamboo because is so versatile. I am always looking forward to new bamboo products. I must try this product.
I got one of these after my third baby and I have to say I noticed a big difference. It was very comfortable and held up well. I highly recommend it!
The problem with this approach, is the device takes over for the abdominal muscles and maintains them in a flaccid state. As a result, they will lose mass and become weaker. There may be increased comfort in the beginning as the device helps pull things into a more natural position, but those abdominal muscles will eventually need to regain their strength lost due to the use of this wrap. That’s why it’s not recommended by docs and midwives (see the link in the last paragraph above). Girdles have the same problem.
Chris,
then couldn’t we say that belly binders are ok IF combined with exercise?
we can supply belly wrap
Belly bandit original postpartum belly wrap. It provides support to back, leg and abdomen muscles.