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Belly Wraps: Post-Pregnancy Hit or Hype?
When Seattle mom Ashley Allman, 27, is invited to a baby shower, she doesn’t bring a cute onesie, a silver rattle, or any such traditional gift. Allman prefers to give new moms a gut-busting belly wrap.
Allman, a public relations executive, along with many celebrity moms, including Jessica Alba, have said that these abdominal compression wraps helped them get their pre-pregnancy shape back ASAP.
“I wasn’t using it for my figure; it was more to support my lower back,” says Allman, whose son is now 9 months old. She says she gained 45 pounds during her pregnancy, but by the time her son was 8 weeks old, she was back into her pre-pregnancy jeans. She credits a belly wrap because she wasn’t consciously dieting or exercising.
Is Allman on to something? Are these belly wraps really a magic bullet for getting your body back after pregnancy or just another get-skinny-quick gimmick?
Proponents say that these girdle-like garments -- which have names like the Belly Bandit and the Taut -- essentially shrink wrap the tummy and as a result may help reduce the swelling of the uterus, while supporting the legs and back. But others say that the only way to get your body back after pregnancy is by eating a healthy diet and exercising. Still others strike it in the middle by saying these belly bands may have a role alongside healthy eating and fitness.
Belly Wraps: New Name for Old Concept
Although today’s stylish and even eco-friendly belly wraps are trendy, belly wraps (also known as abdominal binders) have actually been around for a long time, says Donnica Moore, MD, president of the Sapphire Women’s Health Group in Far Hills, N.J. and an author of Women’s Health for Life.
“This is not a new thing,” she says. “Belly wraps were used for people with back pain because they increased abdominal support, which helped people with back pain get around better."
Jay Goldberg, MD, an obstetrician/gynecologist in Beverly Hills, Calif., says, "We have been prescribing abdominal binders for a long time. They have been used for tummy tucks and back problems, but with obstetrics these wraps help women recovering from a vaginal delivery or a C-section with their posture, abdominal support, and self-confidence.”
The gentle compression on the abs may help the uterus return to its normal size quicker, so new moms may get rid of their still-pregnant-looking-belly quicker, Moore says. “There’s nothing worse than still looking pregnant months after you have had a baby.”
Another belly wrap bonus: “You may feel more comfortable and may feel like moving more and the more you move and exercise, the quicker you get your figure back,” she says. They also make you look slimmer while you are getting slimmer. “Women rave about the bands holding the flab in and that does make you appear to be slimmer."
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