Let’s talk about belly binding. Yes! Binding your stomach post pregnancy ( or in general ) because I feel like it’s something that’s really worked for me. It’s important to say that I’m just sharing my journey- take what you like, leave what you don’t.
It’s truly helping my figure go back to how it was, pre Townes, so obviously I want to share the experience with you guys.
When I was pregnant with Zaza, I was very much into compression wear. And, well, now with townes I still am. Compression wear saved my life day after day. It helps with swelling, bloating, & works the lymphatic system too.
Think about how compression socks can get rid of cankles, but now picture that over your whole body. LOVE. Compression wear is really popular among pregnant women, postpartum women, & people who have just had surgery. It kind of trains your body to tighten inward so the whole thing just makes a lot of sense. Compression wear also supports your muscles, holds things in, & majorly helps reduce swelling.
Compression wear was staple during my whole pregnancy with Zaza, and now that Townes is here, I’m very into it again. , but now that Zaza is here, I’m still very into it.
In this post we’ll talk about a girdle, belly band & belly binding- I’ve tried it all, of course. Let’s get into all 3.
Why I Fuck With a Girdle, Belly Band & Belly Binding
♡ Girdle:
This black one from Amazon is a girdle that’s good for post-pregnancy or not. You could totally wear this as shapewear, even if you haven’t had a baby. It’s black, has a touch of lace, & is definitely not the most unappealing thing I put on post-Zaza. LOL.
The pros of this girdle is that it’s stretchy & tight, but not super restrictive. You should also know that there are 4 hook & eye closures so you can adjust the size of it. This is perfect to wear under a tighter-fitting dress too. The way your body changes in pregnancy is such a mind-fuck, so to put this on, be held in in all the right places, & put on some pre-preg clothes can feel really good.
♡ Belly Band:
Big fan of this belly band. Actually I’m so into it. Kinda have them all over my house. It’s like a Velcro belt situation & has the most breathable fabric. And it’s really comfortable, let me tell ya. It’s so stretchy, but firm ( in the best way ), & you can adjust the straps to fit your body.
It’s important to note that this one can be used throughout all the postpartum stages. For instance, a week or 2 after birth you can wear it around your stomach, at 2-6 weeks after birth you can wear it around your waist only, & at 7-12 weeks you can wear it around your pelvis to support that area.
Wearing a belly band or postpartum belt can help with:
♡ a faster ‘bounceback’ rate.
♡ tummy support.
♡ reducing the enlargement of fat cells.
♡ posture & straightening your spine.
♡ compressing the uterus to return to its previous size.
♡ swelling & excess fluid removal.
♡ Belly Binding:
A couple years ago, you might have seen my chic, Barbie pink belly wrap on Instagram. BelliBind is this company that comes to your house & wraps you up. They also offer online appointments & tell you how to do it yourself so you don’t have to be in the area to use their services. You can purchase their binding materials on Amazon ( link here ) & they walk you through the rest.
Anyway, I was lucky enough that the founder, Princess came to Austin to wrap me up & show Michael how to do it too. She is such a master of her craft – which is the Malaysian tradition of bengkung belly binding.
I first heard about belly binding from Ingrid who did it with all 3 of her kids. She swore by it. Obviously I had to do it too. Now, the difference is after Zaza I did it for 5 days, but this time I’m doing it for 40 days.
Like I said, Michael learned to wrap me and every time we do it I’m cutting off ends of the strings because my uterus is totally shrinking. This works, guys. It’s such a commitment but my god it’s worth it.
Not only did Princess wrap me up, she also did a womb rub.
It’s like this gentle lymphatic drainage that reduces abdominal swelling and helps the uterus shrink quicker.
Anyway, @bellibind said that you produce a hormone called ‘relaxin’ during pregnancy ( it helps your body open for childbearing/birth ). Post birth, you continue to produce it to heal. Basically belly binding supports the natural healing process of the uterus & internal organs to find their pre-pregnancy place.
My posture has gotten WAY better & my stomach looks flatter- but, like, we still have a long way to go, ya know?
Ok, so let’s get into exactly what Princess recommended I do.
Wear the wrap for a minimum of 13 hours a day, and up to 48-60 hours, taking it off every 2-3 days to shower & exfoliate with the kit she gave me. Which deserves a moment because it’s major. The kit includes:
If anyone is interested in @bellibind, which as you can see, I fully recommend, Princess was so kind to offer TSC readers 15% with the code SKINNY at bellibind.com. Plus, she’s an author. Scope her book here to learn more about this traditional art. Because it really is in an art.
Anyway, those are the 3 things that totally work as shapewear or post-baby. But like, even if I never was pregnant, I’m into waist support.
By the way, breastfeeding has not made me lose any weight once again. Like WTF? That hasn’t been my experience at all. Speaking of breastfeeding, loving Anya lactation tea right now. If you want to try it you can use code SKINNY15 for 15% off
Just want to say again that I’m not trying to tell anyone what to do. I’m only sharing my experience & what is working for me. I’m totally listening to my body & just doing what feels good FOR ME. You do you, always.
Peace, love & girdles.
x, lauryn.
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Great post ! I put on my bellefit corset as soon as I got home from the hospital And wore it for 3 months and it helped so much ! My breastfeeding experience is that as soon as the baby starts to get fat (think arm rolls) they suck the fat out of you, like where’d my ass go? For my boys this was around 6 months and let me tell you it was worth the wait/weight. It’s the only time in my life I could eat whatever I wanted.
Love this! I’ve had two kids and am pregnant with my third. I didn’t try belly binding or post-partum girdles with the first two but I’m totally down to try it this go around. Also for the record – the losing weight breastfeeding thing didn’t work for me either. In fact I didn’t lose the last 10lbs until AFTER I stopped breastfeeding with both of my kids :(. I always try to warn my friends about that because it was such a shock to me too!
Great post Lauryn. I’m happy that you’ve had an awesome experience with post-partum compression. Postpartum girdles have also worked great for me in post c-section recovery.
twinning ! thanks for reading
Great post! I’m currently pregnant and weighing options for a belly band. Did you consider the brand Belly Bandit? Just wondering how & why you picked the band you bought on Amazon out of all of the available options. Thanks!
Do you wear these all at the same time?
no!
I had a baby girl a couple weeks before you & Breastfeeding has not helped me lose any weight either! Lol
ugh the worst ! but congrats on the little one 🙂
Great post! Could you please talk about ways of tightening your vag post-partum? I recently gave birth and let me tell you I feel such a huge difference. I do kegel exercises and also workout but it takes a long time to notice any improvement. I feel that no one is talking openly about this topic. What really happens to a woman body and private parts after a vaginal delivery. I know every individual is different and some women recover faster than others or are just lucky to get back to normal pre baby shape and size:) but not all of us… I would greatly appreciate some advice or tips on this matter. Thanks
great idea! we will check this out 🙂
How many hours a day did you wear your belly band?
Thank you for the post ! Will need all of this come December. Do you have a post on what compression items you used during pregnancy?
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Such an interesting post!
Danielle | thereluctantblogger.co.uk
Amazing post and so helpful and looking forward to all things with your new born son. Congrats by the way I love you guys and having been A FAN SINCE DAY ONE! one question do you start this after you give birth stat or do you rest for the first 2 weeks and then start it? I need some help im currently pregnant with my first child.
What if you’re not post pregnant and it’s been 4 years since you had a kid and you’re still struggling with losing the weight and bringing in the waist line?
Hi! This has been SO helpful, would love to know if you wore one during pregnancy and if so which one specifically you used? 🤍