Maternity Bands For Pain Relief

A pregnant belly throws off your center of balance, causes dramatic weight gain over a short period of time, and changes the way your hips, back, and feet have to carry the ever increasing load. Your blood volume is increasing by almost 50% while

Your blood volume is increasing by almost 50% while baby is growing, and by the end of a pregnancy most women are carrying 10-15 lbs of baby, amniotic fluid, and placenta. On top of that, a hormone called relaxin is very busy loosening your joints and ligaments to allow your hips and pelvis to widen for the birth process.

Your belly is forcing your round ligament to stretch and move in ways that it doesn’t think it can. All of this, naturally, can cause a lot of discomfort. Everything from SPD to sciatica to round ligament pain is common during pregnancy, and most of these can be helped with a carefully selected option.

1. Our Review Of The Belly Bandit Upsie Belly Belt

–Everywhere we went, every set of reviews we read, every product we looked at, seemed to keep coming back to the Belly Bandit . People who tried other products regretted their other purchases and always came back to this item.

With ultrasoft bamboo material, it’s not only nice to your skin, it lets you stay cool. Breathable material is such a must have during pregnancy that I honestly can’t wait to get mine and make a video for you, I’m THAT excited about this one! Nothing is as frustrating as an itchy, sweaty tummy when all you want is a little bit of relief!

Pros: Not nearly as irritating or warm to wear as other belts. Super soft material. The majority of users found a great deal of pain relief by wearing this belt. Comfortable widths and easy to take off and on makes it a much better fit for an every day wear than those with cumbersome systems. It also has much fewer seams than many we

It also has much fewer seams than many we reviews, making it look less noticeable under clothes. Self-confidence is hard to come by when dealing with the changes of a pregnant body, so the less lumps and edges, the better. The broad band across the back seems to stay in place and provide about as much relief as possible even with sitting.
Cons: Seems to loose some of its velcro stickiness after a few months of constant wear. Those who wear it around the clock starting in the second trimester may need to invest in a replacement for the last month of their pregnancy. And those who purchase it, tend to wear it a LOT. So, in a lot of ways, the con is simply due to the pros, and is likely to be

So, in a lot of ways, the con is simply due to the pros, and is likely to be a negative with all of the options provided, if they were to be as loved and well used as the Belly Bandit.

Excited yet? Then don’t even keep scrolling! Just CLICK HERE to shop the Belly Bandit! 

–> Amazon.com sells the Belly Bandit Support Belt Here <– 

2. The Gabrialla Elastic

The Gabrialla seems to be a real crowd pleaser. This belt seems to do its job as well as could be expected for its expected audience.

Most purchasers chose this belt specifically for back pain, and those who bought it for pelvic pain seemed to be a little disappointed.
Sizing seems to be an ongoing issue, as there are multiple size charts all over the internet. A lot of people found that they had to go up one or two sizes from the charts that were available on the purchasing sites, so make sure to reference the ITA-Med (the manufacturer) sizing chart before you order! 

— Click Here To Shop For the Gabriella Elastic Support System —

Pros: When the correct size is purchased, this belt stays where it’s supposed to be, doesn’t make your clothes look lumpy, and does a good job relieving mild to moderate painful back issues. The side pull adjustment straps make it easy to customize the level of compression without having to take the belt off and on again.
Cons: If you’re under 5’5”, it might be hard to get it to fit. Many customers on the shorter side had a lot of trouble with the top of the back gapping, regardless of how tight or loose the belt was. With this gap also came the problem of a lot of discomfort when sitting and chafing throughout the day. Probably not the best pick for more petite women.

The material isn’t ideal for being directly against the sensitive skin of a growing tummy, so many women wore the belt over a camisole or t shirt to keep it from being in direct contact with their skin. This belt also provided very little relief for our mammas who were looking for pelvic pain relief.

3. The AZMED Maternity Breathable

–The AZMED Belt seems to be a more practical option for a lot of people.  Most people were entirely satisfied with it, and the few complaints seemed to have to do more with the lower level of support provided, which is to be expected in a  lower quality support system, than with fitting or comfort issues.

It fits around the lower part of the tummy instead of under the tummy, making it also useful for herniated belly buttons and separating abdominals.

–> Click Here to View The AZMED Breathable Abdominal Binder <–

 

Pros: More breathable than most other options reviewed. Fits a little higher than other belts, making it slightly more comfortable for sitting. Also can be used as hernia support or for abdominal diastasis in pregnancy.

Cons: A little bit itchy. We recommend layering it over a cotton cami to keep it out of direct contact with your skin. It also comes in only one size, meaning that petite users may have some extra belt, and larger/taller users may find it a bit small.

4. The Baby Belly Band Original

Probably the most commonly known, the Baby Belly has maintained its reputation through of being a solid, mid level support system. And is readily available in maternity and department stores.

While there are some complaints of it wearing out and losing elasticity too soon, most users do not use theirs so extensively as to run into this issue. If you are wanting enough structure and lift to take a nice long walk, or a little bit of help with long shifts of standing, this is a good option.

However, it will not provide enough support to help with a 40 hour/week job that is causing discomfort, or for regular walking or jogging. There were also very few complaints of it being uncomfortable to sit in, so something about the fit seems to be more flexible for those who are up and down a lot.

—> Click Here To Shop The Baby Belly Band With Groin Straps <–   

Pros: Multiple sizes available, and optional accessories allow you to pinpoint the exact area of pain and customize your relief experience.

The Baby Belly Band Groin Bands and Shoulder Straps are available separately, and can work together or by themselves. Especially if you are looking for ways to alleviate SPD pain, you should look into purchasing the entire system so that you can use it the most effective way possible. –>Click Here For the Shoulder Straps For Pregnancy Use <–

The manufacturer gets pretty fantastic reviews for their customer service as well.
Cons: This is not a “breathable” belt so it is thick and warm. If you are going through a summer pregnancy then check out their new, “sports” version that has been designed to be lightweight and breathable.

(being a newer model, there is not enough consumer information for us to say whether or not BellyBand was able to maintain the quality of the original when going with different materials.)

 

5. The Kre8Me Maternity Belt

–For our final pick, we tried to find a belt that would work well for you mammas with a desk job. While we recommend going for “belly bras” or structured compression tanks instead of belts for long periods of sitting, we did find that there was oneoption that was moderately comfortable for most users while sitting.

It’s hard to tell if the Kre8Me Maternity Belt is ACTUALLY comfortable, breathable, soft, supportive and will hold up to extensive use because they did a large giveaway campaign in exchange for reviews, but that was the general consensus of the videos, blog posts, and youtubes we were able to find.

As such, finding consumers who purchased the belt at retail price and used it for a significant amount of time is difficult, but the general opinion was that the way this belt fits works well with sitting for long periods of time. As time goes on we will know more about it, but as it stands now,

–>Click Here To Try The Kre8Me <–
Pros: Effective and comfortable. Not bulky, so it is discrete. Made from breathable materials, so feels cooler than most. Designed to allow mammas to sit comfortably while wearing. Very inexpensive.

Cons: Again with the “One Size Fits All”. This belt seems to be too small for most medium and large women, and is maxed out in size before full term pregnancy for many users. Cheap packaging indicates cheap material, so time will tell if this new product has the durability to maintain a spot on our page.

Problems That Might Be Helped With A Support Belt

Back Pain

Perhaps the most common side effect of pregnancy, back pain is an extremely common reason for expecting mothers to shop for belly lifting aides. Lifting that watermelon sized load off of your pelvis and shifting the weight back to where it belongs can bring instant relief for some, and has long term benefits for most.

This also promotes good posture, which will relieve stress in your upper back and shoulders. Other items to look into if you are suffering from pregnancy related back pain would be body pillows, heating pads, KT Tape, and contoured seat cushions.

Sciatica

Sciatica is a radiating pain, numbness, or tingling that starts in your lower back and shoots down into your legs. It can affect one or both legs, and can be very mild or very severe. It comes from the sciatic nerve being compressed — rapid weight gain,

It comes from the sciatic nerve being compressed — rapid weight gain, posture that allows your low back to scoop in, baby’s head, and the general weight of your uterus and baby can all cause this. Finding support that encourages good posture can be the easiest way to prevent it getting worse, and heat packs, tucking a pillow between your legs when you lay down, pelvic tilts and

SPD

Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction, now also known under the more generic label of Pelvic Girdle Pain or PGP, isn’t super common — only diagnosed in about 1 in 300 pregnant women, it’s believed that it is closer to 2 in 100 that actually experience it.

Because of the relaxin levels in your body, the pelvic bones can become so unstable as to cause severe shooting pains in the groin and pelvic area. Using groin straps in conjunction with a support belt can stabilize the pelvis enough to relieve the pain and prevent it from worsening.

Round Ligament Pain

The round ligaments create a sort of cradle that runs from your pubic bone up the sides of your uterus, and when it is pinched or over stretched it can cause incredibly intense pains. The good news is that most RLP is in spasms that only last a couple of seconds. If you are experiencing a constant dull ache in the round ligaments than it is very likely that a support system could help, as that means that your ligaments are being constantly overstrained, rather than occasionally irritated.

Hip Pain

Joints don’t like pregnancy. Again, that pesky relaxin is brutally workng its evil against you as it causes hips, knees, and ankles to ache and cave. Hip pain during pregnancy can be particularly irritating, as it makes walking and changing positions challenging.

Be sure to see a chiropractor regularly to help keep your hips aligned. Choosing one of the above listed options can help your hips how it helps many other things — by lifting your heavy baby belly and centering your weight properly so that nerves aren’t being triggered and your joints aren’t being unnecessarily taxed.

Stretch Marks

There are only a couple of bands that advertise that they help prevent stretch marks, and so far it isn’t a widely accepted theory that they can be prevented at all, but check out our page on preventing stretch marks to see what products we feel have the best chance of helping you out!

Struggles With Wearing a Maternity Belt

While the benefits of wearing one of these options are without question, you should be prepared for a trade off of pros vs cons. Make sure to read our reviews thoroughly to find the best possible fit for your needs

1. Find a Breathable Option to Prevent Sweating and Overheating 

If it’s summertime then you will need to find a belt that is extra breathable. This is definitely possible, even if it is tricky.

Sweaty, chafing skin isn’t fun at any time, especially if it’s your tummy and back that are sweating and chafing! Cotton and bamboo are both good options for material that will let your skin breath, while polyester and wool will trap your sweat against your skin and cause you a lot of discomfort.

2. If You Are A Petite Person, Find a Petite Option

If you are under 5’4”, it might be hard to find a belt that doesn’t ride up your hips or leave a gap on your back. Make sure to look at sizing charts and avoid the super wide belts, as these will tend to gap on smaller framed women.

3. Expect More Bathroom Breaks

The design and purpose of a belt is to lift your tummy and tip it back toward your spine, resetting your center of balance. This is likely to put the weight of your uterus a little more on your bladder.

Many women experience an increased need to find a restroom when wearing a support belt while pregnant — It isn’t true for everybody, but don’t let it catch you by surprise! Trading off perpetual bathroom stops with pelvic straps may make you rethink just how badly you hate that SPD pain. Wear a liner or a pad and stay close to restrooms for the first few weeks that you wear your new system!

4. Use A Standard Belly Band For Long Sitting Hours

Most of these products aren’t comfortable for sitting in. If you have a desk job, or a job that requires you to be up and down a lot, then I would recommend looking into a belly bra or a band, rather than a super structured belt. The BellyBandit and the Original Belly Band seem to have the best response from consumers who spend a great deal of time sitting.
These products either wrap  around your pregnant tummy or around your hips, below your tummy. Usually worn to alleviate back or pelvic pain, the can also be extremely helpful with hip pain.

Some have groin strap attachments to help with round ligament and SPD pain, specifically. They sometimes have ribbing built in, and are usually velcro or hook and eye.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here