Do belly wraps help with pregnancy back aches?

Pregnancy is a joyful time for many women, but it’s not without its downsides. Morning sickness, sore breasts, and pregnancy back aches are symptoms most women experience at some point during their pregnancy. 

You might have heard about maternity belts or belly bands as a way to relieve pregnancy back aches. But how do they work exactly? And is all the hype justified? 

If you’re currently experiencing bad back aches a belly band might be just the support you need to relieve the pressure that you’re feeling. This article will explain why. 

Why do women experience back aches during pregnancy?

Your body goes through a huge variety of changes as your baby grows. Some of these changes can be quite annoying and painful. 

As your baby grows, the ligaments in your body naturally stretch and become softer, preparing your body for labour. This in turn puts pressure on your lower back and pelvis, which is what causes that pesky back pain. 

What is a belly band? 

A belly band, or maternity belt, is a flexible belt-like garment that supports your hips and lower back by providing mild compression. Belly bands can give you extra comfort and support throughout your pregnancy and postpartum journey. 

Many people describe our belly bands as like ‘having a second set of hands supporting your baby bump.’ With a TGA- approved belly band you can cradle your baby bump, and support your spine to heal better, faster and more safely.  

How does a belly band relieve pregnancy back aches? 

By wearing a belly band or maternity belt throughout your pregnancy (and afterwards as well!), you can give your body some extra support and take some of the pressure off your muscles and ligaments. 

Belly bands help to alleviate the pressure on your lower back, muscles, joints and ligaments by more evenly distributing the weight of your growing baby over your lower back and abdomen. 

Why wear a belly band postpartum? 

Belly bands aren’t just for wearing when you have a baby on board, you can also use them post-pregnancy too! It will take several weeks, if not months, for your body to fully heal after giving birth. 

Many women choose to wear their belly band postpartum to help support their muscles as they recover, or to protect a c-section incision as it heals. 

Wearing a belly band postpartum can help to relieve pain, get you moving, get blood flowing around your body and also helps with posture too. 

What are some other benefits of wearing a belly band?

Belly bands aren’t just for pregnancy back aches! Wearing a belly band throughout your pregnancy and beyond comes with a host of other great benefits too. Such as: 

• Less pressure on your bladder - Belly bands help to lift your tummy and take the weight of the baby off your bladder, helping to relieve pressure. 
• Less risk of a fall - Belly bands help to stabilize your pelvis and improve your posture, meaning you’re less likely to suffer a fall while pregnant. 
• Not as much leg swelling - The weight of your baby can cause lower back and leg strain. But by wearing a belly band, the weight of your baby will be more evenly distributed, helping to decrease leg swelling and strain. 
• Exercise more easily - Wearing a belly band makes it more comfortable to jog or walk, particularly during the later stages of pregnancy. 
• Better posture -  Belly bands even out your center of gravity by helping to stabilize your tummy and lower back. This leads to better posture and prevents you from leaning forward due to a lower center of gravity. 
• May help to prevent preterm contractions - Belly bands reduce the overall stress on your body which may help to prevent preterm contractions. 
• Reduce pain caused by sciatica - The ligaments in your hip joints loosen during pregnancy, causing pain. Belly bands help to reduce this pain by distributing your baby’s weight more evenly. 

When should you wear your belly band?

It’s important not to wear your belly band 24 hours a day, as belly bands provide mild compression and you still need to encourage blood flow around your body. However, you can safely wear your belly band whenever you feel discomfort, are planning to exercise, or if you’re healing from a c-section incision or other abdominal surgery. 

It’s always best to consult your doctor before using a belly band, and don’t forget to check your health insurance, as some companies offer a rebate on our belly bands as they are classified as a medical device. 

Order your belly band today 

Our original belly band is backed by Physiotherapists for use during pregnancy, postpartum, c-section and post abdominal surgery. We’ve supported over 60,000 bumps to date and ours is the only belly band made in Australia!