Belly bands and compression garments: are they all they're cracked up to be?
Ever wondered about the different bands and garments on the market for belly and pelvic support?
Do you wonder if you really need one?
Or what they even do?
Or which one you should use?
With so many competing brands and options, it can be difficult to know where to even start! To figure out whether you need one of these, ask yourself these questions:
Do you have pain around the pelvis?
Do you have back pain?
Do you feel like you need postural support?
Are you feeling as though you need to ‘lift’ your bump?
Do you have stretching pain through your abdomen?
Do you have abdominal muscle separation?
Do you have swelling in your legs?
If you answered yes to any of these, it is likely that you may need extra support. But which product should you choose?
Belly Bands
A belly band is a wide, stretchy band that wraps around the lower back, upper pelvis and tummy. Its purpose is to provide support during pregnancy by cradling your baby bump and supporting your spine. Belly bands can also be used postnatally, assisting to support the spine and abdominal muscles and facilitate a faster recovery.
Pros: It can be useful with relieving back pain and the feeling of abdominal heaviness or stretching.
Cons: Clinically, we have found that belly bands are not as useful as other devices for the management of pelvic girdle pain, mainly due to their stretchy material.
To help figure out if a belly band is right for you, take this quick quiz.
Do you have back pain?
Do you feel like you need postural support?
Are you feeling as though you need to ‘lift’ your bump?
Do you have stretching pain through your abdomen?
Do you have abdominal muscle separation?
If you answered yes to these questions, then it is likely that a belly band will work for you:
Brand recommendation:
When recommending belly bands, our go-to is the brand ‘Belly Bands’. These bands are made by an Australian company and offer great support. Belly bands can also be custom made to fit any shape and size. To shop their range click here.
Tubigrip
Still unsure whether you should spend the money on a belly band?
You can try using some size L or M tubigrip around your belly and lower back first. You can pick these up from your local chemist. If you find that you are getting relief from this, it is likely that a belly band will be useful for you.
Pelvic belts
These are inelastic supportive belts that wrap around the pelvis, providing compression to the sacroiliac joints and pubic symphysis.
Pros: These are extremely useful in the management of pelvic girdle pain (PGP) during pregnancy. Pelvic belts can help restore normal function and mobility during pregnancy and allow you to continue to stay active.
Cons: If you are looking for something to relieve abdominal stretching pain or heaviness, these aren’t the product for you.
Brand recommendation:
Hands down we recommend the Serola Sacroiliac Belt.
The Serola Sacroiliac belt is designed to normalise the function of the sacroiliac joint.
The non-elastic layer mimics the action of ligament, and the elastic layer provides compression and helps maintain correct posture. The belt does not replace muscle function, but instead aims to improve muscle function around the pelvis.
Compression garments
Compression garments are super useful both during pregnancy and after bub is born. They can help with different types of pain during and after pregnancy and also aid in recovery.
Pros: Compression garments are a great way to support your body without the use of bulky bands or belts. Most garments are made to support not only the pelvis, but also the belly, back and perineum/pelvic floor. They can help reduce swelling in both the legs and around the perineum and are also a great option for helping to manage abdominal muscle separation. If you need extra support for PGP, you can wear a belt over your compression garments. Having pain at night and feel you need more support? You can generally wear these to sleep too.
Cons: Depending on the garment, compression wear can sometimes be difficult to get on and if you’ve had a caesarean section delivery, you may need the help of someone else to pull them up.
Brand recommendation:
As clinicians, we use SRC Health compression garments for our patients. SRC Health uses medical grade graduated compression in their garments, which provides superior support compared to normal leggings. This brand is endorsed by the Australian Physiotherapy Association and were designed in consultation with an obstetrician. Check out their products here.
See a women’s health physiotherapist
If you are pregnant or recently postpartum and thinking you may need one of these products, whether that be due to pain, reduced mobility or just feeling as though you need more support, the best person to get in touch with is a women’s health physio. They will be able to thoroughly assess you and determine a) whether you need more support, b) which item would be most appropriate for you and c) what else might be contributing to your discomfort/reduced mobility/need for more support. They are also a fountain of knowledge during these special periods in your life so just like that amazing hair dresser you have, make sure you find yourself a good women’s health physiotherapist too! And once you’ve found one, don’t let them go!
We recommend and work closely with the fantastic physios at Origin Physiotherapy & Wellness who can do both face to face and telehealth consultations. Bookings can be made here. Read their bios here.
Stay strong during your pregnancy
There is a lot you can do to help facilitate a pain free pregnancy, or at least to reduce your symptoms.
Participating in a prenatal Physiotherapist-led program will help you strengthen the muscles that count, release the muscles that need it, teach you about the changes happening in your body, as well as facilitate better healing postnatally.
As always, get in touch if you have any questions!
