Should Women Consider Wearing a Postpartum Belly Wrap?
May 17, 2022
Pregnancy can change a woman's body, especially her midsection. One of the ways to help strengthen and rebuild her muscles is by wearing a postpartum belly wrap. It's a band that is used to support the abdominal wall. Pregnant women use the bands to support their abdomen while they are pregnant, which can help reduce back pain. Now they are wearing the bands after giving birth.
According to Carolyn Cokes, M.D., MPH, an obstetrician-gynecologist with Metropolitan OB-GYN, a Baltimore based OB-GYN practice affiliated with The Family Childbirth and Children's Center at Mercy, it is also helpful to women after a cesarean section.
"For post-operative patients, we have a slightly different version of the belly band that can support the abdominal wall while they are healing from their surgery," Dr. Cokes said.
Eventually, core-strengthening exercises are recommended to do the work of the wrap, Dr. Cokes added.
About Mercy
Founded in 1874 in Downtown Baltimore by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Medical Center is a 183-licensed bed, acute care, university-affiliated teaching hospital. Mercy has been recognized as a high-performing Maryland hospital (U.S. News & World Report); has achieved an overall 5-Star quality, safety, and patient experience rating (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services); is A-rated for Hospital Safety (Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade); and is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet™ hospital. Mercy Health Services is a not-for-profit health system and the parent company of Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Personal Physicians.
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