Maternity Support
What You Can Do for Help
Backache is a common complaint during pregnancy. It is most often caused by strain put on your back muscles by your growing uterus pulling your tummy downward and forward. The good news is that you can give your baby lift and support to minimize your pain and re-energize your body.
Added benefits of choosing a high quality maternity support are better posture, less fatigue, and enhanced circulation. Today’s pregnancy trends reveal higher numbers of moms who stay on their feet. High-risk pregnancies are also on the rise. As the need increases, the demand for effective and easy to use maternity supports continues to increase.
Doctors, nurses, and midwives recognize the acute need for support during pregnancy and recognize the array of benefits they provide moms-to-be. Stress is a huge factor. Body changes and hormonal fluctuations affect a woman’s self image and feelings of homeostasis. Hectic work schedules on top of caring for children in the home can rob a mother of rest times increasing physical and emotional strain and fatigue. Remember that although feeling stressed is common, it is extremely important to bring these concerns to the attention of your healthcare provider.
Wearing a simple, high quality maternity support can minimize physical strain during pregnancy. Cradling stretched and strained abdominal muscles goes a long way to ease the burden of stress and heaviness that is felt with a healthy, growing uterus.
If you are carrying twins or are in your second or third pregnancy, you probably need support. At four months, a mom having her second baby finds her belly is bigger than it was with her first baby. We call this the ‘balloon effect’. We all know a newly purchased small balloon takes considerable pressure to blow air into it. Take the same balloon and the second time it is filled with air it blows up much faster using the same amount of pressure to fill it. Uterine and tummy muscles react much the same stretching out sooner after the first time around because of the ‘balloon effect.’
How do you measure the effectiveness of a maternity support? Look for the “AHH” factor if you are in pain when you try on a support. Pain relief should be evident to you shortly after the support is properly put on. Also check your posture. A support should help a pregnant woman to stand up straighter. Being squeezed or having a feeling of tension around the abdomen should never be the ultimate goal when you are looking for an effective maternity support.
Several styles of back and abdominal maternity support products are available on the market. Different styles of back and abdominal maternity support products available. From a simple belt or band to full torso support, there are many styles and brands of maternity supports to choose from. They can range in price from about $25 to $100. The differences being in the materials used, adjustability and the amount and type of support the product gives. Most maternity supports are going to be made of elasticized material. Elastic, by nature, is the fabric replica of a stretching muscle and the support it gives is like having two muscles side by side, one giving support to the other. Given the nature of elastic, it tends to be so comfortable you will forget you have it on and the pain you are feeling from your growing uterus melts away.
As a pregnant mom you need to feel good, both inside and out. Maternity supports play an important role in giving you the comfort and relief you deserve so that you can relax and enjoy your pregnancy. Careful considerations need to be made on how much support and what type of support you need as they play an important role in helping you to feel better. Always check with your healthcare provider when deciding which type of maternity support will be best for you.
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