However, you should wait 2-4 weeks after a C-section (and get your doctor's signoff) before wearing a postpartum belly band to avoid irritating your healing incision. Be careful when putting on and removing your belly band, too.
It is recommended that you start wearing it during daytime hours immediately after the birth and for the first few weeks postpartum. It is not necessary or recommended to wear a postpartum belly wrap at night or anytime while you are sleeping.
If you're planning on using the bengkung belly binding method and gave birth vaginally, you can use it right away. If you delivered via C-section, you should wait until your incision is healed and dry before applying it.
C-section binding
For people who've had a C-section, belly bands can be especially useful to provide support as their incision heals. “They can also help with discomfort,” Dr. Newlin says.
Belly binding is the tradition of wrapping the postpartum belly 2-4 days after a vaginal birth (or 10 days to 2 weeks after a cesarean birth). A long cloth is used to wrap the belly in the lower pelvic area up to the belly button.
You might have some bleeding for up to 6 weeks. Check with your doctor, nurse or midwife if the bleeding gets heavier rather than lighter, you have a sudden heavy blood loss or large clots after the first few days, the blood smells bad, your uterus feels tender or sore, or you're still bleeding after 6 weeks.
Conclusion. The evidence is consistent with abdominal binder usage after cesarean section decreasing the feeling of distress and increasing mobility.
Recovering from a C-section requires that you give yourself space and time needed to heal properly. This also means that some activities and behaviors may need to be avoided or adjusted until you're at least 6 weeks postpartum, you're fully healed, or your doctor has confirmed it's OK to do so. Avoid: stomach sleeping.
Postpartum shapewear can provide additional compression for mothers recovering from a cesarean section delivery or diastasis recti. After giving birth, the muscles may be sore, weakened, or overused. Shapewear can help you feel more supported throughout the day.
For others, following an exercise program and focusing on core exercises can be enough to flatten the appearance of this pouch. Plus, some women find wearing belly bands and compression underwear a helpful way to strengthen their core muscles after a C-section delivery.
When should you start wearing a belly band when pregnant? You can start wearing a belly band whenever you start feeling the need to wear one. However, most women tend to start wearing it after the 20-week mark. You can start wearing one sooner or later if you feel like you need the additional support.
We ask you to wear your abdominal binder for the first 6 weeks as much as possible, including while sleeping. Most patients find this provides added comfort and reduces pain. It is also important to reduce the fluid that accumulates above the mesh after the repair.
3 weeks post-cesarean delivery
After you've been home from the hospital for 3 weeks or so, you might be walking for up to 15 minutes, gradually building up the time if it feels good. Keep up your daily pelvic floor exercises too.
Always sit well back on a supportive chair, your feet should be able to touch the floor in order to support your posture. Use pillows to support your back and to rest your baby on your lap to bring them into a comfortable feeding position. You can then use pillows to support your own arms.
Walking after c-section is encouraged and should be your go to for the first few weeks. You'll start to notice day to day movement getting easier and less discomfort lifting baby or moving around.
At the beginning of a caesarean section, six separate layers of the abdominal wall and uterus are opened individually. Once the baby is delivered the uterus is closed with a double layer of stitching.
Since you'll receive two incisions — one in your abdomen and one in your uterus — your surgeon will close both incisions.
The coloration of the c-section scar should start to fade from red to pink, and it should look pretty uniform. The c-section scar should become less tender to the touch as this happens. You shouldn't see anything seeping out of your scar, if so contact your healthcare team to ensure it's healing correctly.
Wear a belly band or support garment for no more than two to three hours at a time to prevent overdependence. Exercises to strengthen the transverse abdominis should be done in combination with the use of a belly band to strengthen the core muscles both during and after pregnancy.
According to top plastic surgeon Dr. Steven Teitelbaum, M.D., the C-section pooch does not necessarily indicate that the scar itself is bad. Rather, the C-section pooch develops because the scar is stuck to the muscle, creating an indentation and sometimes a little overhang of tissue above.
While the scar itself will diminish over time, the shelf won't go away on its own. The leftover tissue from your cesarean section may leave you feeling insecure. If you're considering a Tummy Tuck, Liposuction, or other procedure, here's what you need to know.
How long should I wear a postpartum belt? Postpartum belly wraps are your sidekick, especially during those first few weeks. It's recommended that belly bands are worn between two to 12 weeks postpartum for the best possible results.