Are Postpartum Girdles Bad For You?

By Kate Horney

I recently shared this photo comparing my super stretched baby belly to my flat tummy two years later. 

 

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The post was intended to help you understand how to heal a diastasis recti with information on what to avoid and the best exercises you can do to heal your ab separation. (Click here for more info.)

When I shared the post, however, my inbox was flooded with questions about if I used a postpartum girdle (or corset or waist trainer). Apparently lots of moms are wondering: are postpartum girdles bad for you?

The short answer: NO I did not use a postpartum girdle, and YES, they are bad for you.

In fact, they’re not just bad-they’re terrible.

I am completely against the idea of using a girdle/corset/waist trainer postpartum, or any time, for that matter.

Why?

All these products do is push your organs, muscles, and bones into a different placement so that you can-for the short amount of time that you’re wearing the girdle-appear to have an hourglass figure.

The problem is that these girdles, corsets, and waist trainers do nothing to help retrain, rebuild or restore your core. In fact, instead of strengthening your core (which is the true way to get a flat stomach) they actually make your core muscles WEAKER!

Many women are being sold belly flatteners without knowing that these pieces are actually leaving you in worse shape than when you started. Many celebrities are paid thousands of dollars to wear and promote these girdles, corsets, and waist trainers on social media to their followers. But they fail to mention many of the risks associated with such products.

Risks including:

– Compressing your organs
– Compressing your bowels
– Decreasing circulation
– Increasing risks for blood clots
– Weakening core muscles
– Increasing indigestion
– Increasing constipation
– Increasing acid reflux
– Pelvic organ prolapse

Please save your money and don’t buy into this gimmick.

You may like feeling that things are being “held in” when you wear a girdle, but the problem is that you’re doing nothing to strengthen the muscles and are only putting increased pressure on your diaphragm and pelvic floor. 

Imagine a balloon being squeezed in the middle. What’s inside of the balloon has to go somewhere. In the case of your stomach, when you’re being squeezed by a girdle, corset or waist trainer, what’s inside (aka your organs, bowels, etc) has to go somewhere… so it either goes upward, placing pressure on your diaphragm, or it goes downwards, placing pressure on your pelvic floor.

 

are postpartum girdles bad for you

 

This creates even more intra abdominal pressure which is the NUMBER ONE THING you want to AVOID if you want to heal your diastasis recti! It also weakens your core, and does nothing to engage your abdominal muscles.

Want to know the real way to slim your waist? Proper nutrition and a strong core. That’s it! Your core muscles are your own natural corset.


Need help getting started on strengthening your postpartum core?

Beyond Baby is a simple 3-phase system to help you transform your body in 12 short weeks. 

Moms CAN have tight, flat tummies and toned waistlines. The Beyond Baby targeted core training workouts are proven to work. Along with our nutrition plan, these belly fat-burner circuits are guaranteed to flatten your stomach, nip in your waist and recondition your core.

You won’t just look better. Strong abs will stabilize your spine and pelvis so your body will perform better at day-to-day tasks.

 

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