5 Moms Share What They Wish They Had for Pregnancy & Postpartum Pains
Growing a baby = growing pains. Here are some things that can help with everything from c-section recovery to lightning crotch.
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Pregnant and postpartum bodies go through so. many. changes. And all those wonderful month-by-month (and sometimes even week-by-week) developments? They can come with a wide range of aches, pains and pressures. The good news is moms have been navigating them for years, and now we have more support (literally) than ever. Think: everyday-errand leggings that also help with postpartum compression or an exercise-approved belly support belt that grows with your bump.
We partnered with Belly Bandit to tap five Babylist moms to share the achy details of their pregnancy and postpartum journeys (we’re looking at you, diastasis recti)—along with the supportwear they wish they had to make it all hurt just a little less.
In this article:
Supporting a weakened core
“My biggest aches postpartum were back pain from having bad posture (in general while healing and also from breastfeeding) as well as pelvic floor pain and core pain/weakness. I wish I had better support products to start using in the hospital. Especially with my first pregnancy, I had no idea what to expect, so I was not at all prepared with the right products when I got home.”
Amanda’s postpartum pick:
“Core strength is basically non-existent postpartum, so anything that provides an extra feeling of being pulled-in was a must for me. I lived in leggings postpartum, so ones that had the right kind of support for recovery were the best.”
Relieving pelvic pressure
“During my last pregnancy, I had a ton of pelvic pressure, round ligament pain and sciatica pain. I would’ve loved something that could position my bump in a way that took pressure off of my pelvis when doing low-impact movements like standing and walking. [Postpartum] my pelvis felt like an activating glow stick every time I tried to move from a lying position to a standing position. I had a binder that wasn’t comfortable so I abandoned it, but a more comfortable one would’ve helped.”
Latifah’s pregnancy pick:
“The Pelvic Support Band would’ve helped with my constantly aching pelvis. The vaginal pressure sent me to urgent care several times just because I was in pain. Relieving that would’ve been so helpful.”
C-section recovery
“I didn’t think I was at risk for a c-section during my pregnancy, so I did no planning (aka shopping prep) to support my post-surgery body. The hospital ended up giving me a belly wrap after the surgery that at first was a necessity for my incision, and then just became more comfortable to wear as I healed over the next few weeks.”
Shannon’s postpartum pick:
“Being from the hospital, my belly wrap was hospital-grade, meaning it was itchy, pull-on and beige. I wish I would have had a much nicer and more comfortable option…I would have loved something more sophisticated like the Luxe Wrap.”
Easing nausea and lightning crotch
“I was uncomfortable in almost all the ways pregnancy can make you uncomfortable, and bought all the things to fix it from belly bands full-body pregnancy support pillows. But one of the first things to hit me was pregnancy nausea, made a thousand times worse by tight underwire bras pushing on my stomach. At the time, bralettes weren’t really a thing (and I can’t afford to not have some support), so I suffered much longer than I should have. Eventually I found a nice wide-strapped seamless bra, and I never went back, even postpartum.”
Maddie’s pregnancy and postpartum picks:
“One thing I never found any relief for was the awful lightning crotch that plagued me in both my pregnancies. It was so painful and relentless (and also surprising! I never knew which step would be the one to take me down). If I could go back and get something to fix that, I would in a heartbeat.”
Managing Sciatica pain
“When I was pregnant, I experienced hip and back pain, restless legs and sciatica. I actually saw an acupuncturist and got massages to ease the sciatica pain, but I also wore a back brace to support my lower back.”
Lauren’s postpartum and pregnancy picks:
“I lived in leggings throughout my pregnancy and postpartum, so I would’ve gotten a lot of use out of a pair that was designed for this stage in a mother’s life. And since I used a back brace, a pregnancy support band would’ve been nice, especially for my hip and back pain.”
Some growing pains are to be expected when you’re, well, growing a whole human, but that doesn’t mean you have to be in pain the whole time. Whether you’ve just started your pregnancy journey or are in the throes of postpartum life, having comfortable supportwear you’ll actually want to keep using throughout every stage can make your overall experience a little less painful.
This article is sponsored by Belly Bandit. Babylist’s free site, apps and emails are made possible by our sponsors. We limit our sponsored content to relevant partners that offer products and services we believe in and use ourselves.
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