Corsets that Promote Weight Loss After Pregnancy
We're sorry to break it to you, but no undergarment alone will magically shed your pregnancy weight for you — it doesn't matter if Jessica Alba is endorsing it. Unfortunately, it takes a whole lot more than fancy underwear to get your pre-baby body back.
A post-pregnancy corset won't magically burn fat, but it does provide benefits that can help you shed weight quickly.
How can a waist trainer help you lose that baby weight?
There are a number of factors that play into pregnancy weight gain. We'll get into the ways waist training with a postpartum corset can help you get your body back faster and give you tips for corset shopping.
- Why Do You Experience Weight Gain During Pregnancy?
- What To Look For In A Postpartum Corset
- How A Corset Promotes Weight Loss
- Compression To Speed The Fluid Expulsion
- Pushes Organs To Pre-Pregnancy Position
- Helps Treat Diastasis Recti
- Provides Extra Support For Workouts
- Bonus: Helps You Fit Into Your Clothes Better
- Bellefit Girdles & Corsets
Why Do You Experience Weight Gain During Pregnancy?
To successfully lose weight after giving birth, it's helpful to understand where the weight comes from, and why you need it — the extra pounds don't come from the growing baby alone.
It's normal for a healthy woman to gain between 25 – 35 lbs by the last trimester, but where does all this weight go?
While changes to your body size may occur in the early stages of pregnancy, you're likely to gain more weight during the last couple of months of pregnancy. Most of those extra pounds are from water retention, which is needed to grow your baby. For example, you can carry up to 2 lbs of amniotic fluid and another 4 lbs in blood to nourish the developing fetus through the placenta — which can weigh another 1.5 lbs.
You also have hormones running through your blood that increases those pesky cravings that can cause you to over-eat and store extra calories as fat.
Those are the most common reasons why women gain weight, so where do waist trainers come in to help?
Medical-grade compression from postpartum corsets speeds the drainage of excess fluids and also helps stabilize your abdominal and back muscles, so you can confidently get back to exercising.
What To Look For In A Postpartum Corset
To get the most out of postpartum compression garments, you need the right equipment. Look for corsets specifically designed for the post-pregnancy body. These may cost more than women's cosmetic, shape-wear underwear, but it will provide you with the right binding compression needed to start losing those excess pounds in no time.
Here Are Some Corset Shopping Tips:
- Make sure its made with comfortable, breathable materials — for best results, you'll be wearing the corset around the clock in the first two weeks after delivery to get rid of excess fluids.
- Look for adjustable hooks and straps — as your body changes, you'll need to adjust the tension of compression.
- Only shop for FDA registered medical devices — these will offer the highest level of safe compression recommended by health professionals.
- The garment should accommodate heavy flow pads — full-coverage girdles with accessible crotch flaps are ideal.
- If you've had a c-section delivery, look for waist trainers with extra padding to protect the incision.
Bellefit has the widest range of waist trainers and corsets for postpartum recovery in sizes XS – 4XL — but before we get into how to chose the right style for you, we'll get into ways waist training will help you lose that stubborn baby weight quickly.
How A Corset Promotes Weight Loss
Compression To Speed The Fluid Expulsion
Jessica Alba was reported to wear a corset immediately after delivery, day and night, to get her pre-baby body back after her two pregnancies.
Luckily, your body is designed to self-regulate and bounce-back — although it may not be as instantaneous as we'd like. To get rid of excess fluids, you may experience intense sweating in the first three days after delivery and frequent urination.
By compressing the midsection, the excess fluid becomes available for transport through the blood into the kidneys, where it's filtered before you urinate.
Pushes Organs To Pre-Pregnancy Position
The uterus normally only weighs a few ounces, but it can weigh up to 2 lbs and reach almost as high as your rib-cage as it accommodates your growing baby. Wearing a corset after birth, will squeeze your uterus to its pre-pregnancy size and safely nudge the abdominal organs into its pre-baby spot.
Helps Treat Diastasis Recti
Diastasis recti is a common condition in pregnant women, where the connective tissues holding the six-pack muscles together separate at the midline to accommodate the stretching uterus.
This is normal, but in especially severe cases, diastasis can cause painful hernias and the loose muscles and skin can create the appearance of an extra flabby belly.
The best non-surgical treatment for diastasis recti is through strengthening the core muscles with exercise. An abdominal binder is a mom's best friend after childbirth for this reason. It supports the lower back and core, so you can regain mobility in ever day movements as you regain the strength in your core.
Women with diastasis recti can find relief and support using a corset or comparable compression garment.
Provides Extra Support For Workouts
After you've lost most of that water weight in the first few weeks after delivery, you're likely stuck with the stubborn fat from the hormonal excess eating.
The best way to shed those extra pounds is through a healthy balanced diet and an exercise program — You can bet Jessica Alba didn't get that body back without this. Without any complications, you should be able to get back to exercising six weeks after giving birth or eight weeks after a c-section.
Wearing a corset during your workouts will make you feel more confident in your exercises because it protects your lower back and stabilizes your abdominal muscles — a strong core is the foundation of most movements.
Before you jump into your regular workouts, get the green light from your doctor.
Bonus: Helps You Fit Into Your Clothes Better
As we've mentioned earlier, no underwear will magically shed fat for you, but it may help boost your confidence as your work towards your goals.
As a bonus to all the compression health benefits we've listed, high-quality women's girdles are sleek and comfortable to wear under clothes. It smoothes your curves, slims the waist line, and can flatten the appearance your belly for a more confident fit in your pre-pregnancy clothes.
Bellefit Girdles & Corsets
All Bellefit girdles are FDA-registered and recommended by doctors to speed the recovery after vaginal or c-section delivery. These garments are designed for women's changing bodies postpartum and are comfortable to wear 24-hours a day, so you can take advantage of the benefits of compression therapy.
An Overview Of Corset And Girdle Features:
Girdle Style | Features |
1. Corset | • Full rear coverage • 3-row adjustable front hooks • Adjustable crotch opening |
2. Dual-Closure Girdle | • Full rear coverage • 3-row adjustable front hooks • Convenient padded side zipper • Adjustable crotch opening |
3. Cheekster Corset | • Cheekster panty • 3-row adjustable front hooks • Adjustable crotch opening |
4. Bodysuit Corset | • 3-row adjustable front hooks • Full rear coverage • Open-bust bodysuit • Adjustable & removable shoulder straps • No boning • Adjustable crotch opening |
5. Corset Thong | • 3-row adjustable front hooks • Thong style panty • Adjustable & removable shoulder straps • Adjustable crotch opening |
6. Girdle with Front Zipper | • Padded zipper • Full rear coverage • Adjustable crotch opening |
7. Girdle with Side Zipper | • Padded size zipper • Full rear coverage • Seamless front • Adjustable crotch opening |
8. Girdle Pull-Up | • Slip-on design • Full rear coverage • Seamless for discretion under clothing • Adjustable crotch opening |
If you're looking for a panty-less corset option, Bellefit has a selection of premium quality abdominal binders.
While wearing a corset won't directly affect fat loss, it will speed fluid expulsion, encourage speedy healing, and give you confidence wearing your pre-baby clothes.
Deciding which corset style will work for you will depend on your preference and lifestyle — but you can rest assured that Bellefit has you covered for style choice and sizing.