If you are still thinking if you should be wearing a compression garment after postpartum, think again. Let’s look at how our bodies change during and after pregnancy.
During pregnancy
During pregnancy, our bodies are filled up with various hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and relaxin. These are hormones which helps to loosen the abdominal muscles and pelvic structure. Our supporting joints and ligaments will move to prepare for childbirth. Our organs will also shift to provide space for our little babies. Not only are there changes internally, our exterior body structure will also change. Our pelvis will increase in size to accommodate more space and our bellies will expand. Basically, everything just becomes bigger. You will see your hips and bellies growing in size.
After pregnancy
After you have given birth, you may find that your abdomen may still feel quite round, firm and full. We may even look quite pregnant! Do not be alarmed, it is normal. Your body has yet to be activated to start its healing process and it may take many weeks for your body to go back to how it was before pregnancy. From the moment your baby is born, hormonal changes will also cause our uterus to contract, shrinking it to try to return to its pre-pregnancy stage. One significant difference would be our pelvis size and uterus, as our pelvis and uterus were previously stretched to accommodate the baby, it may take a while for it to return to its original size. Just imagine your belly like a balloon, it has been stretched for so long, and even as we have ‘popped’, the balloon will not return to its original state.
This is where shapewear comes in. With the extra compression to support the body in its healing process, your belly will definitely quicken its pace to become smaller and tighter. By drawing in stretched skin and muscles, you will see your body closely getting one step closer to your pre-pregnancy state! Wearing a shapewear does not magically help you to lose weight, but instead, helps you to get toner and provide a smoother silhouette. Eventually, if you are consistent in wearing them, your body will mould and stays in place. Like what Envy Her always says, “Bye Bye Belly, Hello Baby”!