How Shapewear Can Speed up Post Partum Recovery

Anyone that has given birth has some realization of the challenge that sometimes occurs when trying to regain your pre-pregnancy shape. One of the ways you can help speed up the post partum recovery process is to wear shapewear. It doesn’t matter if you give birth naturally, with the assistance of an epidural or have a cesarean section surgery, shapewear can make a difference in your recovery time.

What Is Shapewear?

Shapewear is not one specific thing, but a broad term used to describe items that are worn under clothing. There are varying brands of shapewear made from different types of material. Some shapewear items are made from a combination of lycra, spandex, latex, cotton and other materials. These items are typically tight fitting and often have Velcro fasteners.

You can find shapewear in various styles as well, to fit many parts of the body. For instance, you can find shapewear that only wraps around the abdomen area, or you can find one that fits the entire torso area as well as the thigh area.

How Shapewear Speeds up Recovery

After you have a baby, your body goes through many postpartum adjustments. This is because of the huge adjustment your body had to make to accommodate a growing baby. Your muscles expanded and sometimes even separated, your uterus grew, your skin stretched and your hormones fluctuated, among many other changes. During the recovery process it can take a long time for your body to heal and shrink down to its pre-pregnancy state. For some women this never happens at all.

With shapewear, you speed your recovery process by compressing the body. When shapewear is worn consistently and for the majority of the day, it holds your body in and together. This compression essentially trains your body to get back to its form. The theory is that shapewear actually helps shrink your body, too. This is because of the materials it is made of, which cause the body to sweat.

Who Should Use Shapewear?

No one should use shapewear for speedy recovery until after discussing it with a physician. Once you have the okay, shapewear is great for anyone who wants the extra support and a quicker recovery period. Shapewear is particularly useful for those that suffered from muscle separation during pregnancy or childbirth. Shapewear can assist in compressing those muscles back together. Shapewear is also helpful in relieving the stress of muscles that are working hard to heal and for encouraging the uterus to shrink back to its form more efficiently.

Shapewear is also great for improving posture and supporting your back. This is helpful when you start to carry around a newborn, an infant carrier and a diaper bag. The shapewear will encourage you to take care of your healing body and prevent back aches. For those that had swelling issues during pregnancy, shapewear can speed up the healing process as well.

There are many brands of shapewear and you will need to decide whether you are more comfortable in the full body or partial body type. If problems develop, discuss with your physician.


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