Maternity Belts: Styles and Uses

Pregnancy, as many women know, is a painful process. And we're not even talking about delivery. The physiological changes that take place in a woman's body are vast as the child grows inside her. Sometimes they can cause pain and discomfort that are difficult to bear without a little help. Maternity belts and compression-wear can provide help in a number of ways. The most common are extra back support and some extra control for the belly caused by pregnancy.

The actual causes for pregnancy related back pain are varied. As the fetus is growing, a woman's abdomen stretches to make extra space for the baby. The room required for this doesn't come from nowhere. The abdominal muscles are stretched and contorted during this process and as a result have a negative effect on posture, which ends up putting extra strain on the lower back.

Another interesting explanation for maternity back pain comes from the hormone relaxin. Funny name, serious consequences. As a pregnancy develops, a woman's body produces more and more of this hormone. It serves to, as you may have guessed, relax the joints in a woman's body and help the baby pass through the birth canal. The pelvis is especially effected and the pelvic muscles begin to loosen months before delivery. This also throws off a woman's natural posture and can cause intense back pain, necessitating a maternity belt. Maternity belts come in several styles for different purposes.

Unlike other maternity specific clothing, maternity belts are designed to provide support rather than to simply fit a large belly. The normal style maternity belt is visible under clothing and can be bulky. It will have a firm part that sits against the wearer's lower back with a strap that goes around the neck or shoulders. Finally there will be a padded Velcro closure at the front to provide a snug fit and help support the belly. There are other styles of maternity belts that offer less support. Camisole and tube top varieties can work for some women who either need varying types of support throughout the day or are not experiencing especially difficult pain.

An important consideration when using a maternity belt is that lower back pain is a common pre-labor symptom. While back pain is also extremely common during pregnancy, if you have a history of premature birth or labor, it is a good idea to consult your doctor before using a maternity belt for lower back pain.

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