Jessica Alba's right - a corset can help you flatten that post-baby bump
- Post-pregnancy girdles are the latest celebrity trend - but it is not just a fad
- Wearing a corset helps heal abdominal muscles after your pregnancy
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Shapely mum: Jessica Alba credits post-pregnancy girdles with helping her get her flat tum back
It’s the latest post-pregnancy trend for getting your figure back.
But before you heave a doubtful sigh, this one looks set to last longer than your newborn’s first babygro.
Unlike most celebrity-led fads, wearing a corset or girdle after giving birth may genuinely help the body get back into shape.
In April, Jessica Alba revealed that she wore corsets after the births of daughters Honor, four, and Haven, one.
Gwyneth Paltrow famously sported one by Agent Provocateur after the birth of her son Moses, now seven.
These girdles, belts, corsets and pants are practical garments made of such unglamorous materials as nylon and Spandex and designed to hold you in – like a 1950s housewife or Victorian lady.
THE RIGHT KIND OF PRESSURE
Pulled over the post-pregnancy tummy, these garments are fastened with Velcro, hooks and eyes or held up by their thick elastic material. But why on earth stuff your wobbly tummy into super-tight clothing?
‘There are two key reasons why they may be of benefit,’ says Clive Spence-Jones, consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician at The London Clinic.
‘I am frequently asked about these garments, and I’ve never said no to a patient. During pregnancy the rectus abdominus – the muscle running down the centre of the abdomen – separates, and leaves a crescent-shaped hole.
‘Over time, these muscles need to come back together again. I think these corsets help push them together a bit more quickly.’
BACK TO NORMAL
‘They may also give support to the back, help with posture and encourage the muscles to work properly,’ says Jennifer White, women’s health specialist at BMI The Sloane Hospital. But what about weight-loss?
‘There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence about this, but no clinical evidence as yet,’ says Mr Spence Jones. ‘However, the more quickly your stomach muscles go back together, the faster you will regain your figure.’
‘Improving posture and pulling in stomach muscles will make you look thinner,’ adds Jennifer. ‘In terms of losing fat long-term – that’s still down to exercise and diet.’
Helping hand: Using girdles or corsets can speed up the abdominal muscles' healing process post-pregnancy
‘I can’t think of any contra-indications but check with a medical professional,’ says Mr Spence-Jones. ‘But it is likely to be very uncomfortable post-caesarean. Don’t ever feel pressurised into getting your figure back.’
THE CONTINENTAL CHOICE
On the Continent, packing a girdle into the hospital bag is standard practice, as Harriet Campina, 40, who lives in Portugal with her husband and two children, Amelia, seven, and Nico, 18 months, discovered when she gave birth to Nico in Portugal (Amelia was born in the UK).
‘I noticed a girl in the Portuguese hospital strapping a huge belt around her waist as she got dressed,’ she says. ‘I went straight out to buy one by Chicco [Chicco Post-Natal Belt Anti-Stress, £23.60, amazon.co.uk].
‘It wasn’t that comfortable – but every day when I removed it, I could see that my stomach had gone down. The more it deflated, the further I tightened the Velcro.’
After six weeks, she was at a fancy-dress party in a size ten dress. ‘I thought it was incredible. It took me four years to go back to my original weight after having Amelia.’
SALES ARE BLOOMING
Stockists of the products say sales have been increasing for years. ‘We have been stocking post-pregnancy control pants for a decade,’ says Laura Tenison, managing director of upmarket baby chain JoJo Maman Bebé.
Its High-Waisted Post Pregnancy Support Pants (£14, jojomaman bebe.co.uk) have invisible tummy control, back support and poppers at the crotch.
Medical supplies company MaCom offers a post-natal compression girdle (£59, macom-medical.com) with a fastening gusset and detachable straps.
‘Celebrity interest has certainly raised our profile,’ says operations director Anna Blakey. ‘But it’s not a gimmick – they make sense.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2334335/Jessica-Albas-right--corset-help-flatten-post-baby-bump.html#ixzz2VKwKFm71
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