What are the benefits of belly binding?
What is belly binding?
It’s a traditional Malaysian practice to promote healing and warmth for new birth parents. A wrap is used around the birth parent’s core.
When can you start belly binding?
For most deliveries, you can begin belly binding within a few days of having your baby. (Here are the best quality binds I’ve found. You can use my code GigiBind for a discount!) And you’ll bind or have a specialist bind every 2 - 3 days while you heal. But, if you delivered weeks or even months ago, belly binding can still give you support.
What are the physical benefits of belly binding?
Countless cultures have touted the benefits of keeping birth parents warm. This allows the womb space, once holding the baby, to heal. Belly binding improves mobility and circulation.
It reduces swelling and pain, such as uterine involution, which is the uterus contracting. Another type of pain new birth parents experience is neck and shoulder pain; this is from nursing or bottle feeding baby, or just looking down and staring at your baby in awe. Belly binding improves your posture and reduces this pain; as a belly bind specialist, I also educate clients about nursing positions and stretches to do throughout the day.
Here in the US, we don’t discuss the importance of healing our pelvic floor, but belly binding supports your core, which supports your pelvic floor, reducing the risk of pelvic health issues.
What are the emotional benefits of belly binding?
Hiring a belly binding specialist or even doing it yourself provides time for you to heal - to put yourself first. It is comforting to you, emotionally and physically. Having a specialist come to check on you gives you space to heal and share your feelings, such as your birth story.
It creates an opportunity for you to get checked on from a birth worker - getting support for things like baby feeding or sleep. Finally, it gives a supporting parent the chance to bond with and care for their baby, which is so important.
Those are some of the main reasons to invest in belly binding. If you’re interested in receiving in-person or virtual belly binding support, learn more and contact me!
And don’t forget to use my code GigiBind if you purchase a BelliBind package; you can book a virtual or in-person session with me.
Hi! I'm Gigi; I'm a postpartum doula, mother to three toddlers, including twins, and a wife to my high school sweetheart.
I help families get the tools they need to prepare, so once baby arrives, they can focus on resting and bonding instead of researching or stressing. I’m here to streamline the newborn learning curve and help birth parents, partners, and other family members. There isn’t ONE way to have and raise a little human. I’m here to guide parents to find THEIR way so that they can thrive in the fourth trimester and beyond.
