Abdominal belt after delivery / caesarean section

Wearing a postpartum belt or tying a cloth after delivery is very common in our country. Postpartum belt or binder can be worn after normal vaginal delivery as well as after caesarean section. After normal delivery, you may start wearing after 1or 2 days. After Cesarean section, you may wear it after 8-10 days when the caesarean site wound healing has occurred.

For what duration it should be worn?

Some people wear abdominal belts throughout the day, which is a wrong practice. It should be worn for 4-6 hours a day while sitting or doing various movements. It provides support to the abdominal muscles and the back.

Where should you tie the belt?

After normal vaginal delivery, it can be tied all over the area of lower abdomen. After Caesarean section, abdominal belt can be tied above the level of stitches

How much tight it should be?

• Abdominal binder should have a moderate fit. If it is too tight, it would cause undue pressure to the involuting uterus and may cause excessive bleeding. If it is too loose, it may not serve the purpose.
• Some people believe that wearing an abdominal belt may reduce the fat around the abdomen and it would help in bringing back the body to its original shape and size. There is no scientific evidence to prove this. Wearing an abdominal binder helps only in providing support to the abdominal muscles and the back. To bring the body back into its original shape and size, one must follow the routine of doing abdominal exercises in the initial 2 or 3 months after delivery; increased protein intake in the diet and breastfeeding also helps to restore the body shape.

Certain side effects which may happen with the use of the belt-

• Edges of the binder may cause skin irritation which can cause skin rashes
• It may lead to sweating near the stitches and can result in wound infection
• If it is too tight, may cause excessive bleeding