5 Best Postpartum Belly Wraps for Recovery, Tested by New Moms

In a nutshell:
Based on independent testing by moms who’d recently given birth, as well as advice from a board-certified ob-gyn, we chose the upSpring Shrinkx Charcoal Postpartum Belly Wrap as the overall best postpartum belly wrap. This adjustable, user-friendly wrap stood out due to its superb support and flexible, comfortable material.

Something no one prepared me for after birth was the way my body would feel after losing my bump. With baby no longer occupying the space, my once firm belly became as jiggly as the jello on my hospital tray. There was something so unsettling (and downright uncomfortable) about feeling my insides slosh around, and I knew I had to do something about it. Getting a postpartum belly wrap was one of the best decisions that I made for my post-birth recovery, and there’s plenty of evidence—both anecdotal and expert-based—to support this. Radhika Sharma, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn, attests to the effectiveness of these products: “I used a postpartum belly wrap myself and do recommend it to my patients, especially if they’re concerned with back and pelvic discomfort after giving birth.”

A postpartum belly wrap—also known as a belly band or girdle—is a flexible fabric band that provides gentle compression around your tummy and back, lending support to your weakened muscles and aiding circulation. “Women can typically begin wearing a postpartum wrap within the first few days after a vaginal birth or C-section—once they feel comfortable,” says Sarah de la Torre, MD, a double board-certified women’s health and hormone expert, a certified functional medicine practitioner and chief medical officer at Joylux. Plenty of celebrities have touted post-pregnancy belly wraps as key to helping them recover after having a baby, but postpartum belly binding isn’t just a fad for A-listers. In fact, the practice dates back centuries. Malaysian culture refers to these postpartum belly bands as bengkung, Latin Americans use a wrap known as the faja and Japanese mothers turn to a sarashi after birth.

Since every postpartum body and experience is different, what works for one mom might not work for another. Finding a postpartum belly wrap that serves your unique needs and body is important to feeling your best. So we’ve enlisted the help of over a dozen postpartum moms (including me!) to test the best options and consulted with experts to guide you in the right direction.

How We Tested and Chose the Postpartum Belly Wraps

The Bump editors conducted extensive research to identify the specific needs of postpartum moms, and which of the leading postpartum belly wraps on the market are specifically designed to address those. After choosing a shortlist of 15 standout products to test, we did the following:

• I, along with 12 other independent product testers, personally tried these postpartum belly wraps in the days and weeks after giving birth. The Bump editorial team carefully matched the belly bands to individual testers based on their birth experiences and physical needs, including type of birth (vaginal vs. C-section) and specific discomforts (back, hip and pelvic pain).
• For my testing process, I wore each belly wrap two to three times when I was three weeks postpartum. I used the belly wraps while holding or nursing my baby, doing some light walking around the house and lounging on the couch. I also washed and dried the belly bands to see how easy they were to care for.
• Our testing criteria focused on what parents value most in postpartum belly wraps. I and the other moms paid particular attention to the support, comfort level, effectiveness, ease of use, quality, style and value for money offered by each wrap. Once the evaluation stage was over, we rated each product on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst possible score and 10 being the best.
• We interviewed an ob-gyn as well as a board-certified women’s health and hormone expert to learn about essential features and safety considerations you should keep in mind when shopping for and using a postpartum belly wrap.
• We conducted thorough research on the safety and effectiveness of these products by consulting peer-reviewed studies and referring to expert sources such as the National Library of Medicine.
• Since every postpartum experience is different, we conducted extensive market research, scouring online message boards and forums as well as reading customer reviews to see how these postpartum belly wraps performed for new moms across the country.

Editorial integrity is at the heart of everything we publish. Read more about how The Bump develops our product reviews.

Best Postpartum Belly Wraps to Shop

Note: Some names have been changed due to privacy requests.

Postpartum Belly Wrap Benefits

The technical term for a postpartum belly band is a postpartum abdominal binder—and these products do just that. They offer compression and support for the abdomen and lower back, and may also improve circulation and breathing. Such binders have been prescribed by doctors for years following abdominal surgeries—including C-sections—but over the past decade, belly wraps designed specifically for postpartum women have flooded the market. They come in several styles (postpartum girdles, belts, pull-ons and more) and with different closures (Velcro, zippers, and hook and eye, among others), but the primary benefits of postpartum belly wraps remain the same across the board. According to Sharma, postpartum belly wraps can offer new moms the following:

Support

A postpartum belly wrap’s greatest benefit is providing support for new mothers as their bodies recover following birth. “For example, if a new mom is suffering from diastasis recti,” a fairly common condition postpartum in which the vertical abdominal muscles remain separated at an abnormally wide distance following pregnancy, “a belly band can take the pressure off of the abdomen,” explains Sharma.

Moreover, belly bands are also helpful in taking pressure off your abdomen while you breastfeed (if that’s the feeding journey you’re planning for). “If a new mom is breastfeeding, she may feel uterine contractions as the uterus works to become smaller in size,” Sharma explains. Cramps and surgical pain are no picnic, but a postpartum belly wrap can offer some physical relief as cushioning from the wrap can protect the site from damage or strain.

Pain relief

Labor and delivery, be it a vaginal or cesarean birth, puts your body through the wringer—and that’s after an already demanding nine+ months of pregnancy. Just as an athlete needs to recover and tend to any aches, pains, soreness or swelling after a big game, so do new moms. “Postpartum belly wraps can help support the lower back and pelvic floor, assisting with any discomfort and pressure you may feel after having a baby,” Sharma says. The pelvic floor is the collection of muscles, ligaments and tissues that span the area between the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis and the coccyx (tailbone) at the back and support pelvic organs such as the bladder, uterus and rectum. It stretches during pregnancy and the birth process and can become weak as a result of acute, prolonged strain. “Hip pain is very common as the pelvic floor realigns with the postpartum body, and wraps can be extremely helpful with this as well,” explains Sharma. Belly binders offer stability to the pelvis and lower spine to aid in posture, balance and overall movement.

Swelling reduction

In the first two weeks postpartum, Sharma says your body “is working to get rid of the extra fluid that it retained during pregnancy.” Simultaneously, the uterus gradually contracts to return to its pre-pregnancy size in a process called involution]. The compression a postpartum belly wrap provides can prevent the accumulation of excess fluid and promote better overall circulation.

C-section healing

A C-section is a major surgery, and post-procedure new moms can experience a number of symptoms caused by the disruption of tissues in the abdominal area. Sharma says postpartum belly wraps can be helpful during cesarean recovery because they offer “lower back and abdominal wall support, especially for the first 30 to 60 days as the abdominal incision is healing.” Maintaining proper alignment and posture supports optimal healing of the incision site, as does gentle compression. In fact, a recent NIH trial found that postpartum belly wraps improved moms’ mobility after a C-section and reduced their pain and post-operative symptoms and distress.

One thing postpartum belly wraps and bands won’t do? Magically scale your waist down to its pre-pregnancy size. That happens gradually through diet, exercise and time. However, a belly wrap may help provide a smoother appearance under clothes, similar to what happens with shapewear. Sharma encourages every postpartum mom to remember that “your journey will be different from everyone else; even though a lot of wraps focus on ‘aesthetics’ and the idea of bouncing back, you want your wrap to be what works best for you, not necessarily what will 'get your body back.’”

Are Postpartum Belly Wraps Safe?

“Postpartum belly wraps are safe for most women when used correctly,” says de la Torre. She says postpartum belly wraps “should never be too tight, as excessive compression can restrict circulation, breathing or proper healing.” As an overall rule, according to Sharma, if a wrap is “causing increased pain or difficulty with breathing, that is a concern, and I would recommend discontinuation.” To avoid adverse effects, Sharma stresses the importance of selecting “one that works best for your body type.”

While most people can use belly wraps during their postpartum recovery, there are a few exceptions. “Women with high blood pressure, circulation issues, or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) should avoid them or consult their doctor first,” explains de la Torre. “Additionally, those recovering from certain complications—like severe diastasis recti or infections from surgery—should ask their medical professional before using one.”

What to Look for in a Postpartum Belly Wrap

Choosing a wrap that is comfortable and designed for postpartum recovery is crucial. Sharma suggests “finding one that has breathable fabric, is comfortable under clothes, that can be worn throughout the day and can be relatively easily washed.” Here’s a closer look at the important features to consider as you shop for a postpartum belly band that will work for you:

• Comfort. An effective postpartum abdominal wrap should offer compression. That said, you want something supportive, not a suffocating “waist trainer” or constrictive corset. (The goal is to alleviate pain, not cause it!) Look for adjustable, stretchy and breathable styles that can adapt to your specific body. As a guideline, de la Torre suggests choosing wraps that “feel snug but comfortable, allowing for natural movement.”
• Soft fabrics. Your healing skin may be more sensitive, so de la Torre says it’s important to prioritize belly wraps made from soft and breathable material. She adds that if you’ve had a cesarean birth, “it’s essential to choose a wrap designed for C-section recovery—one that’s soft, breathable and doesn’t press directly on the incision.”
• Easy to adjust. According to de la Torre, the best postpartum belly wraps are adjustable, allowing for an adaptable level of support as your body heals and swelling goes down.
• Ease of use. If your post-pregnancy belly wrap is a pain to put on, you simply won’t use it. The same is true if it’s a struggle to wear while you’re completing your day-to-day tasks. Settle on a postpartum belly wrap that doesn’t disrupt your life with difficult closures or annoying, hard-to-adjust bands. Only you know what you’ll find frustrating, so consider your tolerance for complicated design.
• Discreetness. Some postpartum belly bands are more seamless than others (think: sleeve-like bands versus multi-fastener girdles). If you like to wear fitted clothes, keep that in mind. You can also search for skin-toned styles for more of a no-show look. Many products come in a variety of neutral and versatile colors.
• Targeted support. Approaching postpartum belly wrap therapy as a one-size-fits-all solution has its limitations. Consider your own pregnancy and any prior birth experiences to hone in on the specific type of support you’ll likely need. “For example, if you’re having a repeat cesarean section, finding a belly band that offers more abdominal wall support and lower back support may be more important,” Sharma says. Alternatively, if you’ve had a vaginal delivery previously, “your pelvic floor may be even weaker and you may suffer from more pelvic floor laxity” this time around. She tells us that in this case, having a band with a particular and targeted focus on the pelvic floor can prove more useful.

About the writer: Diana Sushch is a stay-at-home-mom to her three young children in the sunny state of California. In the wee hours of the night, you might find her hunched over her newborn baby…or her laptop. Diana began her freelance writing career after having her first son in 2021. In addition to contributing to The Bump, her experience also includes product testing and writing reviews for publications specializing in travel and outdoor gear.

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Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.