We are excited to offer an additional service to our clients: Benkung Belly Binding! This service is available as a stand alone session, packaged with a postpartum massage, or with multiple sessions in your home. We believe that not only does belly binding provide wonderful physical benefits for those who have just given birth, but also great emotional benefits. We have answered a few of the common questions associated with belly binding, but please feel free to contact us if you have specific questions.
What is the history of Bengkung Belly Binding?
This traditional Malaysian belly binding wrap consists of one long, continuous piece of fabric that is wrapped from the hips to just below the rib cage. Small knots are made along your midline to ensure that the wrap is snug around your entire midsection.
Why do I need to use Belly Binding?
Just as any person that has been pregnant can tell you, studies have shown that “virtually all women experience some degree of musculoskeletal discomfort during pregnancy” (Borg-Stein and Dugan, 459). While sometimes this discomfort can be mild, up to 25% of women report the pain at least temporarily disabling (459). Low-back pain, pelvic pain, leg and hip pain, arm pain and numbness are the most reported issues that pregnant women have reported. Furthermore, with the increased weight, the force on the joints can be increased as much as 100% (460). While these physical aliments do decrease after the birth, some of the linger effects are still felt. During the postpartum period, the pain and discomfort felt during pregnancy continues as back pain is reported by 30-45% of women (463). Furthermore, separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) is also a common postpartum symptom that many women experience. Belly binding can help pull the muscles back together.
Does Belly Binding Work?
Yes! Not only does it feel supportive and comfortable, it helps reduce the size of your uterus to its pre-pregnancy size, helps push the bones, ligaments and muscles back into place, helps re-organize the organs inside your body, helps with back pain associated with pregnancy, birth, and nursing, and generally just feels wonderful.
Can I wrap myself or do I need to have someone else wrap me?
Either works. We will not only teach you how to wrap yourself, but also teach your partner how to wrap you to ensure that after we leave, you feel confident to continue with your wrap. We also have the availability to come to your home multiple days to apply to wrap for you.
I had a cesarean birth, can I still use have a belly binding?
Yes. We like to see the belly bind put on as soon as possible. For women that a vaginally birth, this is usually 3-5 postpartum, and for women that had a cesarean birth, that is once the incision has completely healed, usually 2-8 weeks. If you have any concerns, please direct your questions to your medical team to see if belly binding will in fact work for you.
Where can I buy a wrap for belly binding?
We provide wraps for our clients for $60 per wrap. Each is made of hand-dyed premium muslin with double seams to protect from ripping, various colors are available.
We are excited to now offer this wonderful service to our clients, and we are excited to work with you soon!
Works Cited:
Borg-Stein, J., SA Dugan, and J. Gruber. "Musculoskeletal aspects of pregnancy." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar. 2005. Web.
