From your pregnancy days to the day of delivery, it’s been one struggle after the other. And now that you’ve already delivered safely, you’re probably struggling to decide how long you should keep wearing your maternity belt after delivery.
Well, you’re not alone. Many mothers struggle with this decision, but that shouldn’t be the case. On the first day (at least two days postpartum), you should put on the belt for about 30 minutes to the one-hour maximum. On the second day, you should do anything between one hour and 1 ½ hour. You can do 2 to 4 hours on the third day and gradually increase by two hours in the subsequent days after the third day.
If you wondered how long you should wear your maternity belt and how to use it in general, you came to the right place. You’ll learn the effective tips of wearing a maternity belt correctly to get the best results.
How Many Hours Should You Wear a Maternity Belt after Delivery?
Now that you know how to wear a maternity belt correctly, you must be wondering how long it needs to remain on your body before you remove it.
A maternity belt is only useful for a specific period of your life after you’ve delivered your baby. This means your body is never used to the tight and close grips the belt offers.
You need to introduce your body gradually to these new clothing changes so you can enjoy the ultimate comfort in the long run.
Start with 30 to 60 Minutes on the First Day
For the first day, you can start with about 30 minutes to one hour with the belt on as you observe how your body responds and take note of what you might need to adjust.
Your first day of wearing the belt should be at least two days after childbirth. This should be enough time for relief after normal delivery.
However, if you deliver via C-section, you should check with your doctor first.
Go for 60 to 120 Minutes on the Second Day
Since you’ve trained your body to go up to 30 minutes with the belt on the first day, you can quickly push it further to between 60- 120 minutes on the second day.
While wearing the belt, you should continually adjust it anytime there’s increased pressure in a given part of your body. The aim is to find the perfect comfortable spot for your body as time increases and the days go by.
If the idea of wearing the maternity belt for two hours continuously seems overwhelming, you can choose to break it down to two one-hour sessions. Wear the belt for one hour in the morning and for another one hour in the evening to complete your day’s target.
Do Anything between 2 and 4 hours on the Third Day
Entering the third day, you need to stretch your body further and leave the belt on for a minimum of two hours and a maximum of four.
By now, your body is already used to the belt, and you can easily go for long hours in a day with it on without feeling the strain.
If it gets to a time when you must take it off, you can do so and put it back on after you’re done. This way, you can easily achieve your aim of keeping the belt on for the longest time frame within the day.
After the third day, you can continually add two hours each day until you climax at 12 hours per day. You can proceed to wear the belt for about four months from the date you first started for optimal results.
How Many Weeks After Delivery Should I Wear a Maternity Belt?
A maternity belt should be worn for at least four weeks after delivery. The first two weeks are crucial in terms of the postpartum recovery time, and it is best to wear this belt religiously during those days because your abdominal muscles have not yet been properly restored back into shape.
This can also help prevent diastasis recti or the widening of the midline abdominal wall.
The good news is you can wear a maternity belt for as long as you need to, provided you keep up with the health requirements issued by your doctor.
Because of the comfort the belt offers, you may feel like wearing it all the time, but you can remove it when taking a shower or sleeping. Make sure you do not wear it beyond what is recommended, as doing so will create more problems than solve them, which may lead to a relapse.
Remember, it’s best to consult with your doctor about how long you should wear the maternity belt after surgery before making any decisions.
When Should I Take off My Maternity Belt?
It’s not unusual for new mothers to worry about when they should stop wearing their maternity belts.
This is a reasonable concern, but it’s important to remember that every woman and her body recover at different speeds after pregnancy.
As a general thumb rule, it’s recommended that most women wear their belts for around six weeks after delivery. However, some doctors may want their patients to keep them on for longer, depending on how quickly they are recovering from labor and birth.
Bottom Line
As a new mother, wearing a maternity belt is always recommended as this helps you get back to your former health and shape. Keep up with your doctor’s instructions on how long you should wear a maternity belt after delivery, so you do what is right for your body.
I’m Cathrine and I’m a 39-year-old mother of 3 from Utica, New York. And I’m extremely happy you’ve come to visit my hide-out on the web. Here I post about everything related to family-life and usually it will involve babies and lessons I’ve learned over the years from experts, friends, and my own mistakes. So hopefully you will find what i write fun and informational!