When I was pregnant with my first baby, Little Stroller, I purchased an abdominal binder, the Bamboo Belly Bandit, after reading about the benefits of binding the midsection after delivery. My midwife was a fan of ab-binding even for non-caesarean section deliveries. Plus, all those ads with the skinny woman holding a baby (who’s clearly not her own) spoke to my vain side – I wanted to feel ok in a bathing suit again some day! I wore the Belly Bandit daily for the first six weeks after delivery and then intermittently after that.

I knew I’d use a belly binder again after my second pregnancy, but I hoped to find one that wasn’t so visible under my clothes. After reading countless Amazon reviews I decided on the Bellefit dual closure. With number two I had a two-to-three finger diastasis recti – separating of the abdominal muscles – and ended up in physical therapy where they told me to wear and abdominal binder 24/7 to help the muscles grow back together.

The Belly Bandit and the Bellefit both did their job and each had pros the other did not. I was happy to have two options in my closet after this pregnancy. Here are my thoughts on the two belly binding options.

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Bellefit v. Belly Bandit

Bellefit

Size: The sizing chart on the Bellefit website suggested I should order both a small and a medium. I was stretching the budget to buy just one of these binders, so I decided to go with the smaller of the two. Several of the reviews I read said that even if the binder didn’t fit in the first few days, it would quickly and that ordering one a size too large would soon leave you with a too-loose binder. Plus, the instructions say not to start wearing it until you can comfortably do so, which is a polite way of saying that if you have a vaginal birth, you’re not going to be able to wear this thing until your lady parts heal. Knowing this, I didn’t even bring the binder to the hospital. In fact, even with only a small tear and three stitches, I couldn’t comfortable wear the binder for at least a week – and even then I didn’t close the crotch snaps.

Bottom line: go with the smaller size recommended on the website’s size chart.

Fit & Style:  I chose the dual closure style, which has hook and eye closures on the front of the corset and a zipper up the side. I found the hook and eyes nearly impossible to close once I had it on, so I left those fastened and used the zipper. After a week of pinching myself every time I tried to close the zipper I just left everything closed and pulled the whole thing on.

Bottom line: there are different styles for different types of delivery, choose the one that works for you, but don’t discount the least expensive “pull on” style.

Visibility: The Bellefit is not very visible at all under clothing. It’s smoothing and the closures sit flat. I had a little “back fat” above it, but it wasn’t noticeable if I pulled it up a touch higher. Had I chosen the pull-on style it would have been even more smooth under my clothes.

Compression: The compression corresponds to the size you buy. The hook and eye closure can be adjusted slightly – about 1/2″ but that’s it. At first the compression was super snug, but after the first few weeks when my insides starting going back to where they belong the compression was less snug. By eight weeks it was snug, but I didn’t feel like it was super tight anymore.

Overall: I liked wearing the Bellefit out of the house because it wasn’t as noticeable under my clothing and made me feel like my mid-section was supported. I felt like it had plenty of compression during the fist couple of months. However, the crotch area was uncomfortable even after my lady region was healed. One big negative is that it wasn’t easy to take the whole binder off when I sat down to nurse. In the early days when my breasts hurt and it took acrobatic moves to get everything lined up just right for a perfect latch, I just wanted to rip the thing off but couldn’t easily without taking my pants off too!

Belly Bandit 

Size: The Belly Bandit size calculator when I measured my pregnant belly suggested that I was between a medium and a small. Several reviewers said they bought two, but wish they had just bought the smaller size. I decided to risk it and just buy the small. Unlike the Bellefit the Belly Bandit only wraps around your midsection and can be used immediately. I brought it to the hospital with me and getting a small around my belly those first few days was a stretch. Literally. But within a week or two I didn’t have to lay down to get it on anymore. By 12 weeks I had it cinched as far down as the velcro allowed. Granted doing so made it very snug, but I liked it that way.

Bottom line: again, if you’re close to two sizes, go with the smaller. There’s a generous amount of velcro so it should last you for quite a while.

Fit & Style: I chose the Bamboo Belly Bandit. It’s supposed to be softer and more comfortable than their original style, but it comes with a higher price tag. They also offer an organic option, a decorative lace version and the B.F.F., which has several adjustable velcro tabs.

I’ll let you in on a little secret that I didn’t know when I bought my Belly Bandit while pregnant with my first: most women sweat a lot in the first few weeks post partum as the hormones in your body shift. I wore my Belly Bandit nearly exclusively over a nursing tank so as to avoid having to wash it every night. I cannot imagine wearing it to bed without something between it and my skin! So again, don’t discount the less expensive version. If you’re going to wear it over your nursing tank then who cares if it’s super soft!?

Visibility: Womp, womp, womp. I found this option very visible under clothes. Plus, it creased as I moved so it was visible and it accentuated every lump and bump. Because it’s just a waist cincher and doesn’t have a crotch snap it squished my rear end and gave me a reverse muffin top. Totally not cute.

Compression: What it lacked in aesthetics the Belly Bandit made up for with function. Because it has several inches of velcro you can really cinch this binder down. Before bed at night when I was going to be laying down for a while (knock on wood) I’d cinch it down super tight and then waddle to bed. Likewise if I was going to be walking around and not sitting for a while I’d make it much tighter than if I were sitting. I’m four months post partum and it’s still snug enough to feel like it’s supportive when I wear it running (per my PT’s instructions.)

Overall: After my first pregnancy I didn’t love wearing the Belly Bandit out of the house and really wanted a less visible often. However, after my second pregnancy I had several complications plus I was floored by the difficulty of having two children and rarely left the house. Breastfeeding was really difficult and I found having something around my midsection too uncomfortable to bear. I liked being able to take the Belly Bandit off easily and then easily put it back on again. I also liked that I could always get a super tight fit with the Belly Bandit.

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Overall I really liked wearing an abdominal binder post partum even though I had two vaginal births and not c-sections. Both of these options had their pros and cons and it’s hard to say which I would choose if I could only choose one. It really depends on what’s most important to you.

Did you wear and abdominal binder post partum? What was your favorite one?