Belly Wrapping in Pregnancy with a Baby Carrier

Pregnancy is hard but wrapping your pregnant belly has a lot of benefits.  Even better is that you can use your stretchy wrap, woven wrap or ring sling baby carrier to wrap your bump.  Belly wrapping is more useful in late pregnancy for a brief respite and it also gives you an opportunity to practice with your wrap before baby comes along.

Benefits of Belly Wrapping in Pregnancy

• provides support when you are moving or engaging with more activity
• supports the lower back and your bump and therefore can help with back and joint pain
• a good cue for your posture and body alignment
• help supports your overworked and stretched abdominal muscles
• helps with the extra weight of your pregnant belly
• can reduce pain associated with round ligaments, pubic bones and hips
• help baby get into and stay in a good position for labour
• by using your stretchy or woven wrap, you get to learn how the wrap moves, how to tighten and practice before your baby arrives.  You will feel much more comfortable and confident once they arrive!

Things to Consider

• Always follow medical advice about belly wrapping
• Avoid if you have compromised circulation, abnormal blood pressure or any other pregnancy or medical related issue
• Aim for gentle support and compression
• Make sure baby’s movements and growth isn’t impacted (usually from belly wrapping too long or too tight)
• Don’t wear your wrap for too long
• Always listen to your body and stop if you feel uncomfortable
• Important to continue to focus on core strength and posture as we still want those muscles working

So which baby carriers can you use to wrap your belly?

WOVEN WRAPS

These are my favourite to belly wrap with as they provide lovely support without restriction.  There are so many ways to wrap based on your woven wrap size, how many times you wrap over your bump and focusing on those areas that require more support (for me it’s my hips).

Plus you can wrap your belly in a basic style or a bit fancy with a sweetheart finish (pictured).  You really get a feel for how the wrap moves, how to tighten it and tie off which on benefits you once baby comes!

STRETCHY WRAP

Similar to a woven wrap, these provide numerous ways to wrap your belly.  I like to wrap my bump three times (like you would do with a baby) for the practice and to get a nice level of support.  By adding a cross on your back and over your shoulders (like in the picture), it really helped with my posture which I will admit is definitely a problem area for me!

Again it also helps you understand where and how to tighten and you can feel the firmness that you require so that it doesn’t stretch too much after time.

RING SLING

While you are limited in what you can do (basically go around your bump and back), it can provide good belly and hip support.  It is also a lot easier to do as you aren’t working with excess fabric as you would with a wrap.

Plus learning how to thread the ring sling and direction to tighten are pivotal areas for when your baby gets here.  It makes life a lot easier mastering these without a baby!

If you have any questions about belly wrapping with a woven, stretchy or ring sling please pm me or email me at info@babywearingandyou.com.au

And don’t forget to keep an eye out for videos – coming soon!

Enjoy the pregnancy support,

Kylie
Certified Babywearing Consultant
Kangatraining Instructor