You may of seen me mention before that I suffer from back pain, this is due to an injury as a teenager, the bottom part of my spine is incredibly fragile and has presented problems over the years, it is, however, never more apparent than when I am pregnant.
The larger my bump has grown, the more I have suffered, lugging the weight of Bear around with me has been no easy feat. I realise that there are people every day who deal with far much more but it still hurts, I can't wait to have my body and movements back.
However, in the meantime the company 3M got in contact to tell me about their small range of maternity products (yes, I knew they made post-it notes) and very kindly offered to send me some to try. I was really eager to get the Pregnancy Support belt because of how I had been suffering and once it arrived, I popped it on.
The instructions came with dialogue and pictures and so were very easy to follow which is good because sometimes me and instructions just don't mesh (especially if they're in poor English) and I instantly felt a difference as I waddled across my living room. I felt more supported, which is obviously the point, but not in a strapped-in sort of way, as if someone had come along and just made my bump lighter which was such a relief. My back was no longer groaning under the weight of lugging Bear around on my front during my day-to-day.
It's easy to attach using Velcro and is elasticated so that it moulds around you and your bump suitably, therefore not being over-tight or too loose. The Pregnancy Support in medium is suitable for pregnant women who are sized 10-18 (I'm a 12 for reference), you can also get a large version for sizes 18-28. The aim of the support is to gently lift your bump to take the pressure off of the rest of your body whilst keeping you nice and comfy.
On the second day I wore it all morning but then had to run an errand to the post office. I decided because it was so hot, and couldn't handle another layer to cover it, to take the belt off as it is not the prettiest thing to wear and is large so does draw attention. Thirty minutes later I returned regretting that decision. I had walked ten minutes down hill, ten minutes doing errands and then ten minutes back up the hill and was in agony, my bump ached as if it were about to drop off of me and my back had just given up completely. I had my daughter and my niece (who is eighteen months) to contend with upon my return and so strapped the belt back on to ease the pressure.
I kept it on for the rest of the day where we went to a garden party with some friends, all mothers. No one batted an eyelid and I felt very silly for being so self-conscious earlier. A lot of the ladies there said what a good idea they were and how badly they had needed one of those at the end of their pregnancy and another woman who is due a month after me, said that she was going to look them up when she got home.
All in all, I'm loving having something to help me lug myself around with but here are my pros and cons...
Pros.
- Eases strain on back and aching bump.
- Easy to put on with clear instructions.
- Easy to take off in a hurry.
- Doesn't need to be removed to use the toilet.
- Latex free!
- Apparently makes my bump look very cute and round?
Cons.
- It's not gorgeous to look at, but lets face it, neither's an arm sling so ho hum.
- I spent the afternoon sat on grass and the bottom of the band did start to cut into my hips after a couple of hours so not ideal unless sitting conventionally (which most people do).
- You have to be careful when taking it off that the Velcro doesn't flip about and stick onto things it shouldn't as I've managed to very lightly fray one of the straps by not being careful enough on my first use.
I'm really happy with the Pregnancy Support and would recommend it to anyone who's really feeling like their suffering with back and abdomen aches and pains in pregnancy. It costs £35.99 direct from 3M, Amazon and the NCT.
For 20% off at 3M's online shop enter the code 3Mmaternity01.
Clare
Please note I was sent this item for the purposes of review, however all thoughts and opinions are my own and I was not otherwise compensated for this post.
Labels: backache, pain, pregnancy, relief, support
