If your goal is to heal diastasis recti, it is possible to baby wear, but we want to be mindful of keeping your core safe in the process. When babywearing, we suggest wearing a corset or binder. We designed our own EMbody Core Support garment to help protect your core while babywearing, and accelerate healing.
Postpartum Shapewear: Corsets, Binders and Baby-Wearing
Postpartum Shapewear: Can it Benefit Me?
Is a support garment or corset right for me? What if I had my kids years ago?
First things first
Rehabilitating weak, overstretched and separated abdominal muscles to restore core strength and function requires very specific exercises. The daily core exercises and workouts of the EMbody Program™ are proven to resolve diastasis recti (separated abs) and improve core function in less than 12 weeks. The key to recovery is performing these profoundly beneficial exercises correctly and consistently, while also changing how you move, breathe and workout to avoid re-injury. Our Foundational videos cover those topics at length.
That said, an external postpartum shapewear support like a corset or support garment can be a valuable tool to speed up the recovery process. If your abdominal muscles have separated (click here for a self-check demo), a corset decreases strain on the overstretched connective tissue. By providing support to that tissue, a compressive garment can heighten the impact of therapeutic core exercises, and you can see faster results.
Who can benefit from a corset or support garment?
Any person who has diastasis recti (separated abdominal muscles) can potentially benefit, even if you had your kids decades ago. However, if you are currently suffering from prolapse symptoms, it is probably not a healthy option for you at this time. Keep reading to learn more.
When should I wear it?
Ease your way in by starting with an hour or two at a time, gradually working up to 8-12 hours. Ultimately you will want to wear it as often as possible until you have fully closed your abdominal separation.
To avoid worsening an existing abdominal separation, wear a corset or support garment anytime you use a front-loading baby carrier that places the baby’s weight vertically along your midline.
Should I wear a corset or support garment while working out?
It is optional (and sweaty) to wear a support garment while performing light workouts. If you feel it helps you better engage your abs, go for it. If you find it more difficult to feel or engage your core while wearing the corset, skip it. Of course, ensure you can breathe comfortably when exercising.