Category Archives: Healthy Bodies and Minds

Post-partum support for your core

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Hi Laura,
Remembering that you once featured one, I recently looked on your site for a post-partum support belt. I didn’t see one, however. Did I overlook it or have you discontinued this item? If the latter, is there one out there that you’d be able to recommend?

Thanks,
K
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Hi K,
I never sold one on my site, but I did talk about them online a few times, I forget where now! ;-)

I liked this one because it was comfy, easy to get on/off, and had a snap crotch, so it didn’t ride up or move around:
http://www.orchardcorset.com/17398-Annette-After-SurgeryPost-Partum-Abdominal-Girdle_p_14467.html#

I also have one by Annette similar to this, nice when you don’t want so much coverage:
http://www.herroom.com/Miraclesuit-2615-Waist-Cincher.shtml

And you can always go for softer support and just get a pair of Spanx:
http://www.barenecessities.com/SPANX-Higher-Power-High-Waisted-Power-Panties_product_Spanx032_,search,.htm

I like the Spanx a lot. A little hard to get into, but very, very comfy once in. There is a soft gusset at the bottom, so you just spread it apart when you need to use the bathroom. Not nearly as firm as the other options, but still provides good support and is really comfortable.

I like the thigh support too, because the panty-like options were not as comfortable. They tended to ride up and give me a wedgie. The one that went down to the thigh was much more comfy, and hey, I could use the thigh slimming too!

After my second baby I *lived* in my post-partum support garments. My belly was so swollen, loose and floppy, and my back so weak, plus I had a C-section and that didn’t feel very good either. I felt SO much better with a girdle on. I could stand up straighter, my back felt exponentially better, and my self-esteem was lifted by not having my belly swing around when I walked.

They are also great for helping heal the abdominal separation that most women get from pregnancy splitting their abdominal muscles apart, especially if you tend to carry large and out front.

I read an article recently mocking the return of the girdle and corset. Well, I certainly don’t think that everyone needs one, and I don’t think we should return to an artificial wasp-waisted look, but I think that girdles definitely serve a purpose for those of us who need post-partum support, or anyone who likes the feeling of being held together a bit. ;-)

Here’s what I wrote in response to the article:

Oh come now. Girdles serve a definite purpose, and corsets are not necessarily the organ-smushing, faint-inducing contraptions they once were.

I used to have a small waist, and very strong abs. Never had a day of back pain in my life. I lifted heavy weights, and toted them like feathers.

Then I got pregnant. I gained 70 pounds (yes, I lost it afterwards), and my son was a BIG baby who stuck right out front. My abs split neatly in half right down the middle of my body, with a 3 inch gap in between them.

THEN I had an emergency C-section, so they were cut in half the other way too. Talk about a mess. My poor abs were thoroughly destroyed, a complete wreck. Where once my core had been a mighty firmament, the anchor of my strength, now it was a lumpy pooch sticking out in front of me, scarred and sad.

Plus oh LORD how my back ached. With no support from up front, my back started to give out under the strain of lifting and carrying my ever-growing bundle of joy.

I was macho at first and did crunches and all kinds of things to try to fix it. Then I read Julie Tupler’s “Lose Your Mummy Tummy” (stupid name, great book) and discovered that I had been doing everything all wrong.

What I needed to do was to support my abs and hold them together, while strengthening the inner muscles that go around my core and provide a natural girdle of muscle. Until my natural girdle of muscle could be knitted back together though, I needed help just holding my internal organs in so that they didn’t pooch out of my lower belly and put even MORE strain on my back.

Enter my first girdle. I got a “waist cincher” from a corset shop online. It’s not extreme, but it’s very supportive, with hook and eye closures. It’s black, I think it’s even sexy!

My back is now well-supported. I can bend and lift with no pain and without feeling like my guts are going to spill out the front of my body. My ab separation is not constantly being torn open again and again, so it’s actually healing now. My pooch is going away.

The girdle is not some new tool of the patriarchy. It’s a very old garment, meant to support women in what becomes a very weak area after childbirth. I see new moms all the time in my line of work, and many bewail their weakened, poochy middles. It’s not just that it looks bad, it’s literally *crippling* to have your abs split in half, which is what happens to many pregnant women.

So give the corset-bashing a rest. If more women wore girdles after having a baby, they might feel better and regain their core strength sooner. Instead, why not write an article on Julie Tupler and what she’s doing to educate pregnant women and new moms about their bodies? I’m a bio major and I had no clue about post-partum ab care and general new mom ergonomics. My doctor told me I needed surgery to fix my ab separation and there was nothing else I could do.

Hope that helps! And for those of you who think wearing a girdle is nuts and feel great post-partum, fabulous…more power to you! To each her own. Go with what works for you.

UPDATE: Several years later, there are now specialized post-partum support garments. Progress! Google and see what you can find, and let me know if you find anything that other moms could benefit from.

Stop drinking from disposable plastic water bottles!

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If you still aren’t convinced that drinking water out of plastic bottles is bad, read this. And then consider buying a Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottle.

It will pay for itself in a very short time (compared to the cost of bottled water), and the benefits to your health could be substantial.

Unless you *want* to keep polluting the planet and get cancer to boot…then by all means go ahead and keep using those plastic bottles.
I’m just sayin’…

Bottled water has contaminants, study finds
By JEFF DONN, Associated Press Writer

Oct 14th, 2008 | Tests on leading brands of bottled water turned up a variety of contaminants often found in tap water, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental advocacy group.

The findings challenge the popular impression — and marketing pitch — that bottled water is purer than tap water, the researchers say.

However, all the brands met federal health standards for drinking water. Two violated a California state standard, the study said.

An industry group branded the findings “alarmist.” Joe Doss, president of the International Bottled Water Association, said the study is based on the faulty premise that a contaminant is a health concern “even if it does not exceed the established regulatory limit or no standard has been set.”

The study’s lab tests on 10 brands of bottled water detected 38 chemicals including bacteria, caffeine, the pain reliever acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic-making chemicals and the radioactive element strontium. Though some probably came from tap water that some companies use for their bottled water, other contaminants probably leached from plastic bottles, the researchers said.

“In some cases, it appears bottled water is no less polluted than tap water and, at 1,900 times the cost, consumers should expect better,” said Jane Houlihan, an environmental engineer who co-authored the study.

The two-year study was done by the Washington-based Environmental Working Group, an organization founded by scientists that advocates stricter regulation. It found the contaminants in bottled water purchased in nine states and Washington, D.C.

Researchers tested one batch for each of 10 brands. Eight did not have contaminants high enough to warrant further testing. But two brands did, so more tests were done and those revealed chlorine byproducts above California’s standard, the group reported. The researchers identified those two brands as Sam’s Choice sold by Wal-Mart and Acadia of Giant Food supermarkets.

In the Wal-Mart and Giant Food bottled water, the highest concentration of chlorine byproducts, known as trihalomethanes, was over 35 parts per billion. California’s limit is 10 parts per billion or less, and the industry’s International Bottled Water Association makes 10 its voluntary guideline. The federal limit is 80.

Wal-Mart said its own studies did not turn up illegal levels of contaminants. Giant Food officials released a statement asserting that Acadia meets all regulatory standards. Acadia is sold in the mid-Atlantic states, so it isn’t held to California’s standard. In most places, bottled water must meet roughly the same federal standards as tap water.

The researchers also said the Wal-Mart brand was five times California’s limit for one particular chlorine byproduct, bromodichloromethane. The environmental group wants Wal-Mart to label its bottles in California with a warning because the chlorine-based contaminants have been linked with cancer. It has filed a notice of intent to sue.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Shannon Frederick said the company was “puzzled” by the findings because testing by suppliers and another lab had detected no “reportable amounts” of such contaminants. She said Wal-Mart would investigate further but defended the quality of its bottled water.

The researchers recommend that people worried about water contaminants drink tap water with a carbon filter.

Environmental Working Group: http://www.ewg.org

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So are you finally convinced now that plastic water bottles are a BAD idea?

http://www.theportablebaby.com/kleankanteens.html

Buy safe, organic, eco-friendly candy this Halloween

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Buy safe organic candy this Halloween

By Trystan L. Bass Posted Wed Oct 8, 2008 3:51pm PDT
http://green.yahoo.com/blog/greenpicks/215/buy-safe-candy-this-halloween.html

Chocolate mini-bars, Equal Exchange

With tainted milk products from China recently showing up in Asian-style candies in the U.S. and British chocolates in Australia, you might be looking for cleaner, greener Halloween treats this year.

Choosing sweets made closer to home, especially goodies made from natural and organic ingredients, is a great way to stay safe. Products that are fair-trade certified also are a good choice because the manufacturing process includes a lot of oversight. Problems like those in China are less common with certified organic and fair-trade goods.

Start out with our detailed list of eco-friendly chocolates, most of which are made in the U.S. You can order these decadent sweets online.

For bite-sized chocolates (suitable for trick-or-treating), consider Endangered Species Chocolate and Equal Exchange Chocolate Minis. Both of these companies offer candy that’s certified organic and made of ethically traded cacao.

The Natural Candy Store sells a variety of organic and made-in-the-U.S. candies that are ideal for Halloween. You’ll find goodies like lollipops made with organic cane juice (no high-fructose corn syrup) and certified organic gummy worms.

Another classic candy is gum, and Glee Gum is a natural alternative. It comes in six fruity flavors and doesn’t have a bunch of synthetic ingredients.

Yummy Earth makes certified organic lollipops and candy drops in flavors such as Pomegranate Pucker and Chili Mango Mambo. College Farm Organic has a line of organic hard candies and lollipops with flavors ranging from Strawberry and Cream to Chocolate Mint.

Looking forward to the holiday season following Halloween? It’s never too early to stock up on candy canes — including ones made in the U.S. and certified organic. Or place your order for fair-trade chocolate gold coins to avoid the December rush.