Pregnancy Issues - part 2

Given that I am now closer to 40, I am adding one worrisome item to the post partum recovery list. That is the recovery of the skin and muscles of my belly and hips. During this pregnancy I've noticed that my skin is not as elastic as used to be, and I am getting stretchmarks for the first time (oh, the sacrifices we make for our babies..). The stretchmarks scare me and make me afraid that I will have that cangaroo pooch that many women can never get rid of.

I am not a huge exercise fan, and I am definitely NOT one of those women who continue with an exercise program until their due date (to be honest, the minute I learned that I was pregnant I picked up the phone and put the gym membership on hold with a big smile on my face). And of course I've never had a washboard stomach to begin with.

So I was quite excited when I heard about a couple of new products that help pull the stomach in after giving birth. Supposedly these products support your muscles and skin in the post partum recovery and are a "must have" for anyone. I figured, it won't hurt to try.

Wink - they actually manage to make this post partum shape wear look sexy!

The best product on the market seems to be the Wink shape wear. However, they are only available online and since I am very leery about ordering stuff online that is supposed to fit just right, I looked for other options.

Belly Bandit - They make a Couture version!

I went to my local Pea in the Pod store and the lady there recommended the Belly Bandit stomach compression belt. It is supposed to reduce uterine swelling and water retention. Yes, I said, I definitely need all that help, and was sold after seeing the cute packaging. The price was a bit steep I thought for a product that actually is very simple, but the word "couture" suckered me in, and I handed over the $50.

Especially for Mom from Babies'r'Us. Decidedly unsexy!

Today, however, we went to Babies'r'Us to get some baby supplies, and I found this Especially for Mom postpartum support. At $24.99 I figured this would probably do the same job that the couture Belly Bandit does. This support belt is decidedly unsexy and there is no cute packaging..but the price is halved too. So this is what I'll be wearing for the first few weeks after giving birth. I will let you know whether it works. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will!