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Put away the spurs, girls, they won’t be needed.
The Belly Bandit™ wrap is an abdominal compression binder designed to help you get
your body back to its former fabulousness post childbirth.
Not only does the Belly Bandit™ help reduce uncomfortable uterine swelling, it aids in
decreasing bloating caused by water retention, and gives additional support for
Mommy’s weary legs & back. For you breastfeeding moms, there’s a bonus… the Belly
Bandit™ will help you with your posture during feedings, and may help to reduce the all
too common back & shoulder pain associated with breastfeeding.
Ultimately, the Belly Bandit™ wrap will aid in getting you back to your pre-pregnancy
hotness faster than ever!
Stretch marks – urgh! Although everybody knows what can cause them ie: stomach growth and the stretching of skin, we really have never thought about the post period and what may be another factor. The excess skin that is pulled and stretched after birth may continue to cause unslightly markings by “hanging around”. Greater support of this loose skin may actually decrease tension which in turn may decrease stretch marks in the post period.
Who knew it could be so easy?
Smart women around the world that’s who! The binding of a woman’s abdomen post delivery
has been used therapeutically for centuries all over the globe. Increased and constant pressure
against the abdominal area has many benefits. It has been known to help flatten the belly and
re-define the waistline while helping you keep your back straight minimizing associated pain and fatigue.
This is simply a breathable and comfy exclusively tailored abdominal wrap to assist your
body in regaining its former beauty and shape. The Belly Bandit™ wrap provides strong
support to help relieve discomfort and give you that extra boost of confidence you
deserve after childbirth. Our smooth lightweight construction is designed to be worn
comfortably under all of your clothes and our tagless design won’t irritate your skin.
…We may be biased, but we actually think it’s kinda cute.
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Which came first, the law or the outlaw?
Who says the only way to lose that baby fat is to starve yourself and spend hours on the
treadmill?
As long as procreation’s been around, savvy women everywhere have searched for
easier methods to speed up the healing of their wrecked abdomens. In many cultures,
belly binding after giving birth is as normal as spending a fortune on a pair of designer
newborn jeans lil’ one will outgrow in a month.
TIME TO GET ON THE BELLY BANDIT™ WAGON
For centuries, Japanese mothers have used their “Sarashi” to speed up weight loss and toning of the abdominal
muscles and skin after childbirth, while Hispanic mommies believe their “faja” helps bring all the muscles used
in the birthing process back together again. No matter what she calls it, women in Indonesia, Thailand,
Singapore, Latin America, Mexico, Spain, England, and the Philippines have benefited from using an
abdominal compression wrap after childbirth. No wonder so many US celebrities have gotten on board!
From reasons spiritual to medicinal to plain-old-vanity, stomach binding has been around as long as the
Buddha. In ancient Indian rituals, binding is practiced to warm and close the open stomach and birth canal.
They also believe it speeds up the ridding of waste blood. It is still common for modern Indian women to wear
these binders to promote good posture during breastfeeding, persuade the stomach muscles back together,
reposition the womb, and eliminate stretch marks.
Western women are quickly discovering the many reasons to continue with this ancient Eastern tradition. In one
specific case, two cousins got pregnant at the same time. The one who resisted binding took a year to get her
pre-pregnancy figure back, while her cousin was back in her skinny jeans in 2 months! Do the math, that’s
seriously quicker.
Eastern practices and medicine that were once thought of as unconventional have proven time and time again to
be exceptional remedies. Remember when your thought yoga was weird? Come on, these people invented tea.
One more interesting thing to think about…weight lifters & construction workers are always seen with support
belts to protect their back, core and legs. Yet women who have just given birth and are physically at their
weakest point are now expected to carry more weight and responsibility than ever. Heavy objects such as car
seats, bottle bags, strollers, 10 lbs. + babies and more with absolutely no support. It’s due time ladies…
For More Historical Information, Please Click Here.
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Lori’s story: A Belly Bandit™ is born
Prior the birth of my second child, I was desperate to find a safe & quick way to get back into
shape. It took me many torturous months of exercising and dieting to lose the 55 pounds I gained
the first time around, and frankly, I was OVER it! Now, three years older and juggling an even
more demanding job along with my always-into-something three year old daughter, how was I
possibly going to find the time and energy to lose my spare tire?
The Belly Bandit™ wrap is conceived… (no pun intended)
I knew there had to be a better way, so I started doing my homework. I came across an article
about how in many ancient cultures women would wrap their bellies to hold in and exert pressure
on their abdomen. I reasoned that if it was good enough for them, it was good enough for me.
So simple, it should be illegal
I put together an uncomplicated homemade band and started wearing it all the time. It felt great
and, to my surprise, my belly was noticeably smaller and tighter within a very short time. I was
back in my pre-pregnancy clothes much quicker this time around. I continued wearing the band
for several weeks and was blown away by the results. It was so simple and painless, I had to
share it with my friends and then… the world!
Even Bonnie needed her sidekick Clyde
I called in the troops (aka my sisters) and we began working on an up-to-date version of the band
so other mothers could get similar results without having to go to extremes to tighten up their
bellies.
Thus… the Belly Bandit™ was born.
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The eldest of this posse of outlaws, Jodi started twirling her creative revolvers before Lori and Kari were even out of diapers.
Jodi bought her first car and put herself through college by selling her paintings as a teen to art galleries and various shows around Detroit. She graduated with a business degree from Michigan State University and began working in the field of custom cabinetry and remodeling. She earned her builder’s license and went on to open her own business.
Jodi has won numerous design awards and has been featured in magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens, Detroit Home, Great American Kitchen, Style Magazine to name a few. Her firm, Caden Design Group, is located in Birmingham, MI.
Casing Jodi’s drawing and spinning style for years may have influenced Lori to master the fast draw.
As the middle child, Lori was always the one who pushed the limits and teetered on the edge of rebellion. Before she was even old enough to drive, Lori created a line of spatter-painted tee shirts, shorts & sweat outfits that she sold to friends and numerous boutiques. Shortly after, a line of jewelry was developed & carried in stores in the Detroit area as well as specialty stores as far away as Hawaii. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in fashion design and soon after took a temporary job in the ad specialty/promotional product business while deciding what she really wanted to do with her life. Fortunately for the industry, her fate was sealed… this was her dream job.
Her next move was to L.A. where Lori started her own business with Kari. In a high rise condo overlooking the famous Hollywood hills, Caden Concepts was born. In the past five years they have been featured in numerous publications including: The Counselor's TOP 30 under 30, The Los Angeles Business Journal's Fastest Growing Privately Owned Companies in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Business Journal, Women Making a Difference and Advantages. In 2005, they were recruited to appear on ABC's television show “Boss Swap.”
The baby of the gang, Kari “the Kid” became a legend in her own time.
There wasn’t a time in Kari’s life when she didn’t work. Even before she had her driver’s license, her parents drove her to her jobs. Kari was a successful dancer and Emcee in the Detroit area for eight years. After graduating from Michigan State University she decided to move to Los Angeles to follow her dreams of choreographing for TV and film. As a starving artist, the lure of success and financial freedom was enough to entice Kari to jump on board with her sister Lori and create Caden Concepts. As sisters, Lori and Kari built upon their strong relationship and knowledge of each other's strengths and weaknesses to form a cohesive operation, what they describe as, "each other's yin and yang".
Caden Concepts, a recognized Fortune 5000 business in Los Angeles boasts clients from some of the world’s most notable brands. The beauty of Kari is the two very unique sides of her personality – one being the power businesswoman speaking on panels for her industry and the other a hip hop dancer at heart.
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The following are excerpts from books, internet research and other periodicals that we found
interesting and useful during our research of the Belly Bandit. As mentioned previously, many
cultures around the world have used the knowledge of abdominal binding to help women after
childbirth for decades.
Please note we are relaying the following as we found it in our research therefore we have not corrected any spelling or grammatical errors.
THE HISTORY OF ABDOMINAL BINDING
“Massage and binding is a traditional postpartum ritual
practiced by the Maya women in the Yucatan. It is analogous
to the American 6 week medical checkup and is the last duty
of the midwife and symbolizes the mother's return to normal life.
If the massage and binding does not occur the postpartum
woman is expected to have trouble breastfeeding her infant,
lose weight, become pale, and suffer general debility… In the
final stage of the massage process, another female relative
(usually the mother-in-law) helps the midwife by laying the
binder over the abdomen and passing the ends to each other
under the small of her back. The binder is cinched around the
pelvis as tightly as the woman can stand it.”
Fuller, Nancy and Brigitte Jordan. Maya Women and the End of
the Birthing Period: Postpartum Massage-and-Binding in
Yucatan, Mexico. Medical Anthropology, 5(1): 35-50, 1981
Hispanic Traditions & Pregnancy Post Partum
Immediately after the delivery of the placenta female relatives would rush to put
on Faja, a band that is placed around the abdomen of the mother and baby.
This band is thought to prevent herniation. For the first forty days post partum
the mother and baby traditionally received total care from family. Diet changes
included no green foods, cold foods, or beans because it was believed to
cause colic and infection. Honey, rosemary tea, and chamomile tea were
believed to help in the healing process. New mothers would often have other
moms come and breastfeed their child. It was a common belief that colostrum
was not sufficient and they wanted to ensure the baby had an adequate diet.
Moore, Julie. Transcultural Index. Hilo. 2006.
http://www.hawcc.hawaii.edu/nursing/RNHispanic06.htm
“During a confinement period, Hmong women also practice abdominal
binding. This is an effort to bring the woman’s abdomen back to its normal
shape. It also makes the woman feel more comfortable after eating because
the abdomen does not become overly expanded.
One woman explained:
‘You bind the tummy to help making the body feel tight… When you are
pregnant the tummy gets bigger. You bind it so that the belly skin doesn’t fall
down low…. If you don’t do that then with every meal that you eat and feel full
your tummy will expand to the size that you were when you were pregnant….
When you eat and feel full your tummy will not be too big. You bind it to make
you feel comfortable.’
Another woman explained:
‘You do it so that your tummy will not be big. If you don’t do it then with each
child your tummy will be bigger and bigger and then you will not look good. If
you want your tummy to be slim then you will tie your tummy up so that it will not
look fat…. If you don’t do it then after one month your tummy will look big and
not nice and you won’t like it.’”
Rice, Pranee Liamputtong. Hmong Women and Reproduction. Westport: Bergin
& Garvey, 2000.
“It is believed that during the hasi may heat gives back the strength and
energy which is lost during delivery. Heat is believed to freshen the blood and to
create new blood. Moreover, warmth relieves the pain suffered at the time of
delivery. Warmth, too, is believed to be good for the ‘open stomach’ and to
tighten the stomach again. For this, women also ‘bind the stomach’ with a
cotton cloth tied around the underbelly ‘to get the stomach down and to close
the open stomach again.’ Women explained that due to pregnancy their belly
had expanded and by binding the stomach it would return to its normal shape.
In addition, ‘the birth canal is open after delivery and should be closed again.’
The cotton cloth worn after delivery speeds up this process. Stomach binding is
also believed to be good to get rid of waste blood.”
Makhlouf, Carla. Cultural Perspectives on Reproductive Health. New York,
Oxford University Press, 2001.
“She must dress in a long-sleeved shirt, several lower garments, long socks if she
can get some, a stomach binding cloth (to flatten the belly), and most
importantly, a cloth turban or woolen hat to protect her head.”
Stott, Philip Anthony, ed. Nature and Man in South East Asia.
London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2001.
“Heated lime and lime juice was then applied to the abdomen, and the
binding wrapped: Safiah, though, used alcohol spirit and wore a Western corset
instead.”
Dundes, Lauren. The Manner Born: Birth Rites in Cross-Cultural Perspective.
Lanham: AltaMira Press, 2003.
Japanese girdle wrap – ‘sarashi’
“Most midwives are aware of the importance of the deep abdominal muscles
such as the internal obliques in supporting the spine as well as the abdomen
and baby, and will advise on exercises such as the cat and simple abdominal
work to support these muscles. This is working with the energy of the Girdle
Vessel.”
“Traditionally, the Japanese would wear a girdle wrap during the pregnancy.
You have to remember that they would be wearing kimonos which fastened
round the waist with a belt, obi. They have small, slim bodies and would have
been doing physical work which would keep the abdominal muscles strong....”
“The traditional wrap or ‘sarashi’ would first be worn on a special day around
the 16th – 19th week of pregnancy; this is known as ‘dog day’ because dogs are
supposed to have easy births and the dog spirit can protect and take away
bad fortune. The mother would either wrap it herself or get her husband or other
family member to do so…. Each night she would take it off and rewrap it in the
morning. She would keep doing this till about 1 month after the birth. It was said
to help… the mother’s posture and easing backache. The lines of wrapping
support both the Conception Vessel and Girdle Vessel.
Yates, Suzanne Virginia Louise, and Tricia Anderson. Shiatsu for Midwives. New
York: Books for Midwives, 2003.
Filipina Women - Post Partum
The hilot would teach the mother to bind her hips tightly to bring all the muscles
used in the birthing process back to normal again. The tear on her vagina would
also go back together and return to its pre-pregnancy state.
Moore, Julie. Transcultural Index. Hilo. 2005.
http://www.hawcc.hawaii.edu/nursing/RNFilipino_04.html
London, 1940’s:
Marks & Spencer was far more specific. Their 'belt' was a six buckle corset
designed to return the post-natal abdomen to its former proportions.
Ivy Leaf. 2008.
http://www.corsetiere.net/Spirella/Marks.htm
Javanese Women – Post Partum
It is customary for the Javanese women to bind their abdomen with a long
cotton cloth during the period of ‘confinement’ after giving birth to their babies.
The main reason the Javanese wrap is done is to shrink the distended uterus
faster and dispel the lochia, which would return the new mother to her normal
“clean” self. Of course, a popular reason for binding the abdomen after
pregnancy would be to flatten the stomach and re-define the waistline.
This practice of being ‘wrapped’ is done usually after a full body massage when
the postnatal massage therapist gently ‘pushes’ the distended uterus back to its
original position to shrink it. This would be done at the end of the massage
session, after which the new mother would be bound tightly with the cloth to
hold the uterus in place. The Javanese use traditional herbs, or jamu, for their
massages and more jamu is applied on the stomach area prior to the wrap.
The traditional Javanese people wrap their women from as high up as just under
the bust line to far below the crotch. Wrapping just the stomach and abdominal
area is just as effective, and is not overly restrictive. Every new mother who has
done the warp has been highly pleased with the results. In fact, most new
mothers find the modified wrap rather comfortable after the first couple of days
and are grateful as it helps with keeping their backs straight, especially when
breastfeeding.
Whilst the Javanese women undergo the wrap for the full 40 days of their
confinement, Hannah recommends a minimum period of 10 consecutive days
for today’s modern mothers. Although results on the stomach and waistline can
clearly be seen by around the 5th day, it is advisable to keep going for the
minimum period of ten days to ensure that the abdominal muscles do not relax
and loosen again. Some new mothers, encouraged by the results, opted to
continue for 20 days or more and were not disappointed, as the longer the wrap
was kept on, the more the tummy muscles shrink.
Wong, Hannah. Singapore. 2006.
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