During pregnancy, the female body undergoes multiple changes, and some of them have a negative impact on health. As the child develops in the womb, the pressure on the internal organs increases, which leads to difficulty in blood circulation. As a result, pregnant women quickly get tired while walking, and they feel pain in their legs.
In addition, most expectant mothers are worried about swelling of the limbs and varicose veins. Protect health from the negative effects will help special compression underwear for pregnant women.
What is compression underwear during pregnancy?
Compression underwear is a special type of clothing that helps to combat swelling in the legs and prevents varicose veins. For the manufacture of linen using elastic fabric, which fits tightly to the body, and exerts the desired degree of pressure in a particular place to normalize blood circulation. Under normal conditions, the pressure in the legs is distributed in such a way that the greatest degree of compression is applied to the ankles, and the lowest in the groin. During pregnancy, everything happens exactly the opposite, and special underwear will help to correct the situation.
Compression underwear has not only the therapeutic and prophylactic effect of varicose veins, but also greatly relieves the load on the spine due to support of the abdomen. Doctors recommend wearing a bandage during pregnancy to women who are carrying more than one child, as well as in the event that the fetus is quite large. Without special support, the expectant mother will have a part to hurt her back, and there is a high probability of hernia. It is especially important to use compression underwear and bandages in late pregnancy.
Operating principle
The positive effect of wearing special clothes is created due to the fact that it exerts the necessary pressure on certain parts of the body. Due to the compression valves and walls of the veins are maintained, which ensures normal blood flow. Otherwise, due to the constant severity, the veins will weaken, the valves will stop working correctly, which will lead to blood stasis, or the reverse of its outflow.
Many women believe that compression underwear can harm health, but it is not. Specialized products are made of elastic fabrics that allow air, therefore, the greenhouse effect will not be created. Constant pressure on the skin will not affect the child in any way, while the expectant mother will feel much better. She will be able to take longer walks, while fatigue in her legs and back will be less noticeable.
Types of linen
For pregnant women, several types of compression underwear are offered, which they can choose after consulting a doctor.
- Bondage panties - designed to support the abdomen in late pregnancy. Thanks to this type of laundry, the weight of the fetus will be properly redistributed, which will reduce the load on the lower back and spine. In addition, the pressure on the uterus will decrease, and more oxygen will be supplied to the baby through the tissues.
- Stockings and knee socks - help relieve fatigue in the legs, and prevent the appearance of puffiness. In addition, this type of compression underwear treats varicose veins, and has a preventive effect.
- Pantyholes - a product that allows not only to prevent or overcome varicose veins, but also to support the tummy. For many women tights are more comfortable than stockings or knee socks, becausethey do not slip, and they can be worn with any clothing.
It is important to remember that compression underwear is an individual element of the wardrobe, so you cannot lend it to anyone, or use someone else's.
Manufacturers
The most popular manufacturers of compression underwear include the following:
- Orto;
- Intex;
- Relaxsan;
- Venotex;
- Tiana;
- Medi;
- Bauerfeind;
- Sigvaris.
Each company has its own pricing policy, for example, Orto offers products at the lowest prices - 400-700 r. The most expensive underwear is produced by Sigvaris, its minimum cost is 2,500 r. As for other manufacturers, their average price of goods is at 1,200 r. It should be noted that prophylactic underwear is much cheaper than treatment, which is explained by the varying degrees of tissue density and compression properties.
How to choose?
It is possible to choose supporting underwear during pregnancy only after consulting a doctor, since He will tell you what kind of products it is better to purchase, based on the state of health of the woman and her parameters. Specialized underwear is divided into 3 classes, which determines the degree of compression:
- class I is indicated for the prevention of varicose veins, and relieving fatigue in the legs;
- class II is prescribed for persistent swelling and pain in the legs;
- Class III is needed for women with chronic venous disease.
Doctors recommend wearing pantyhose or stockings with a light degree of compression already from the second trimester of pregnancy.
How to wear and care?
It is possible to wear supporting underwear for pregnant women throughout the day, since it will not be felt discomfort, but provided that it is of high quality and chosen correctly. If the future mother is not bothered by painful sensations in the legs and lower back, there is no puffiness, then compression lingerie can be used only in those cases when there is a long walk or a trip.
Maintenance underwear requires special care. It must be washed only by hand, at temperatures up to 40aboutC using delicate care products. After washing the product can not be twisted, they need to slightly squeeze hands. Hot drying is strictly prohibited, so you should avoid warm batteries and direct solar is better. During the washing stockings, it is important to ensure that the silicone gum is not in contact with water, it must be cleaned separately, using a cotton pad moistened with 20% alcohol solution.
Compression underwear during childbirth and after pregnancy
If a woman has manifestations of varicose veins, she is shown compression stockings even during childbirth. They will not only save the legs from the load, but also maintain normal blood circulation during labor, which will have a positive effect on the process. After the baby is born, doctors also recommend wearing special underwear to help the body recover, especially if there was a multiple pregnancy, or surgery.
Reviews
Judging by the numerous positive reviews of women, it can be argued that compression underwear does have a preventive and therapeutic effect on the body. Many of them noted the absence of edema and painful sensations while using supportive underwear. It was much easier for them to carry out their daily activities and take long walks.