Postpartum Changes
The baby’s arrival marks a sudden change in a lot of things in the mother’s life. Suddenly, you have a newborn to take care of and yourself and your health. For a mother who has been carrying the baby for nine months, the baby’s delivery changes a lot of things in her body.
Suddenly the added weight reduces, and women will find the newfound independence exciting to go back to their pre-motherhood days when their body was more capable. They want to go out dining, sports, swimming, and gym. They want to wear all the pre-pregnancy slim wears, leggings, body-hugging tops, swimwear, beachwear, and much more. But along with this change, there are some things that the mother needs to buy for herself, like postpartum underwear, to take care of this change and help the body go back to normal.
Why the Need for Postpartum Underwear?
Size and Incision
The first reason is that the young mother won’t be able to feel quite like pre-pregnancy as yet. There is a transition period involved lasting several weeks as the body gets accustomed to going back to pre-pregnancy size. If the mother has delivered through a cesarean section, she will not be able to wear anything that’s low for several weeks because of the surgical incision.
The incision is just above the lower abdomen and is easily visible in anything low. This incision will be bandaged and needs protection through innerwear, and must not be directly exposed to outside clothing for fear of causing damage to the stitches. And if the baby is delivered normally, it will still take the body weeks to return to the earlier size. Also, post-delivery the normal underwear will not fit properly.
Bleeding and Lochia
Women bleed for weeks after delivery, and through the bleeding can reduce substantially over some time, they still some special wear in place of normal lingerie. This is called postpartum bleeding, which is substantial only in the first few days after delivery. This can be quite messy, and there has to be a way to contain it all. Besides, post-delivery, there will be a discharge from the vagina named Lochia, and this discharge can continue until 4-6 weeks. This may not sound entirely nice to you, but these are facts that you must know to understand what happens after delivery.
Support and Recovery
This is where you will need postpartum underwear designed to help you and your body recover from the delivery and gradually build strength. Postpartum underwear is usually a soft mesh and designed like high waist underwear. This will hold the pads perfectly in place to absorb the Lochia and helps keep it from messing around. They will also cover your abdomen and give it that necessary support it needs. Also, if you have a C-Section, the incision is covered up, and the stitches or bandages are therefore safe from getting entangled in outerwear or while doing your daily tasks.
You may not get them at the hospital, or even if they do give them, they may not be fit for you in the right way, which is why you have to pre-order them and keep them ready for use before delivery.
What to Keep in Mind When Buying Postpartum Underwear
While choosing postpartum underwear for yourself, there are a few things to take into consideration. Let’s discuss them below.
Selecting the Right Size
Suppose you are a size X. You will need to order a couple of sizes larger to accommodate your post-delivery body. It should also not be extremely tight or loose but just enough to hold the abdomen and also accommodate the pads that absorb any leakage. You do not want something too tight or too loose to take the right guess as per your body.
Choice of Fabric
Trust me, after the baby’s delivery, you will want something really comfortable, breathable, and cool for you to wear all day and night. Anything with a mesh, microfiber, or plain old cotton fabric will do wonders. Just go with whatever feels comfortable to your skin. The wear must be easily washable if it is not disposable. Some products may use stretchable materials like spandex to enable some amount of compression and squeeze, but not too much like shapewear. Usually, compression is also mentioned clearly on the label.
Style
Style is personal, and it’s a preference differing for every woman. While it’s hard to say what appeals the most, there are a wide variety of underwear options to choose from.
Which are the Best Postpartum Underwear?
The best postpartum underwear will usually have options like Disposable briefs, underwear with Light compression, and period panties. Period panties can be thicker as they are meant to absorb all the fluids and be paired with pads during the first few days of initial postpartum.
Let us now review some postpartum underwear products.
Kindred Bravely High-Waisted Postpartum Underwear – Best Postpartum Underwear
This product is great for a variety of reasons. For one, it has a beautiful ultra-soft fabric. The fabric is very comfortable, made of 5% spandex, 95% rayon. The Gusset is 100% cotton which makes it even better. Not just does it feel nice, it looks wonderful. The simple design with the large lace band makes it look like the sexiest one available.
The narrow bottom design and the high waist thick lace combine the necessary function and style beautifully. While designed for the best comfort, the smooth design rests just above the post-baby belly and covers it adequately. This is known to be the perfect post-C-Section underwear but can be worn by others as well and is generally recommended for use up to one-year post-delivery.
Being quite wide, they offer plenty of room to easily hold post-delivery dressings and all kinds of maternity pads with ease. The product is once worn, looks like anything but postpartum underwear. The high-waisted design makes them look adorable and very stylish. No wonder women will be happy to wear them for a long time. They are available for around $20 and are shipped in packs of 3.
Brief Transitions Mesh Postpartum Underwear – Best Disposable Underwear
This one is an extremely different design compared to the first one we reviewed. These are high-waisted mesh underwear made out of 94% Polyester and 6% Spandex. The spandex gives it that natural stretch which is useful post-delivery to squeeze the belly in and hold it there. The fabric in itself is a breathable, airy, and very comfortable material.
By design, they do not have an elastic waistband which gives the woman added comfort. The high waist has been specially designed to avoid any undue pressure on the belly or the incision line on the midsection part. They are meant to be disposable, but you can wear them up to 5 times before disposing of them completely. Due to their large size and boy shorts brief style design for full coverage, they can easily accommodate all kinds of pads and dressings from the delivery. This is a must-have product irrespective of you undergoing natural delivery or C-section. They are available at around $18 for five pieces.
Belly Bandit Mother Tucker Smoothing Panties – Best Luxury Postpartum Underwear
When comfort is everything, you can’t go wrong with Belly Bandit Mother Tucker Smoothing Panties. These are extremely soft, delightfully comfortable, and fell buttery-smooth on the skin. They use a cylindrical compression panel design technique that is targeted to squeeze your belly and waist. The 360 degrees of compression gives that nice flat tummy look every mother is looking forward to.
The edges are seamlessly bonded together, and so it’s practically invisible under your clothes, giving no visible panty lines for those who are conscious. They also offer that much-needed and excellent C-section support during those crucial post-delivery weeks. These offer leak resistance at the crotch (while it is still best recommended that you wear pads), and the material is ultra-thin and lightweight. They may not be cheap, but they offer advantages no other brand can boast of. So not exactly value for money, they are still a great buy if you want a very comfortable product. They are available at Belly Bandit for around $30.
Wirarpa Breathable High Waist Cotton Underwear – Best Full Coverage Postpartum Underwear
Made from 95% Combed Cotton and 5% Spandex, these are ultra-comfortable full waist underwear. The underwear is very soft and features a thick double-layered fabric waistband. This waistband rests on the waist, and due to its large width, it will not roll or bunch and still keep things in check.
The waistband is tight enough to give a snug fit while still helping the belly reduce size. This high-rise underwear will give enough belly support, adequate coverage for the belly and is suitable for normal as well as postpartum C-section recovery. There is enough room to accommodate maternity pads and also dressings. Even the crotch area is double-layered to ensure sweat-wicking and added protection.
They are stretchy enough to wear all day long and make you feel secure. Though they are large and high waist, they are still very stylish and do not give off those granny panty-type look. This underwear comes in a four high waist underwear pack and you can machine wash them with a mesh laundry bag. They are available in black, beige, and jewel color tones. Quite comfortable for the day as well as nightwear to sleep in. They are available at around $31 for a pack of 4.
Hanes Cool and Comfortable Microfiber Briefs – Best Budget-Friendly Postpartum Underwear
As the name suggests, these are definitely budget-friendly but do not compromise on style, functionality, or comfort. They are made from 83% Nylon and 17% Spandex material and feature very thin seam lines that avoid unsightly lines and appear invisible under outerwear. The microfiber underwear fabric is comfortable and smooth, due to which it just glides over the skin easily. They are available in beautiful neutral solid colors and ship in packs of 3, 5, and 8. They offer a really good value for money. You can find them at around $10.
Choose the Best Postpartum Underwear for YOU
We have presented a wide variety of options available. Picking the right choice of postpartum underwear is crucial to the mother’s recovery. A baby’s delivery is by no means an easy task, and the recovery period post-delivery is crucial to the mother’s health. This is one time when the maximum care is essential for the mother to recover fast and also get back to normal health. I hope this information will guide you through the selection process involved.
