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May 19

Maternity Belt Review😊

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So I have previously mentioned that I have been experiencing some back pain, hip pain, & knee pain when I run since becoming pregnant. I have always had back pain bc several years ago I herniated my disc not once but twice.  I tried to deadlift very heavy & I lost grip on one side which is how I initially injured myself and the second time I believe I just pushed myself too hard & flared that injury up again. I had to go through several rounds of steroid injections in my spine to help this injury both times which was not really fun plus I had to really minimize my activities bc I physically just couldn’t do them.  I could barely walk or stand at points so it was no joke!

 

Since then I have been very careful about any back pain I get.  Now back pain and pregnancy is very common so I am trying to make sure I do not push myself too hard for my health and also for my little guy.  The pain I am experiencing while running is nothing severe so let me get that straight right away.  I am just more sensitive to any back pain bc I have learned my lesson to take it seriously!  

 

So bc of this pain I have cut my running pace down and my mileage per week.  Currently my exercise routine consists of 3 days of strength training (1 upper body specific, 1 lower body specific, & 1 that is a mix of both plus core exercises with all of them).  I will post a more in depth breakdown of exactly what I am doing sometimes soon.  I do not have any pain while doing any strength training routines.  I am also running 2x a week logging about 9-10 miles.  Generally one 4 miles run plus one 5-6 miles run at an easy pace for me (10-11 minute per mile).  I was experiencing some minor back pain running so that is why I sought out a potential remedy.

 

So I found this Gabrialla Maternity belt posted on a few blogs and read comments about other users using it for exercising.  I do not have any pain generally just walking and doing normal activities btw.  This may change but atm it is only when running.  So I decided to try this belt out for running.  I got the strong one in size small.  It was about $40 from Amazon.

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I like to to wear this belt fairly tight.  If you have been following me for awhile you know I love Sweet Sweat and their ab belt.  I really think having some compression on my back helps my back and makes me feel more supported during certain exercises.  Obviously I cannot wear my Sweet Sweat belt or use it while pregnant so this is a pregnancy friendly solution.  I will advise you not to wear it too, too tight though bc it will make you feel like you have to go to the bathroom lol!

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This belt is very easy to adjust and wear. I have no problems sitting and stretching in it after running.  It does go very high up your back (see pic above) so if you are petite or have a very short torso you may not like this.  Also it is distinguishable under clothing which I don’t mind but you might.  If you are just buying this for back support around house or everyday activities you may want to just get the medium support.  It is cheaper and not as tight.

 

For the record I have used this 4x so far which I think is a good enough trial to post a review.  I really like it for several reasons.  One it does help with back pain!!  It is not perfect but my back feels pretty darn good while running with this on!  Two it also helps with that jiggling feeling in your tummy.  Maybe that’s a weird way to explain it but since my belly popped it feels like my stomach is bouncing up and down when I run which is a very uncomfortable feeling and makes me feel like I have to pee (maybe TMI but whatever hahaha!).  This really helps with that!  I would definitely recommend this belt to anyone with a similar situation.

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On a side note for my hip and knee pain I have really found that compression sleeves or socks help a lot with that!  I have been wearing these Run Forever compression sleeves (pic above) since before my half marathon and have noticed a major difference since wearing them.  Highly recommend those also for running while pregnant.  Also purchased on Amazon (slight obsession with that site lol!)

 

Hope you enjoyed this review!!  I will be posting a more in depth 6 months pregnant blog post soon along with comparison photos of how I am progressing & struggles, successes, etc.  Thank you all so much for all the love & support so far on this journey!! 💗💗💗

 

 

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