BEngkung belly binding
What is Bengkung Belly Binding?
Belly binding is the art of wrapping a postpartum woman's belly for physical support and to help hasten the recovery process after childbirth.
Bengkung is a traditional Malaysian belly binding method. This special technique uses a long piece of cloth to wrap the entire torso from hips to breasts. For thousands of years women of various cultures around the world have understood the benefits and comfort that belly binding provides to postpartum mothers. Some traditions are worth holding on to!
Benefits:
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Brings separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) back together
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Stabilizes loose ligaments
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Improves circulation
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Relieves water retention
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Helps dispel excess water, fat, and air
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Helps decrease back pain while providing support
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Reminds you to sit and walk straight - and a great remedy for the "nursing slouch"!
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Helps the uterus and surrounding organs return to their pre-pregnant state
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It feels awesome!
Why Bengkung belly binding as opposed to something you can purchase online or at a local store?
The biggest reason is that your body is going to change shape over the weeks many times over. Benkung binding is always going to fit and contour your body throughout those changes. Other wraps are not going to cover as much area, (from breast to pubic bone), and are harder to fit your ever-changing body. You'll never have to worry if your bind will fit when it arrives, plus, the support is way superior! You can make it as tight (or as loose) as you’d like. Personally, I think they are beautiful pieces of art too! Although there are TONS of gorgeous wraps out there - you can choose to wear your wrap under your clothing if you wish.
​Okay, so it works better, but it looks really hard to learn - and seems like it would be harder to take on and take off. Is it really worth it?
The short answer is yes, it is worth it. It looks difficult, but I will walk you through it. You will learn how to wrap yourself in less than 15 minutes. If you have someone else to wrap you on a daily basis, I will show you both how to do it, so no matter what your situation, this is a do-able! One of the main points of this wrap is to remind you that you need to take care of yourself in your postpartum time. The benefits are greater, and the price point isn't much different. You are worth it!
Why do it?
During pregnancy your muscles will relax and stretch. This is because your body produces a hormone called relaxin to help relax the ligaments in the pelvis allowing it to expand during your upcoming birth. Some women’s hips and ribs are wider as a result.
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Wrapping your torso will provide complete abdominal support, while stabilizing loose ligaments. Your baby moved your hips (pelvis) and ribs out of place with the help of relaxin - now let’s wrap it all back together while relaxin is still in place! The wrap will help stabilize and support your body as the relaxin reduces in your body.
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More on Diastasis Recti:
Diastasis Recti is a medical term; "Diastasis" means separation, "Recti" meaning the ab muscles, "rectus abdominis." So it literally means a separation of the Rectus abdominis muscles. All pregnant women will experience some separation to a certain degree, but some will have quite extensive separation. Small separation will almost always go back within about 8 weeks of delivery. For many women the gap remains and if left untreated, the distance at 8 weeks remains unchanged at 1 year postpartum. (Coldron et al 2008, Liaw et al 2011). Bengkung binding may help bring this together completely, by helping to strengthen and support the connective tissues and muscles. For those who have more serious separation, binding can still play a key part in helping with the healing process when coupled with other medical treatments (physio-therapy, etc).
When can you start?
For vaginal births: You can start binding during the first week postpartum. It is recommended to start 3-5 days postpartum and, as always, get permission from your care provider first.
For cesarean births: After a cesarean birth it is not recommend to start until after your incision has healed, staples and/or stitches have been removed, and your care provider clears you for wrapping. Typically this is somewhere between 4-6 weeks postpartum.
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Miscarriage/stillborn: You can absolutely bind after a pregnancy/baby loss. This can help with your physical as well as emotional healing. The timing still applies to the way you delivered listed above.
How long do you do it for?
Belly binding is most effective during the first 8 weeks postpartum but can be useful for support after that time frame. It's never too late to start binding! It seems to be most effective when done on a daily basis of 8-12 hours a day for about 40 days. You can certainly choose to do it for shorter periods of time, but there is no need to exceed 12 hours a day. Your body needs time to breathe and relax without the wrap in place.
Sessions & Fees
Bengkung Wrapping: $200
*Doula clients with a postpartum appointment included in their package receive a $40 discount*
Wrapping sessions take place in the comfort of your own home. Included in your package is a hand-dyed 100% cotton wrap ($80 value) and a custom created and blended jar of warming paste ($30 value).
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During your session, your abdomen will be anointed with a rejuvenating Ayurvedic oil in a traditional womb massage to support your body's healing. Then the warming paste will be applied to help increase blood flow to the area and speed recovery. Finally, your abdomen will be wrapped in the traditional Bengkung technique. You (and a family member if you choose) will be instructed on how to continue wrapping from that day forward.