Modern Postpartum Velcro Bands vs. Bengkung Belly Binding Wraps: Which is Better for You?

When I was lying down on a hospital bed, my newborn beside me, two nurses were checking something on my stomach. They asked if I had given birth to twins. I didn't understand at the time what they were talking about, but after giving birth to my 9-pound baby, I had severe weakness in my abdominal muscles. Later, I learned it was called diastasis recti, and it was a 5-finger gap.

My mom, a doctor for 40 years with five kids, advised me to wrap tightly around my waist with a long cotton cloth. She urged me to do it as soon as I came home from the hospital. I started using some available cloth to tie my waist for a few days. Watching YouTube videos on how to tie a postpartum cloth wrap, I came upon the Bengkung Belly Binding wrap. Initially, it seemed confusing and time-consuming, so I gave up on it.

Due to the huge abdominal gap, I started developing severe tailbone pain. I started going to chiropractors, which provided relief for a few days, but the pain always returned. I eventually replaced my cotton cloth with elastic postpartum waistbands available on Amazon because of their convenience and cost. I used them for a year, but the tailbone pain persisted. At times, I couldn't even walk properly. My 5-finger gap reduced to 3-4 fingers but used to open up more when I did exercises or lifted my baby incorrectly.

I decided to try the Bengkung Belly Binding wrap. The market at the time offered only unbleached muslin cotton wraps. I learned how to wrap it around myself in 2-3 weeks. After a month, my wrapping took only 2 to 3 minutes. Unwrapping took another 2 minutes. Washing was done in a laundry bag and line-dried.

It started helping me. After 6 months of dedicated Bengkung Belly binding along with proper posture and exercises, my diastasis gap reduced to 2 cm. My tailbone pain was gone.

Why Bind Your Waist After Giving Birth?

Binding your waist after giving birth helps your abdominal muscles and six-pack to come back closer together, so you have a strong core again for daily activities. Almost every movement you do uses your core muscles. If you put too much burden on your six-pack during their separated state, it may increase their gap. Serious cases can lead to an abdominal hernia, which is more serious and can't be left unattended.

To protect your inner abdominal muscles, you try to keep your six-pack together. You can do this with proper exercises, correct actions, and externally by binding with a Bengkung Belly Binding wrap. Stretchy bands may still allow separation when you make mistakes, while a non-stretchy strong wrap protects you and gives faster healing time.

Downsides of Velcro Bands:

1. I developed heat rash.
2. Elastic was not breathable on my skin.
3. The stretchy nature of velcro bands made me feel nauseous because they sit very tight on the skin and push the stomach inside. If you don't wrap it tightly, it may not be very helpful.
4. Not long-lasting—after a year of use, the velcro band wasn't cute anymore. The sides curled and hurt my skin.
5. Didn't help much in healing my gap due to its stretchy nature.

Good Sides of Velcro Bands:

1. I still have it for emergency use. If I need to run while my son is sleeping, I quickly wrap the velcro band and am good to go, just to have some protection.
2. Easy and fast to wrap.
3. The price may be more affordable.

Downsides of Bengkung Belly Binding Wrap:

1. Initially, it is confusing to learn how to wrap it correctly.
2. It takes slightly longer to wrap around than velcro bands, obviously.

Good Sides of Bengkung Belly Binding Wrap:

1. Pure cotton breathable fabric—good for the skin.
2. Non-stretchy, which is why it's traditionally used for healing postpartum belly.
3. Adjustable size and fit—your size changes, and the wrap adjusts to whatever it is.
4. One size fits all—good for nature and less headache for you. Just buy one color, and you are good to go.
5. Provides better support and promotes faster healing by keeping the abdominal muscles closer together.
6. Reduces the risk of developing an abdominal hernia.
7. Comfortable to wear for extended periods without causing rashes or skin irritation.
8. Helps improve posture and provides back support.
9. Can be styled in various ways to suit personal preferences.
10. Durable and long-lasting, making it a good investment for postpartum recovery.