External Support Garment

Meribelle, our minds must be in synch across the miles. I just posted about the same thing! I will shift my topic as a comment in this thread.

Louise

:-)

One thing led to another while I was trying to work out Humbledlady's fist on ipsilateral SI joint post.

Christine, I am thinking that it would be possible to make a smart-looking version of your compression belt by taking a piece of attractive, fine fabric about 2 metres (2 yards) long and 400mm (15 inches) wide, and wrapping it around the compression belt (after adjusting it on your body) , tucking it in all round at the top and wrapping it double across the front, and passing the two long ends loosely between your body and the belt to cover the front panel. You could then tuck the bottom edge under the belt to neaten the bottom and make the belt/hipscarf narrower in appearance for a more tailored look.

It would be possible to make several fitted tubes of different fabric and thread the back part of the belt through it before adjusting it on the body. If the fabric chosen was a non-slippery fabric like a crepe chiffon or a fine wool or rayon I think the belt would still grip the body and not slip out of position.

Now my fertile imagination has gone on a decorative tangent. I can see an ethnic, embroidered or applique'd motif across centre back, and maybe a WW logo silk-screened in gold or silver with blingy, jewelled clasps or motifs at the hips where the ends are tucked behind again.

I don't know how many of these belts you sell. The WW belt came up as about the third hit in a google for "compression belt". They look a bit industrial in the image from the Store catalog. I wonder if there is a crafty WW member out there who would like to try making them and selling them via the WW store?''

I can see them as a functional fashion item for women who stand for long periods for work or play.

Louise

Hi Louise,

I can't tell from your inquiry if you realize these are to be worn underneath clothing? Yes, I have always suggested using external belts as compression too. I made one similar to what you have suggested and included it in the First Aid for Prolapse dvd. I both wore it and showed it on a model on my sewing table. I wear all my belts low in front and high in back, as I believe this best supports pelvic nutation/stability.

Meribelle...this is not to be confused with the "external support garment" I suggested in my previous post. By that I mean something like a V2 supporter (google V2 supporter and it will come right up), rather than an internal supporter (pessary).

Love your idea, Louise. Someday we will realize all these things!

Christine

Hi Christine

I will revisit the DVD. I didn't know that the support belt from the Store was an undergarment belt. It looks like an interesting shape for an external belt!

I am currently revisiting the idea of wearing trousers low cut at the front with the aid of a firm belt, simply because I can't keep hipster trousers up by themselves and don't like the look or feel of trousers that are so tight that they hold themselves up with simple friction.

My tummy is getting bigger too. My butt is not, but I am gaining a bit of weight, so it must be around the middle. I never had much of a butt to start with. I might end up with the world's first 'black hole where my butt should be'!

;-)

Hi Christine, I was reading this thread today, and by chance my daughter popped in after work this afternoon, saying she was looking at a pelvic suppport band, so that she can continue dancing comfortably during her pregnancy( my first grandchild is due end of this year,yippee!!!).
I have tried to look at your belt in the store, but no luck.When I clcik on STORE it comes up with a lot of jargon (Lanny would understand not I though).It's not usually what comes up when I go to the store.
l'll try again tomorrow.
Meanwhile the one my daughter is looking at is called the 'smiley belt' and made here in NZ. They also make a pelvic support for non pregnant people.
Anyone ,google the name and see if it looks suitable, as I am thinking about getting one.I have had aching hips this week and last.Up and down like the Pop.It would be a lot easier on me in many ways to order one in my daughter's order.
Thankyou,I would appreciate any comments anyone can offer.:-)
PS.I am also lacking in Butt and have the post meno tum and gaining bit of weight, at times when I usually would not! oh lah!

Hi Kiwigirl..thanks for the heads up about the store. I just clicked on the belt and it came right up. Hope whatever gremlin was in the air has settled by now.

Meribelle...the V2 is a bulky, polyester garment that does not have comfort as its first feature. However, some women do love the crotch support it gives. I think a modified cotton jock strap might give the same with greater comfort.

The SIJ belt in our store is for giving gentle compression to the hip and lower back joints for increased skeletal stability. The way it is designed, with the cushioned tummy support, helps maintain WW posture as well.

Hope this helps.

:) Christine

I love the fashion belt idea.

I have been thinking for a long time about "lady suspenders" done up to be part of a look we want. For years as soon as I put on my clothes, I have rolled up and lowered the waistband, tied drawstrings low, doing what it takes to get pressure off my waist. Now I know why!

My father-in-law lived with us a few years and he had some great suspenders. (His hiatal hernia made waist tight clothes not comfy.) I tried to wear them, but they were too long. I tried to buy some but they were plain -- black, navy, white, thin. I always thought it would be fun to add some really pretty fabric or lace, or whatever, and design some for me. But I never got around to it.

Have a look on some German sites.

A belt on a plant would definitely be noticeable, egh? I guess who wants to model it, so try it out on a plant. haha. "Oh, that model is so svelte. Wait, is that a plant?"

Wild West, I don't know, but I think POP certainly explains women wanting to be left on the ice alone to die, egh? Can't you see yourself as a 50-year-old woman in the cold north, saying in a harsh winter to your adult Eskimo daughter and her family who have just one measly little fish to split between all of them, "You take the fish to feed the family in a brand new igloo somewhere and I'll stay here on the tundra where the bears might get me, don't worry about me and Nicki, we'll be fine all alone here on this iceberg, you go head, don't give us a thought......Oh, and hey, go ahead and take my belt with you, you may need it one day..."

BTW, your theory about headaches and the u being way up still holds true. I still have a headache and Nicki's still way up, even despite having gone shopping, gotten dinner, running errands, etc. Pretty amazing.(That makes it sound like my uterus went shopping alone, doesn't it? hee hee. Now THAT would be interesting). Can't you hear me calling out ....

"Come on kids, Nicki made dinner!"

Anyway....wow what a headache. If it's a choice between the headache or POP, um, ....yeah, I'll take the headache!! (No offense, Nicki!)

csf

CSF, what is this headache about? How long have you had it? Is it a stress thing? It is not right that it has gone on so long. Hopefully it will go away when you get started on your new job.

BTW, your last post had me rolling on the floor. I can just imagine a beltless, pioneer woman prostrate on the ice, the Eskimos waddling away in the opposite direction with the belt over one shoulder, muttering to themselves, "What the f*** are we supposed to do with this thing? Mmmm, might be useful for dog harness? Not quite as solid as a ratchet strap, but I can see potential for this prickly and soft, grippy stuff."

I think those wild west women were a tough lot. They probably worked together as a team, more than we did. No doubt there were the 'invalids' among them who did light work, then were eventually left on the ice to die. They would certainly have been fitter, and untainted by the fitness industry and its exhortations to suck and tuck.

Louise

Once in a blue moon if I come in direct contact with something I'm allergic to (like it if I brush up against something) I'll get a bad headache that lasts. The trick is I usually don't realize I've come in contact with anything. So I must have come in contact with something like mold or feathers or something, who knows how. Luckily they are things not so common to be around. (I'd be miserable if I were to go to an old YMCA that has musty ol' locker rooms with moldy carpeting, or going into someone's flooded basement, for example).

Tried an extra squirt or two of a nasal spray that I bought last night and ouila - woke up without a headache! Yay. Thanks for the thoughts!
csf

I read some older posts regarding Fembrace and V2 supporter. The V2 arrived and I am still waiting for the Fembrace. Someone posted that there is a V2 for maternity and another for prolapse, I have not been able to find that there is a difference. Because my organs normally hang right out, I am concerned that with the compression using the V2 (since it is the only one I have a the moment) might cause a blister. Can anyone comment on that?

I have only worn it an hour or so this far and find that I can relax my belly with it as normally I found myself tensing up in the pelvic area thinking the entire bulge would drop out (even though I read that it should not).

So far it seems comfortable while I stand but while sitting I find it rather tight. Perhaps the elastic will stretch with time and feel better.

When I do the exercises and in particular the firebreathing and CK kegels, should I have the brace on or off?

I would appreciate any thoughts, comments or suggests. As for many, this site is my life saver! Thank you.

Thanks so much for keeping us up to date on your experiences with the V2 and fembrace, Osmari.
I, personally, don't know about exercising with one on, but it would seem kind of restricting with some of the exercises on the DVDs. Will be interesting to see what others would have to say about that.
Wish you much luck!!

Thanks Aging gracefully for replying. I hope someone who is wearing both or either will reply as well. I don' know if I should be wearing this all day and I really don't know if it is too tight. It is not keeping my organ(s) in but at least I am more comfortable walking. Since it is morning and I have only had one meal, I will see how the day goes with the V2 on; normally the protrusion(s) are worse as the day proceeds, especially after meals. I wish I knew what the slit was, I have a feeling I had a blister which popped. I posted about it the other day but no one responded. I was hoping someone could shed light on that also. I am trying to stay positive as I know from reading the various posts that I could be a lot worse. I keep wondering where I would be mentally without all you helpful women!

Osmari and anyone, there are various ways to make your questions more visible if you are not getting responses. Start a new thread ("create content", being sure to pick the right category) and be very specific with your subject line. Or post again in the same thread to bring it back to the top of Recent Posts, and once again, be very specific with your subject line. Sometimes important things get really buried on here, just by the way that the posting was done. - Surviving