It was with a certain bravado that I approached my second pregnancy. There had been no nausea, I underwent no significant discomfort, and I had every intention of maintaining my workout routine as usual. I naively added tennis lessons to my regimen, with dreams of a glowing, athletic pregnant demeanor. However, such high hopes and well-pressed tennis outfits merely gathered dust.
In the second trimester of my pregnancy, a sharp pain manifested that appeared to ricochet between my hips and the area of the groin. I purchased a generic belly band, and soldiered on - assuming that it was just my body readjusting, possibly reaggravating an old injury. Until one night, my body essentially froze: the hip pain led to my legs buckling under me, and my husband had to carry me back to bed amidst my attempts to stifle the pain.
At this point, I knew more help was needed, and I sought out a pelvic floor physical therapist. The therapist immediately identified the problem - my body was producing an excess of the hormone relaxin, which is normally released to loosen the ligaments in preparation for childbirth. This over-production was causing instability in my hips and pelvic joints. She pointed out that my belly band wasn't fit for purpose in this scenario.
Belly bands aren't ineffective by any means. They are an excellent remedy for alleviating the discomfort in the lower back that one often gets during pregnancy as well as supporting the weight of an ever-expanding belly. However, this wasn’t what I needed. My body screamed for stability, specifically for support in what are known as the sacroiliac (SI) joints. In this quest for stability, I found the Serola Sacroiliac Belt.
Unlike its stretchy counterparts, the sole purpose of the Serola Belt is to stabilize the pelvis. It employs a two-layer system – the base layer keeps the belt anchored and a second layer applies targeted pressure to your joints. The tighter the top layer is, the more stability there is. Although this sounds intense, the reality of wearing it is anything but restrictive. The best way I can describe it is that it feels like your hips are held securely in place.
Almost immediately after strapping it on, I felt the searing, lightning-like pain in my hips and groin start to diffuse and eventually fade. As time went on, I combined this pelvic stability with new exercises and stretching routines that allowed me to move with a bit more freedom, without the crippling instability that had plagued my second trimester.
The Serola Belt is certainly bulkier than the standard belly band, and understandably so. Despite this, it was rather inconspicuous when worn under more flowing garments and did not trap heat as I thought it might. It was surprisingly durable too – frequent wear over the course of my second and third trimesters took no visible toll on it.
If you are a pregnant woman dealing with severe pelvic pain, it would highly benefit you to visit a pelvic floor physical therapist. However, in the moments when the pain is simply insufferable and professional help is not readily available, the Serola Belt is an incredibly effective substitute. It stabilizes the very source of the pain. The tradeoff of its lack of subtlety is the ability to move freely and be devoid of pain, and I can unequivocally say this made it well worth it.
Ultimately, each pregnancy presents its unique set of challenges and discomforts. The experience often necessitates adaptations in our daily routine and lifestyle. For some, this might take the form of a belly band for lower back relief. For others, like me, a product like the Serola Sacroiliac Belt might be the answer to restoring stability and controlling pelvic pain. Pregnancy is a beautiful journey of growth and creation, and it is essential to find the right support systems that allow us to enjoy every step of the way.
