Compression Garments Support Healthy Pregnancy

While many factors contribute to a healthy pregnancy, proper body support during gestation and post-partum care has many long-lasting benefits. Pregnancy creates extra demands on the entire body, while some areas such as the back and abdominal muscles carry an extra burden. Providing extra support with a compression garment allows the body to avoid strain and swelling, easily and comfortably. Maternity support stockings and compression pantyhose help to reduce venous disease and lymphedema during pregnancy.

Several types of compression garments are designed for different areas of the body for maximum therapeutic benefit. These special garments come in the form of abdominal supports, maternity pantyhose, maternity belts and maternity girdles made of varying materials. The design and materials used for therapeutic compression are quite scientific, as support stockings and compression therapy are medically proven to treat venous insufficiency. Wearing support hose during pregnancy reduces strain and inflammation, reduces stretched skin, improves posture and blood flow, and much more.

From the beginning of pregnancy, the legs, hips and back should be given additional support. Most women experience leg problems during pregnancy due to hormonal increases, increased blood volume and increased pressure on pelvic veins as the baby grows. This can create new visible problems, such as varicose veins, or weaken existing deeper blood vessels, creating bigger medical issues later in life due to aging. Maternity compression pantyhose are designed to release graduated compression to keep veins healthy, comfortably.

Weight gain and the reduction of exercise and physical activity during pregnancy can cause lymphedema, an excess accumulation of lymphatic fluid. This usually appears as swelling of the arms and/or legs and is treated successfully with the proper compression garments -- maternity support stockings or lymphedema armsleeves. Proper fit is easy to achieve with arm garments and lymphedema bandages, depending on the amount of inflammation present. The arm piece may be the exception to the rule of removing the garment at bedtime, so let the doctor or therapist make the decision based on the patient's needs and health conditions.

Pregnant women are at greater risk for phlebitis due to increased female hormones and increased risk of varicose veins. It is those with varicose veins who have a greater chance of forming a blood clot, since these veins damage more easily from a bump or a bruise. This typically happens to a vein close to the surface of the skin which forms a dissolvable clot, resulting in redness, inflammation and pain. Compression garments reduce the risk of developing varicose veins, which can lead to phlebitis or the more serious form, deep-vein thrombosis.

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