When people hear about women taping their bodies during pregnancy, the first question that pops up in their mind is that is pregnancy tape safe and whether it can be used for prolonged wear during pregnancy.
Introduction
Pregnancy tape is a relatively new product in the market and that is why it is natural that people are skeptical about it and whether they should be using it, especially during pregnancy which is a sensitive journey and has many risks involved.
When it comes to protecting your baby, women would go to any lengths and that is why they use products that are safe and approved by medical authorities so that they know the products will not have any sort of adverse effect on them or their baby.
Pregnancy taping is a derivative of the decades-long practice of medical taping. Medical taping became popular back in the 70s when Dr. Kenzo Kase came up with a new and innovative idea to use medical-grade tape to work like a therapist’s hands and mimic the work that therapists do.
He worked on his idea and produced a tape that had an adhesive that mimicked the texture of the skin so it was firm but gentle on people’s skin. It came to be known as the kinesiology tape, or KT tape.
The purpose of the medical tape was to control the movement of the muscles so that if there is any muscle injury, or potential for injury, the tape would restrict the movement and keep the muscle from straining and causing harm.
It was part of a reparative treatment for the muscle which gained worldwide fame and started being used in many different areas of medicine such as post-op care, sports injuries, physiotherapy, etc.
It is safe to say that if doctors are using it, then it must be safe to use. However, recently women started using this kinesiology tape to tape their bellies during pregnancy.
Why Is the Belly Taped During Pregnancy?
There are many reasons why women tape their bellies during pregnancy, but the core concept is to provide support to the growing belly.
As women further into the second trimester of their pregnancy, their bump starts to grow as the baby inside starts growing and gaining weight. As the uterus grows, the tummy protrudes and increases in size and weight. This causes strain on the back, hips, and the lower torso.
To help alleviate the growing pains and strain on the back and hips, women usually use maternity support wear that lifts their bellies and redistributes the weight so that some pressure is taken off the hips and the back.
Pregnancy tape is used for this purpose; to provide support and comfort to women so that they can go about their day comfortably.
Many people do find themselves questioning is the pregnancy tape safe or not.
Is Taping Safe During Pregnancy?
To put it in a nutshell, yes taping is absolutely safe during pregnancy. According to Dr. Robyn Wilhelm, a physical therapist, kinesiology tapes are trusted by doctors and physical therapists all over the world as they are non-invasive and soft on the skin.
According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, on the effects of using kinesiology tapes by pregnant women, it came to be known that kinesiology tapes (pregnancy tapes) can be used as a complementary treatment for effective control of lower back pain during pregnancy.
Pelvicare UK, a leading women’s health and physiotherapy organization also suggests many benefits of using pregnancy tape to ease belly tension and help with lower back pain during pregnancy.
Many other experts also approve and recommend pregnancy tapes to be used during pregnancy as they are effective and gentle on human skin.
Can You Sleep With Pregnancy Tape On?
Many women also wonder is pregnancy tape safe to wear while sleeping and the answer is yes. You can wear pregnancy tape while you sleep. You are actually supposed to wear it while you sleep because it has to be worn for at least 3-5 days before you can change it, so if you take it off before sleeping you will have to constantly put on new tapes.
The other factor is that these are very convenient to wear during sleep. Unlike other maternity support wear which is bulky, pregnancy tapes are weightless and you won’t even feel you have anything on, so you can easily sleep without the feeling of having extra garments on.
How Long Can You Wear Pregnancy Tape?
Every brand has different timelines for changing the tape, ranging from 3-7 days. Most pregnancy tapes are waterproof so they can be worn even when you go for a swim or shower.
Pregnancy tapes are to be worn 24/7 and only need to be changed every 3, 5, or 7 days (depending on the brand and what they recommend). You can wear them while you sleep, work out, or shower and they will not cause any damage to the skin such as chafing or making the skin sore.
Pregnancy tapes are made with medical-grade fabric such as cotton and spandex which are breathable and create elasticity. These fabrics are generally soft on the skin. The adhesive used in these tapes is of a specific kind that mimics the texture of the skin does not cause chafing of the skin, and can be taken off and re-applied without the skin getting damaged.
When Is It Safe to Wear Pregnancy Tape?
Pregnancy tapes are safe to wear throughout the length of your pregnancy and will not cause any harm to you or your baby. However, most women start wearing the pregnancy tape from the fifth month onwards as this is the time that they start ‘showing’ which means this is the time that their tummy starts to grow and wear it till the end of their pregnancy.
During the first trimester, you don’t really need to wear the pregnancy tape as there might not be a need for it. If you have lower back pain, you could tape your back and it would be helpful but belly taping would be required after the second trimester.
The third trimester is when the pregnancy tape becomes a Godsend product as the uterus has expanded to an extent that the center of gravity changes to the posterior and your back naturally arches in order to maintain its balance. This is when you need extra support for your belly and your back and the pregnancy tape offers just that.
Conclusion
There are many different support garments available for pregnant women, but the pregnancy tape is one that most people are raving about these days. It is being used by athletes, sportswomen, doctors, trainers, models, and many others who are recommending the use and effectiveness of pregnancy tapes over any other maternity support wear.
There are many reasons why the pregnancy tape is being opted for, a few of them are:
- Pregnancy tape is discreet and doesn’t show under clothes.
- It is weightless and it doesn’t feel as if you have anything extra on.
- It is comfortable to use and you can even sleep with it on.
- Highly effective and gets the job done effortlessly.
There are many reasons why people are choosing pregnancy tapes, but the one reason that surpasses all is that they are absolutely safe to use during pregnancy and won’t harm your baby in any way.
