What should you know about postpartum compression girdles?

A girdle is an elastic garment worn around the abdomen, waist or hips. Its pressure may give a feeling of support while the abdominal wall and pelvic area recover from pregnancy and birth. It does not pull the abdominal muscles back together, heal an incision, or replace assessment of pain, swelling or wound changes.

After a caesarean birth, the garment must not rub the incision or trap moisture against it. After a vaginal birth, pressure around a tender perineum may be uncomfortable. Body shape and swelling can change during recovery, so a size that felt suitable shortly after birth may need reassessment.

Choose a breathable, adjustable garment that lies flat and does not roll into the skin. Put it on while standing or with help, and check that you can take a full breath, sit, walk and pass urine normally. Begin for a short period rather than wearing it continuously, then remove it to inspect the skin.

Stop using it if you notice numbness, tingling, increasing pain, skin colour change, marked indentation or worsening swelling. Keep the incision and skin clean and dry, and follow the maternity team’s instructions about activity, lifting and wound care. A general compression garment may be relevant when swelling is part of a diagnosed lymphatic problem; see [Compression Garment](/materials/compression-garment/) and [Lymphoedema Therapy](/treatments/survivorship-and-rehabilitation/lymphoedema-therapy/).

Contact your maternity team promptly for fever, a wound that is opening or draining, spreading redness, severe or worsening abdominal pain, heavy vaginal bleeding, new leg swelling on one side, chest pain or breathlessness. These symptoms need medical assessment rather than tighter compression.

Ask whether your birth wound and current symptoms make compression suitable, where the garment may safely sit, how long to wear it, and what changes should prompt removal. Also ask whether pelvic-floor symptoms, abdominal separation or persistent swelling need a separate assessment.