Rebecca Judd is a gorgeous celebrity you've probably never heard of. She's an Australian "TV presenter" who just had a baby and currently weighs approximately five pounds. Okay, I'm being hyperbolic, but if you look at any photo of Judd, the only proof that she ever had a child is the newborn baby in her arms. She truly has one of the most unbelievable (unattainable) post-pregnancy bodies I've ever seen in my life.
Wanna know what her (weird) secret is?
Compression garments. Judd recently gave an interview in which she credited compression shorts that her doctor gave her for her crazy post-baby body. "Having a baby, my abdominal muscles separated by 8cm, which is huge. So as soon as I had Billie, my physio gave me compression shorts to wear, and I've been wearing them at home all the time," she said, adding that the garments give "a little helping hand" at speeding up the weight loss process.
Okay. Now, what the heck are compression garments, and do they really work?
After doing a little research, I've found that compression garments are typically worn by athletes to prevent strain and fatigue, or people with poor circulation. They have a variety of benefits, including helping relieve pain from muscle stiffness; reducing the time it takes for muscles to repair themselves (as in Judd's case); and improved "oxygenation" to working muscles. Depending on the degree of compression a garment has, one may need a doctor's prescription. There are TONS of compression garments on the market for post-pregnancy, and the belief is that it activates the core muscles (with gentle pressure, i.e., "compression"), hence strengthening the abdominal muscles. When I asked a friend of mine who used the Kourtney Kardashian Belly Bandit compression garment if she thought it worked, she said, "I can't say for certain, but I definitely think it helped. To be honest, I think the biggest thing that helped me with losing the baby weight was breastfeeding!"
And Rebecca Judd and my friend aren't the only people using compression garments post-pregnancy. Jessica Alba credited her post-baby bod to wearing two compression corsets for three months. "It was brutal; it’s not for everyone," Alba said. "It was sweaty, but worth it."
But do they really work? Clearly, celebrities like Judd and Alba did more than merely walk around with a corset on for a few months post-birth. What do doctors think of the compression craze (likely caused by celebrities)? Dr. Iffath Hoskins, an NY-based OBGYN, told Today, "I don’t think there’s any downside to it if it’s used correctly," but added, "You’re going to get into your pants by losing weight. The binder is not making you lose weight. It’s making you feel or look thinner." And when I asked Dr. Laura Corio, a Manhattan OBGYN, she added that "it's probably not best to put one on right away, as you're putting pressure on a uterus that is still 20 weeks in size."
So, it sounds like it certainly doesn't hurt to use a compression garment after giving birth, if used properly, but expectations should be kept realistic. They very well may have aided in whipping Rebecca Judd back into shape after having her daughter, but I certainly wouldn't buy one with the expectation that you too will then have her body.
Did you use a compression garment after having a baby?
Image via Rebecca Judd/Instagram
