Compression Pantyhose for Pregnancy

The world of Matenrity Compression Garments can be a little daunting and in previous posts I have discussed the SRC range but this time I want to focus on compression hoisery.

A pair of compression panyhose has a compression rating measured in mmHg.

15-20mmHG is the lighter compression and is known as Class 1.

20-30mmHG is known as Class 2

30-40mmHg is known as Class 3

Most people who simply need a pair of maternity compression pantyhose to prevent varicose veins, help ease the pain of tired legs from standing all day, or aid in reducing the pain if minor varicosities will benefit from a pair of Class 1. They are also good if you plan on flying anywhere to be used much in the same way you would use a flight sock.

For more moderate cases of varicose veins the Class 2 would be more appropriate and of course for serious vein problems you would need the Class 3.

It's best to ask your Doctor what class is best for you.

The idea of a compression garment is the greatest compression starts at the ankle and gradually reduces as you move up the leg. In this way it pushes the blood back up towards the heart and prevents it from pooling in the lower leg. It is therefore important to get the size right because if the compression is too tight it could be restrictive and if it is not enough it won't be able to stop the blood pooling.

For a Class 1 compression pantyhose you only need to know your pre-pregnancy weight and height to select a size but in Class 2 and about you will need to measure you ankle, calf, thigh and length of leg and then contact us to discuss the correct size.

It is important to get the size right also because once they have been tried on, they cannot be returned.

The higher the compression rating, the more they cost with Class 2 costing almost twice as much as Class 1 and although you would hope for that money that they are durable, they are still constructed in the same way as a pantyhose and can easily be snagged and laddered.

Remember that because they are a medical product, it is worth trying to claim something on your private health insurance and keeping your receipts for tax time.

We stock the Therafirm range and have had really good feedback from customers about them but you will find a few other brands available by searching the website.

While the maternity pantyhose in Class 1 are our most popular seller and therefore what we keep in stock, we can order other classes very quickly and there are also other styles like the knee high, thigh high and non maternity pantyhose. In Class 2 you also have the option of open toe in some styles.

One thing to note is that compression hoisery is best for vein problems in the lower leg. If your problems are mainly towards the top of your leg or the groin area then you may be better looking at the SRC pregnancy leggins.




SRC Pregnancy Leggin

 I hope this helps you a bit in understanding what product might be right for you but please don't hesitate to call me if you want to discuss your particular situation.

Lisa

Maternity Revolution
1/124 South Pine Road, Brendale, QLD, 4500
Ph: (07) 3205 1818
lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au
www.maternityrevolution.com.au




Therafirm Maternity Panthose in Black



Think ETERNITY Wear not MATERNITY Wear





After 12 years in the maternity industry there are 2 sentences I hear from customers nearly every day. The first is "Wow, this store is amazing. You have really lovely stuff in here. I wish I'd known about you sooner!" My response to that one is always "Why didn't you?" but we'll leave that discussion for another day. The second most common words uttered by my customers is "I don't want to spend too much because I won't be wearing it for long." To this comment I have to resist the urge to grab the nearest soap box, stand on it and rant and rave my viewpoint to the poor unsuspecting customer but then that's what blogs are for....are they not?

So you've been warned, if you don't want to listen the the rantings and ravings of a frustrated maternity store owner then stop reading now!

I was watching some old Bewitched episodes the other day. Samantha, the lead character, was pregnant in real life at the time and so they carried it through into the story line. The show was filmed in the sixties. Normally I love what Sam wears. She is a gorgeous woman who dresses impeccably and fashionably all the time but the maternity clothes she wore were nothing short of frumpy. Dresses with no shape at all and huge bows on the neckline. The aim of the game was to cover and hide the bump at all costs and consequently Sam looked huge in everything.

Fashion changed a lot over the years that followed the sixties but not for maternity. It seems that big and floaty (and usually home made) was the style right up until the nineties. Slowly things started to change but it was still matenity fashion...you could pick it a mile off. Pants and skirts with huge panels in the front that sat up over the belly with an elastic waistband.

Adjustable elastic waistbands were becoming the trend but they gave a very gathered bunchy look to the pants and skirts. It's not hard to understand why the Belly Belt was such a hit. It meant women could wear their own clothes in early pregnancy when they just felt silly trying to wear maternity wear. There was still precious little in the way of nursing wear.

With the turn of the new century we finally saw huge advances in the maternity fashion world. Waistlines dropped to underbelly with the emergance of the v shaped waistband. You should have seen the faces of most my customers when I first suggested a pant with an underbelly waistband. There was many a raised eyebrow but once I convinced them to try it the frown would quickly be replaced by a great big smile.

Tops started to become more fitted and manufacturers were starting to experiment with nursing wear (most totally botched it up though).

The underbelly waistband was a huge improvement on the big pouchy overbelly but still not perfect. For ladies that carried low it would dig in towards the end of a pregnancy. For ladies that were carrying a little extra weight in early pregnancy it gave the dreaded muffin top look. Slowly the waistband started to rise again but this time it was in the form of a knit waistband that supported the belly and gave a smooth look under clothes. It could also be folded over if a lower waistband was required. Today this is still the most popular waistband.

While there are still some lovely floaty tops and dresses for those that prefer looser fitting clothes, the majority of tops and dresses are fitted with rouched sides that allow it to be worn pregnant or not.

As for nursing wear, well they say that practice makes perfect and finally the manufacturers have got it right with many different styles available and again, most can be worn for pregnancy and feeding.

So why am I telling you all of this? Because I want you to understand that maternity wear has come a long way over the past 10 years and I am sick of hearing ladies say that they don't want to spend a lot or buy too much maternity wear because they won't be wearing it for long. My 14 year old daughter owns several maternity pieces and loves them. Most my wardrobe is maternity wear and even if you don't want to wear your maternity wear when not pregnant you have to remember that if you buy the clothing in your first trimester you will be wearing them for about 6 months. Assuming that you don't spring back to your pre baby body immediately after giving birth, you'll be wearing them for another 3 - 6 months and if you chose wisely and picked clothes that you are able to feed with you may well be wearing them for another 6 months on top of that.

Now if you only want to buy a few pieces of maternity wear, that's fine but let me warn you that you will be wearing those few pieces every day for a very long time and by the time you have finished with them you will most likely want to burn them.

Now my other pet hate is when people complain that maternity wear is expensive. Please remember tha the majority of suppliers are small Australian business' and a lot of the garments are Australian made. Even when the items are made in China they are not made in the quantity of the likes of Target or Big W. So of course they are going to be more expensive but they are also fantastic quality. If you want to spend $10 on a t-shirt and then expect to wear it every day for the next 6-12 months without it falling apart then good luck! You probably also expect this $10 tee to last you through several pregnancies.

The other thing to remember is that if more people bought more maternity wear, there would be more maternity wear stores. The suppliers would then be able to make things in larger quantities and the prices would come down. In the even bigger scheme of things, if we have more successful small businesses we have a stronger ecomony and that benefits us all in the long run.

So in summary, think outside the square a little bit and stop seeing maternity wear as a short term proposition. THINK ETERNITY WEAR, NOT MATERNITY WEAR!!!

Now if I haven't scared you off I would love to see you in store one day. Promise no more ranting and raving!

Regards,

Lisa

Maternity Revolution
1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale, QLD, 4500
Ph: 07 3205 1818
email: lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au
www.maternityrevolution.com.au