Belly-wrapping in the Perinatal Period
In El Paso, where I trained to be a midwife, new mothers walked out of the birthing center with their babies in their arms and their bellies wrapped in long colorful cloths, called fajas. This practice of belly wrapping, with variations, is common among indigenous cultures throughout the world and was the subject of our Springfield Community Birth Circle discussion this month.
Our speaker, Nephertiti Amen, founder of My Rituals of Love, discussed the ancient belly wrapping technique and its benefits. Most commonly done after a baby is born, the muslein wrap (around 17 feet) is tied with a series of knots and creates a secure (but not tight) band around the abdomen, helping to hold the muscles while they strengthen and encourage the vital organs to return to their pre-pregnancy state. Before wrapping, Nephertiti suggests applying salves with combinations of pine resin, frankincense, coconut oil, horsetail, burdock root, or other herbs and plants that encourage the tightening of the skin as well as muscle and ligament healing. Women are encouraged to wrap their bellies and then rest. According to Nephertiti, the wrap itself both reminds the body to take it easy at the same time it encourages gradual tightening and healing.
Nephertiti clarified to the Community Birth Circle that belly wrapping benefits pregnant women before the postpartum period as well, providing significant support for posture, core, and pelvic floor. During the last weeks of pregnancy, when the baby is leaning heavily on the woman’s pelvis and thighs, the wrap can help lift and shift the weight, bringing the pressure of the baby backward, and creating better balance. In the labor itself, the wrap is a tool to assist women in squats and lunges that facilitate descent of the baby into the pelvis. Even outside of gestation, this simple ritual and practice relieves menstrual cramps, ligament and back pain during monthly cycles. Of course, this beautiful fabric can also be used in baby-wearing, a technique to secure a newborn, infant or small child with the cloth to an adult’s body, while allowing the parent’s hands to be free.
“A big reason to participate in the ritual of wrapping is the mentality it promotes. Wrapping allows us to bring love and positivity to our bodies. It is about intention,” says Nephertiti.
It’s a profound observation: A simple length of cloth can solve some of the challenges women face in pregnancy or after giving birth. It relieves or even eliminates backaches, bad posture, pelvic pain, exhaustion, perpetual core weakness, skin not tightening up around the abdomen. But there is another profound consideration here. The rituals of culture not only pragmatically address the specific needs of the moment but also create an opportunity for emotional and spiritual assistance within a life-changing or challenging event. Thus, this “self-care”, so colorful and beautiful, can directly reduce the incidence of postpartum blues or depression.
The Springfield Community Birth Circle seeks to bring just this sort of practical and also spiritual time-tested practice to light. The group began informally in the fall of 2019 with naturally- birth minded moms, newly postpartum families, doulas, and a midwife who wanted to simply support eachother and share experiences. At the beginning, the community gathered in people’s homes, shared food, and had
both informal discussions and organized presentations. For now, the learning group meets monthly on zoom, but we hope to do it in-person again as soon as possible.