Mothercare slammed for promoting £90 ‘sexy’ corsets to women who’ve just given birth without warning they ‘could cause damage’
MOTHERCARE has been slammed for promoting £90 corsets to women who’ve just given birth – without warning of the risks. The mum and baby chain has said it will now review the online advertising of some of its maternity lingerie, after a backlash over the “sexy” corsets. The £89.95 Belly Bandit Mother Tucker corsets were […]
MOTHERCARE has been slammed for promoting £90 corsets to women who’ve just given birth – without warning of the risks.
The mum and baby chain has said it will now review the online advertising of some of its maternity lingerie, after a backlash over the “sexy” corsets.
The £89.95 Belly Bandit Mother Tucker corsets were listed on the site as “post-birth lingerie” – and sat alongside maternity aids, like bump support belts designed to relieve backache.
Modelled by a young woman in stiletto heels, they had no warning the corsets shouldn’t be worn until at least six months after giving birth – because your body is still recovering.
The chain admitted it should come with such a warning, and said they would make changes on the websites, after The Times raised concerns from midwives and mums.
Jacqui Tomkins, the chairwoman of Independent Midwives UK, said: “If you have it too tight (in the first six months) you could be causing damage.
“I’m very anxious for women who are getting the wrong message. It’s saying the most important thing is for you to be back in shape, looking like Kim Kardashian. That worries me.”
Mum-of-four Kim, who had two of her kids via surrogate, showcased her tiny waist at the Met Gala back in May.
She started the craze for waist-training when she modelled corsets on Instagram back in 2016.
And little sister Kylie raising eyebrows by wearing one just six weeks after giving birth to daughter Stormi last year.
Why shouldn't you wear a corset straight after giving birth?
With celebs seeming to ‘snap back’ into shape just weeks after giving birth, new mums often feel the pressure to shift their baby weight and lose the post-partum bumps.
But your body is still recovering from nine months of pregnancy – and it’s dangerous to try and rush things.
Sun GP Dr Carol Cooper previously told Fabulous Digital: “There’s nothing good to be said about using a waist trainer, especially so soon after giving birth.
“It’s a sign of our image-obsessed society that young women are rushing to use this contraption.
“A waist is a result of how fat is distributed and how well the trunk muscles work. Nothing is being ‘trained’ here.
“If anything, the opposite is true, as corsets and the like actually stop muscles doing their job, and eventually make them flabbier.
“The organs are simply being compressed, and that’s unhealthy because it can hamper digestion and even breathing.
“Regaining a pre-pregnancy shape is about eating sensibly and keeping active.
“For about four months after the birth, the joints are looser and can be damaged more easily.”
Sarah McMullen, of the National Childbirth Trust, told The Times the corsets “add to the pressure to meet unrealistic expectations” on new mums.
In a statement, Belly Bandit told The Times the corset was not designed to be worn immediately after giving birth.
Mothercare added: “We are reviewing the wording and imagery to ensure it is clear to customers how this product should be used.”
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