Following a pregnancy, you might be wondering about how to start or resume your waist training practice. If you’re a fan of corsets especially, you probably want to know: can you wear a steel-boned corset postpartum? 

The answer about what’s best for you depends on several factors, including:

• How much experience you have with waist training
• Your waist training goals
• How long it has been since your pregnancy

If you want dramatic slimming results and are at least somewhat accustomed to waist training, and if sufficient time has passed for you to heal from childbirth, you should have the green light to wear a steel-boned corset.

Please note that this is not medical advice. As with any new physical activity or postpartum fitness plan, you should check with your physician first.

Is it Safe to Wear a Corset After Giving Birth?

Before we move on to talk about whether it’s appropriate to wear a steel-boned corset in the postpartum period, it’s important to understand what waist training is and particularly how it can be used after pregnancy.

Waist training is usually thought of as a daily practice of wearing a high-compression garment around the midsection. The intent is to support slimming of your waist, and it works best in combination with a nutritious diet and well-rounded exercise program.

While anyone can practice waist training, it is different during the postpartum stage because you won’t use maximum compression when your body is still healing from childbirth. But a compression garment can still be very helpful in providing support as you regain your pre-pregnancy shape.

How Soon After Delivery Can You Wear a Corset?

In the immediate days and weeks following childbirth, your goals with any waist training should be to assist your body in the healing process.

Gentle compression has several benefits. It stimulates heat and blood flow to your core and can be used during your body’s natural process of expelling excess fluids. A postpartum belly band or waist trainer also acts like a splint as your muscles and your organs heal and contract and return to their pre-pregnancy positions. Many women find that it eases discomfort and supports provides back support as well.

You can wear a compression garment around your midsection all day, as long as it feels good to you. The key during any stage, whether in the early weeks or well beyond, is to listen to your body’s signals and to do what feels best. Discomfort means that it’s time to take the garment off.

At this early stage, we do not recommend using a steel-boned corset, which would likely use too much compression. Instead, use a waist trainer that is adjustable and can provide firm but gentle compression.

Waist Training After Six Weeks Postpartum

The first six weeks postpartum are when the body does most of its drastic healing. After that, your uterus will be back to its normal size, excess fluid will have been eliminated and your abdominal muscles should be more or less back in their normal positions. Healing from a c-section can take a bit longer.

However, most women are not back to their pre-pregnancy size by that point, and their muscles are weak and stretched. With their healthcare provider’s go-ahead, now is an ideal time to gradually introduce exercise and higher compression waist training.

Once your body has healed from pregnancy, you can gradually start introducing firmer compression garments. If you have a latex waist trainer that is adjustable, you can simply fasten it tighter and start experiencing the benefits.

At this point, if you want to start using a steel-boned corset, you can start wearing it loosely and then gradually tighten it each day as it feels comfortable to you. However, at this stage you may find that using an alternative like a latex waist trainer is more comfortable, especially if you’ve never worn a corset before. If you have a corset that you wore before you were pregnant, it may take some more time before it fits well, depending on how quickly you recover.

Generally, if you’ve never worn a corset, you may want to start with a latex waist trainer first during this stage.

Six weeks postpartum is also the time when most women get the go-ahead to start exercising regularly. Integrating a workout waist trainer into your exercise routine can be very helpful, as it will help you sweat harder and amplify your workouts. Compression around your middle will have you perspiring and getting a burn even when you go on a brisk walk or do chores around the home.

The key to successful waist training at this stage is to be steady and gradual. Try wearing your waist trainer at maximum compression for an hour or two at a time, and then have a break. If you slowly add more time each day, you should eventually feel comfortable with full compression 8–12 hours a day.

Once you’re more comfortable with a latex waist trainer and are getting good results with that, you may be ready to wear a steel-boned corset.

Waist Training and Corsets Three Months Postpartum and Beyond

When you’ve been working on your fitness and waist training, it should be a natural transition as you progress to three months postpartum and beyond. At this point you don’t need to have any reservations about waist training. If you’d like to step up your waist training results, now is a great time to introduce a steel-boned corset.

If you’re new to corseting, note that it takes some time to get into a rhythm. First, you’ll need to season your corset so that it fits well and had fully broken in. Wear it loosely for an hour or two a day for the first two weeks (you should be able to fit a finger or two underneath). After that, the garment should be molded to your figure and you can pull the laces as tight as you’d like them.

As with all waist training, it can take some time to adjust to the way a steel-boned corset feels. While a latex waist trainer can slim your waist 1–3 inches when you wear it, a steel-boned corset can do more and creates a more dramatic hourglass cinch at the waist. If you’re not used to it, you may want to start at maximum compression for just an hour or two at a time. You can gradually increase the amount of time you wear it at maximum compression over a few weeks.

Depending on your approach to waist training, you can alternate between waist training garments in your wardrobe. You can wear a workout band for exercise, an everyday latex waist trainer on some days and a steel-boned corset on other days. Just note that the corset is going to give you the most dramatic slimming results the more you wear it.

Corsets for Occasional Use

Some women only want to wear a steel-boned corset for occasional wear, rather than an everyday regimen. If this is the case for you during the postpartum period, just be aware that you’ll want to listen to your body and do what’s comfortable. Remember, a corset needs to be broken in, so be sure to do that before you wear it (like you would with a pair of shoes). Tighten it as much as is comfortable. You’re not going to be able to tighten the garment the way you would if you wore it every day.

Postpartum Corsets and Waist Trainers

If you want to start waist training during the postpartum period, there are several options we recommend during this delicate period.

Adjustable bands:When your shape is changing quickly and you want to be able to quickly and easily adjust the amount of compression you’re getting, you’re going to love waist trainers with Velcro closures.

The Zipped Up and Snatched Workout Waist Trainer by Hourglass angel HA108 can be slipped on in seconds, while maintaining the firm compression you want. It features a zip up as well as a Velcro closure.

The Curve Creator Workout Band by Hourglass Angel HA101 is another great option, with a double Velcro closure: just pull the sides together and go.

Everyday latex:Classic latex waist trainers are super effective for an everyday waist training regimen that you can start postpartum.

The Best Waist Trainer by Hourglass Angel HA102 takes up to 3 inches off your waist measurements instantly and comes in up to size 5XL.

The Hip Control Latex Waist Trainer by Hourglass Angel HA109 provides powerful waist slimming as well as additional hip coverage.

Steel boned corsets:When you’re ready to take waist training to the next level, you’ll love these corset options:

The Underbust Waspie Mesh Corset by Hourglass Angel HA201 keeps you cool with mesh while providing dramatic hourglass curves.

The Underbust Cotton Corset by Hourglass Angel HA202 is comfortable and soft against your skin while it creates powerful compression for your whole midsection.

Be sure to check out all of our other postpartum waist training options as well as steel-boned corset in our collection of carefully curated and custom-designed shaping garments. Our stylists are also here to answer your questions.