We all know that after childbirth many women experience swollen abdominals.  And while for years many of us thought the only solution was exercise and healthy eating, a new therapy based on traditional Asian, African and Latin American methods could be the answer.

The innovative ‘belly-wrapping and massage programme’ has become popular with celebrities, promising to greatly speed the recovery process for new mothers and help them rapidly achieve a slimlined figure.

The eight day programme, combining Mayan abdominal massage and Indonesian massage with the Bengkung Wrapping method, comes from former model Mari Ryalen. Ryalen developed the programme whilst studying in Singapore to create a system that could dramatically shrink the size of the abdomen in the weeks following childbirth – in a healthy and natural way.

Mari explains, “The traditional methods of dealing with the physical impact of childbirth on a woman’s body are remarkably similar in Asian, African and Latin American traditional societies. We can learn a lot from their simple yet amazingly effective methods, which not only improve a woman’s health but also allow her to regain her pre-pregnancy shape – or even better – and fitness level remarkably quickly.”  
 
After birth, the abdominal muscles of the mother are often separated (diastasis recti). The wrapping or “binding” holds them in place so that healing can occur rapidly and naturally. In many countries in Asia the “belly-binding” treatment is common practice.  In certain countries where slim, hour-glass figures are prized, a good binder will give her client a better figure after pregnancy than before. 
 
Relaxin hormone surges through a woman’s body during pregnancy and delivery, allowing the body to adjust to the physical changes and expansion necessary for the child-bearing process. These hormones stay in the body for three months after delivery, leaving women’s bones, muscles and body tissue soft or malleable. Women in some countries take advantage of this post-pregnancy time to create hour-glass figures they didn’t have before – reminiscent of corsets worn by European aristocracy in the eighteenth century that changed the bodies shape through continual use.
 
However, Ryalen says that the main purpose of her treatment is to encourage a speedy and healthy recovery from childbirth, and that a vastly improved figure is just one of the possible positive side effects of the treatment.

“The treatment is done just after childbirth – at a time when a woman can’t exercise.  The binding supports the back and helps the woman’s abdominal wall be in a place where she can effectively use her muscles to exercise to good effect when she is ready.”
 
For more information on Mari Ryalen’s programmes visit www.mariryalen.com