The idea of using ice on a sore, pregnant back is genius. I don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner.
As a runner, I’ve been doing my best to keep an active pregnancy, but running often exacerbates my already present back pain. I had been using heating pads every night, but the pain remained and it was intense- to the point where I would get stuck trying to move.
Enter the Spand-Ice Maternity Wrap. Created in Pittsburgh and made in the USA, the maternity wrap provides belly and back support using adjustable VELCRO® closures above and below the belly, perfect for expecting moms. The Spand-Ice Maternity Wrap can be worn alone as a support wrap or with the gel packs to provide hot or cold relief. Breathable mesh and neoprene fabrics make it comfortable even as the weather gets warmer.
The Spand-Ice Maternity Wrap alone does a great job providing belly support and back relief, but my favorite feature is the gel packs. Each maternity wrap comes with two large packs and they can be heated in the microwave to use as heating pads or chilled in the freezer to use as cold packs. Carefully designed with multiple small gel packs inside each larger pack, they maintain their temperature for up to four hours. The Spand-Ice Maternity Wrap secures the hot or cold gel packs into place, perfectly positioned to relieve that back pain. Say good-bye to bags of frozen peas!
When I first received the Spand-Ice Maternity Wrap, I thought I would get the most use out of it at night as a heating pad, and I found plenty of comfort in its ability to soothe and relieve muscle tension. But it didn’t take long until I learned the magic of cold therapy. After tossing them in the freezer and going for a run, I came home, tucked them into their pouches, and saddled up. It instantly felt as if pressure had been taken off my back. I basked in the glow of cold therapy that lasted for hours.
For daily use and wear (even without the hot or cold inserts), the Spand-Ice Maternity Wrap offers plenty of support without being restricting or uncomfortable or pressing on your bladder (hallelujah!). Pleased with its level of support, I decided to take it on a literal test run to see how it would hold up under the pressure of a bouncing belly. While it might work for earlier in the pregnancy, in the third trimester my belly didn’t feel like it was supported enough during my 4-miler and I think I will stick with my previous belly band for running. However, if you don’t have a low riding baby, or if you are not this far along in your pregnancy and are a runner, this might not be an issue and I will say again that I did not feel like it was pressing on my bladder like my other wrap does, which is a definite win.
The Spand-Ice Maternity Wrap can be worn either above or below your clothing. Above the clothing works well for support, but if you want the full effect of the ice or heat therapy like I did, I recommend wearing it beneath your clothing. To prevent scratching from the VELCRO® closures, I did keep the bottom portion over my waist of my pants.
If you have pregnancy heartburn to the point where bras aggravate it, a word of caution. I found that the top closure of the Spand-Ice Maternity Wrap sometimes felt like it aggravated my heartburn, but that happens with an underwire bra or anything else form-fitting at this stage of my pregnancy. While I do not blame the wrap or design for this, I do think it’s something to be considered. For short intervals, it was not a problem, only when I wore the support for an extended period of an hour or more, which was more than enough time for the heat or cold to work its magic.
The Spand-Ice Maternity Wrap has played a huge roll in my continued running through pregnancy, but even if you are not running, it is well worth the support and relief that it provides.
Its support combined with its hot and cold therapies would make any pregnant woman more comfortable at all stages of pregnancy, regardless of fitness level, whether you’ve had a pre-existing back pain or are experiencing it new with your pregnancy.
Spand-Ice is currently developing a convertible wrap, which is specifically designed to accommodate women as they transition through the trimesters of pregnancy and into the postpartum journey. Like the maternity wrap, it will help relieve back pain, provide comfort and belly support, but also address C-section recovery, stomach binding, breast issues, and more. Its modular design will allow you to interchange the pieces, adapting to where you are in your pregnancy journey. The convertible wrap is scheduled to be released later this year. Stay up to date with Spand-Ice’s progress and new wraps through their newsletter, by subscribing here.
Spand-Ice’s patented hot and cold therapy technology is also available for men and women in other support gear styles, available here.
The creator and owner, Helen Behn, is a pleasure to talk with as well and you can see in her products that they are her passion. Check out the website for yourself at www.Spand-Ice.com/maternity and make yourself more comfortable now. Don’t wait until the third trimester like I did!
The Spand-Ice Maternity Wrap currently comes in two sizes (see size chart here) and can be purchased directly from Spand-Ice for $100. I wore the S/M size illustrated in these photos.
Meet Helen Behn of Spand-Ice in-person at Bloom, Pittsburgh Moms Blog’s signature event for new and expectant moms on Saturday, May 20, 2017 at Allegheny Health Network’s Wexford Health + Wellness Pavilion. Spand-Ice will have the Spand-Ice Maternity Wraps available for you to experience for yourself.
