Entice Your Customers With Support

More and more women are finding themselves balancing career and motherhood. As a result, the need for a woman to remain mobile during pregnancy so she is able to continue on with her daily activities involving work and family has become a priority. A rising number of healthcare professionals have recognized this need and are now recommending maternity supports for pregnant women. Women who wear supports during pregnancy have experienced a marked improvement in their physical health and wellbeing. Feeling enabled by the absence of pain, they are able to carry out their activities of daily living.

How do you, as a storeowner, attract these customers and satisfy their need for support while increasing your bottom line?

Research Birthing Trends in Your Area:
The best place to look for this information is with your local ob/gyn clinics, midwives, doulas, childbirth educators, and lactation consultants. Any healthcare professional that may work with pregnant women. How many twins, triplets or quads are born in your area? How many pregnant mothers are first time parents? How many pregnant mothers are also working outside the home? Are they seeing vulvar varicosities as a problem that needs addressing?

Use Birthing Trends to Offer Your Customers What They Need:
Many first time moms are looking to continue an active lifestyle through pregnancy but are often confronted with the unexpected aches and pains that a stretching tummy can bring. With a little support these aches and pains can be relieved and, at the recommendation of her doctor, she can continue her active lifestyle throughout her pregnancy. For these first time moms, a simple inexpensive adjustable surgical web band that supports their growing tummy is most often exactly what they need.

Mothers having their second child and subsequent children often experience pregnancy aches sooner and with more intensity than they did with each previous pregnancy. Consequently, the need for supporting their tummy is accelerated. The more comfortable they can be on their feet, the better they will be able to continue normal daily activities and feel healthier. Many of these mothers can benefit greatly from a fuller support garment that surrounds and supports the abdomen and helps maintain proper posture.

Women having twins, triplets and quads experience significantly more growth of their tummy. By the fourth month, in most cases, a mother having multiples will need a full pregnancy support. An ergonomic brace that has a lower womb support band with adjustments is a perfect solution for these moms-to-be of multiples who need to be on their feet and comfortable. Hook and eye closures are a comfortable, flexible solution that allows the support garment to continue to fit these moms of multiples throughout their pregnancy.

Look for Comfort in the Design:
Effectiveness of a maternity support should be judged by the absence of pain, not the awareness of pressure supporting the abdomen. A soft airy design that gives targeted support is preferred by women who lead an active lifestyle or live in hot climates. A support with an open abdomen design allows a woman to frequently apply lotion and stretch cream to their growing tummy. These open abdomen designed garments also allow for a quick release of the support band to the top of the uterus during Braxton Hicks contractions. Look for a support that has soft flannel backed elastic that will be comfortable against the skin. Hook and eye closures instead of velcro allows the garment to remain flexible at the point of closure or adjustment and will not snag on clothing.

There are two ways to support a growing tummy. There is a popular perception that in order for a support to work, a woman must feel scrunched. In other words, in order for many women to feel that a support is working they think they must feel a tightening sensation of the apparatus below the belly. Now, consider the natural stance of a pregnant woman. She stands, comfortable, with her hands clasped below her tummy gently lifting, supporting and cradling her unborn child. Supports that surround and lift the abdomen should be designed to recreate this natural position and free up the active mother’s hands and allow her to continue with her busy lifestyle.

What Support Does Your Local Healthcare Professional Recommend?
Doctors, nurses, midwives and many health care professionals are recommending maternity support garments so their pregnant patients can continue to be active and maintain their daily living activities. It is important to develop a friendly working relationship with your local healthcare professionals to find a maternity support that will be effective and comfortable for your local pregnant customers.

Editorial provided by C. Seering, President of Prenatal Cradle, Inc. in Lake, MI.