In India, pregnant women often bind a cummerbund consisting of thin cotton material, five yards long and one and one half feet wide (material is folded lengthwise). Shorter variations are also used with beneficial results. Usually a cummerbund is only worn during pregnancy, when a woman has lower back discomforts. Tie it gently and firmly; never tight. Adjust the position of the cummerbund so it is around your belly and supporting your lower back, not under your belly.

During the first month after birth, a cummerbund can provide support when it is tied over your abdomen, supporting your internal organs…remember to continue practicing your pelvic floor exercises!

“It is in the nature of the woman to hurt the small of the back, and therefore, to protect this area, a cummerbund is a must, not a belt, but a cummerbund. It has to be able to support the area from the lower rib to the pelvic bone (hip bone). Women who wear this can never grow old.”

Yogi Bhajan, Women's Camp, New Mexico, 1978