“Maternity shapewear can help improve posture and take weight off of your back as your pregnancy bump grows,” says Dr. Sekhon. “It can also be more comfortable than your regular underwear or tights, which are prone to slipping and bunching.” This is especially true at the beginning of a pregnancy, she says, as pre-pregnancy underwear might still technically fit but don’t always sit right on your changing body. “As long as you aren’t wearing the type that constricts at the tummy, it is completely safe, and likely to be very comfortable, to wear maternity shapewear,” she says.
There are also uses for maternity shapewear during the postpartum period, Dr. Sekhon adds. She says these products can provide support to a healing C-section incision, “especially when the abdominal muscles are strained, such as when coughing, laughing, sneezing, lifting, or getting up to sit from a lying position.”
Wearing maternity shapewear isn’t for everyone though—it all depends on what’s comfortable on a person’s unique growing body. Those who gained more weight during pregnancy, or who carry their bump up high and towards the front, are more likely to benefit from the support of shapewear than those who gain less weight or whose bump seems more evenly distributed, Dr. Sekhon says. “[Pregnant people] who have excess amniotic fluid or who are carrying twins are likely to have a large bump and could benefit from additional support,” she says. People who walk a lot while pregnant, or who tend to have back pain or strain, might want to consider that support, she adds.
Skims isn’t the first shapewear line to create maternity options. Brands like Spanx, Belly Bandit, and Blanqi all have supportive shapewear options for pregnant and postpartum people. Kardashian West defended her line in a series of tweets on Sunday, stating that she decided to create it after thousands of pregnant women wrote to the brand requesting it—and that its main goals were to provide physical support to the bodies of pregnant and postpartum people.
Of course, it should be said that maternity shapewear can also provide a smoother, smaller silhouette, and it’s certainly possible that people will seek these products for that reason. But given the massive fixation society places on people to lose their baby weight and “bounce back” almost immediately after giving birth, we should cut pregnant people some slack for choosing products that support their physical and mental well-being. “As long as the shapewear is not constrictive and provides gentle support to help smooth out lines/bumps, is it fine,” she says. “Pregnancy is a major transition and many women, especially first-time mothers, may have unrealistic expectations of what their body should look like postpartum.”
If you chose to wear maternity shapewear, make sure it is designed for pregnant and-or postpartum people (read: don’t just buy a regular pair of shapewear shorts) and it’s not too snug. “If it is tight, overly constrictive, it can be irritating to the skin and tissue of the abdomen,” says Dr. Sekhon. This is particularly crucial for the postpartum period, when the body is healing from what it went through during a vaginal birth or a C-section.
The bottom line: Maternity shapewear might not be everyone’s cup of tea. But it can provide some real physical support to a pregnant person’s body. And given how hard it is to be pregnant, who are we to judge?
Turns Out, Dark Chocolate Has a Health Benefit That’s Shockingly Great—And Totally Unexpected
Photo: Getty Images / Renata Hamuda
Of course, type 2 diabetes is a complicated condition and chocolate is usually considered a yummy (rather than nutritious) food, so it’s understandable if you feel like the finding is unexpected. Here’s what the research says, plus what could be behind the link.
What did the research find?
The study, which was published in The BMJ on December 4, analyzed data from three long-term studies: the Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study II, and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. As part of these earlier studies, participants answered questionnaires every four years on what they ate, and these surveys continued for 25 years.
In the nearly 192,000 people who said they ate chocolate, the researchers found that those who said they had at least five 1-ounce servings a week of any type of chocolate had a 10 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared to people who said they rarely or never ate chocolate. The researchers had people report their type 2 diabetes diagnosis in future questionnaires, and confirmed their condition through things like glucose concentration, HbA1c (a blood test that measures a person’s average level of blood sugar over the past two to three months), and symptoms and treatments for type 2 diabetes.
When the researchers drilled down on the types of chocolate people liked, they found that there was no significant drop in diabetes risk for people who said they preferred milk chocolate. However, here’s an even more remarkable finding. People who had at least five 1-ounce servings a week of dark chocolate had a whopping 21 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They also didn’t seem to have long-term weight gain over time as compared to their milk chocolate counterparts.
But, doesn’t chocolate raise blood sugar?
You might be thinking, “Doesn’t chocolate have a lot of sugar?” The quick answer: yes, it can. But, the amount of sugar and the likelihood of chocolate significantly raising your blood sugar levels usually depends on the type of chocolate you eat. “Dark chocolate typically contains more cocoa solids and less sugar compared to milk chocolate,” explains Scott Keatley, R.D., co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. “This means dark chocolate has a lower glycemic index and is less likely to cause sharp blood sugar spikes.”
Dark chocolate is also higher in cacao, which is the raw form of chocolate, he points out. However, milk chocolate’s higher sugar content and lower amount of cacao can cause “quicker and more pronounced” blood sugar increases, Keatley adds.
There could be something more to this than sugar, though, says Christoph Buettner, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the division of endocrinology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “Dark chocolate contains high levels of flavonoids, particularly catechins and epicatechins, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties,” he says. “These compounds can improve insulin sensitivity, enhance blood flow, and reduce oxidative stress, all of which play a role in reducing the risk factors for type 2 diabetes.”
This isn’t the first study to link smaller amounts of dark chocolate to good health. One study published earlier this year found that dark chocolate was “significantly associated” with a lower risk of high blood pressure. Other research has found that the flavanols (a type of flavonoid) in dark chocolate can help protect against heart disease and may even boost brain performance.
But it’s also worth noting that a randomized controlled trial published in Diabetes Care last year found no impact of consuming cocoa on the risk or prevention of type 2 diabetes. The latest study which found a more significant finding between dark chocolate and diabetes risk also relied on the participants remembering what they ate, which can be fudged or misremembered, Keatley says.
Ultimately, while Dr. Buettner says the latest findings are interesting, he stresses that more research is needed.
The bottom line
While dark chocolate may boast health benefits, including lowering your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, moderation is key. “Dark chocolate is calorie-dense and often contains added sugars and fats, which, when consumed in excess, can contribute to weight gain and increased diabetes risk,” Dr. Buettner explains.
But it’s important to remember that chocolate on its own isn’t going to prevent your chances of experiencing diabetes. “Simply adding dark chocolate to an otherwise unhealthy diet is probably not going to lower anyone’s risk of type 2 diabetes,” says Keri Gans, R.D.N., author of The Small Change Diet. “Consuming an overall well-balanced diet with lots of veggies, healthy fats, adequate protein, and an active lifestyle is more likely to do the trick.”
If you’re worried about your type 2 diabetes risk, our experts recommend focusing on incorporating nutritious foods in your meal plan and making time for exercise regularly. But it’s also good to know that having s