Baby Got (a Bad) Back

During her marathon training last year, Jenn embraced (har har) the Moji knee brace. When I announced my pregnancy, the company sent its congratulations—along with a Moji back pain relief system to try.

I know a lot of women have lower-back pain during pregnancy, and I’ve been fortunate not to have been one of them (so far!). However, I doubt there’s a pregnant woman in the world that doesn’t have some sort of general pregnancy discomfort, so I set out to see if the Moji brace could help. And it is fab-u-lous.

The Moji back system is an awesome two-fer deal: You get a heat cell that you can microwave for warm relief and a cold cell you can freeze for a frosty feel. The pack of your choice then Velcros into the support wrap, which then wraps around your waist. Easy peasy! Although it’s not specifically designed for pregnancy or the pregnant belly, I found it to be roomy enough to accommodate my girth, with room to spare.

I tried the warm pack first and seriously, I may be wearing this thing daily for the remaining six weeks of my pregnancy. Not only does the warmth feel great on my lower back, but the support of the brace on my belly also feels really nice. As my midsection grows, the extra support is much appreciated. The cold pack is a little more hard core and not quite as soothing, but it’s great to have the option to alternate between heat and cold to suit your needs. On a hot summer day, the cold may be just what the doctor ordered. Plus, no annoying drips from a plastic baggie!

Bonus to the Moji? It’s perfect for the pain of labor (or so I imagine; I’ll find out soon). The instructor for my childbirth class filled tube socks with 5 pounds of rice, which she then microwaved so that the hubbies could use them as massage tools for our low backs. The Moji keeps warm heat on your back without wasting rice OR tuckering your birth partner out! —Erin