Promoting activity during pregnancy

“Pregnant women should not have to put up with back problems as accompanying symptoms. They need a solution that helps them be active without much pain. A solution they will also want to wear as their baby bump grows.” This was the underlying mission with which Marvin Schuler, Product Manager for Back Braces at Bauerfeind, and his team started to develop a new pregnancy brace. The Spinova Mum has been on the market since October: a lumbar brace that gently provides lordosis reduction, stabilizes the pelvis, and lifts the belly slightly – allowing greater mobility and well-being.

Why might pregnant women need a lumbar brace?

“The choice of orthopedic solutions for pregnant women is limited. They often don’t receive sufficient care,” explains Marvin Schuler, who completed his training as an expert orthotist as part of his Orthobionics degree at Göttingen University, thus gaining insights into the care product industry. The Product Manager’s conversations with gynecologists and midwives made one thing clear: many pregnant women are less active because of back and pelvic pain, they adopt postures to help relieve pain, and therefore often generate unfavorable conditions for birth and postpartum regeneration. “Being in pain shouldn’t be the norm. They all agreed that pain was a warning sign,” reports Marvin Schuler. “Pain sometimes persists and limits the women’s mobility, during the first few months of being a new mother or beyond.”

Changed biomechanics as a cause of pain

Pregnancy brings major changes. The body’s center of gravity changes toward the front, which results in increased strain on the lumbar spine. Many women compensate for this strain by adopting postures to help relieve pain, making a hollow back (hyperlordosis) which, in turn, can trigger pain. At the same time, hormones cause ligaments and joints to loosen. The sacroiliac joints and the symphysis are affected most often, which can destabilize the pelvis. “Structural disturbances can lead to deep back pain, which significantly limits these women’s movement. Problems with balance are also common. They increase the risk of falling,” Marvin Schuler adds. “Conventional support belts usually just lift the belly a little, provide pregnant women with only limited lumbar relief, and don’t affect the pelvis. Therefore, the Spinova Mum was developed specifically to alleviate pain both in the back and pelvis.”

Special requirements concerning material and fit

Many pregnant women are sensitive to heat and friction. Their metabolic and blood circulation is increased because of the new life growing inside them. The skin on the belly is stretched significantly, which can trigger feelings of tension and irritation more quickly. “We knew: the new brace had to be as air-permeable as possible,” he says, recalling his development work. “We searched in-depth for soft, open-pore materials that feel comfortable to wear.”

Every pregnancy is unique and progresses differently. Weight gain, belly circumference, and accompanying conditions vary widely. The objective was therefore to develop a brace that can adapt and be individually adjustable. “We wanted to create a product solution that would support women during their entire pregnancy,” the Product Manager explains.

Spinova Mum: lumbar support brace with mobilization function

The Spinova Mum has been on the market since October 2024. The lumbar brace for pregnant women can be prescribed for the following indications, for example:

• Low back pain
• Lumbar spine syndrome
• Hyperlordosis
• Symphysis relaxation/rupture
• SI joint problems

“The brace provides three types of relief,” Marvin Schuler elaborates. “Using corset stays, it straightens the lumbar spine, it stabilizes the pelvis via circular compression, and gently lifts the belly.” Patients can adjust the relieving effects themselves. “When they pull the tensioning straps to the side, the belly lifts and lordosis reduction increases. When they pull the straps to the front, the pelvic girdle is stabilized. They can do that while wearing the brace, it doesn’t have to be taken off,” he says, describing the innovative strap system.

The mesh material used is open-pore and therefore breathable as well as skin-friendly. The soft abdominal fastening flexibly adapts to the changing circumference. “We included a longer Velcro section to allow the Spinova Mum to provide support up to birth and during postpartum regeneration.”

First reactions and experiences

The Spinova Mum has been presented at specialist conferences since its launch. The response has been positive throughout. “Many gynecologists and midwives have shown an interest and feel that this lumbar brace can be a possible addition to taping and physiotherapy,” Marvin Schuler summarizes. Some immediately thought of specific cases: “Patients in pain for whom they haven’t previously been able to think of an orthopedic solution,” Schuler continues. Oftentimes, they wanted to find out more about other medical products and how they work: “About compression stockings in cases of vein problems, braces for the hand in cases of hormone-related carpal tunnel syndrome, or knee braces in cases of irritation,” he adds. “Our shared objective is the patients’ noticeable relief during everyday life as well as increased activity,” Marvin Schuler concludes. Feedback from wearing tests and pregnant women’s initial experiences with the Spinova Mum have already demonstrated: many of them feel much more active – and they happily report that their hands are free again because they don’t constantly have to hold their belly.

Lumbar brace for pregnant women: Spinova Mum
The Spinova Mum has been primarily designed to gently treat back and pelvic pain during pregnancy and postpartum regeneration. The brace provides three kinds of relief. It provides lordosis reduction, it stabilizes the pelvis, and gently lifts the belly – using a unique strap system. Find out more.