Questions about swelly belly band (abdominal binder)

i am looking to buy a "swelly belly" but wondering if it is really a must have.... how long do you wear it?? and can you purchase them preowned??

I was given a binder at the hospital which was OK for around the house, since it went from below my boobs down to my crotch. But, there was no way I could wear it under clothes. I suppose when I went out I could have worn it over my clothes and resembled a warehouse worker!! Personally, I only wore the binder for the first two weeks off and on. After that, my swelly belly was just swelly but not that uncomfortable. Later on, around 4 weeks, if I had to be standing for a while (like short trips to grocery w/ DH) control top pantyhose worked just fine. Although, couldn't wear them very long because they irritated my bikini cut. Good luck, hope your swelling disappears quicker than mine. I'm at 8 weeks now, and still a little swollen. By the afternoon, if I've overdone the day I'm alot swollen. I use the size of my belly to determine how much is too much. Don't make the mistake I did, by forcing yourself to walk around the house alot. Doing so, led me to little chores that I had no business doing (unloading dishwasher, scooping the cat box, bending over to pick up various "hubby" litter from the floor i.e. socks, remote, sports pages, etc.) Try your hardest to stay in bed for the first week....Good luck, I think you'll find this site invaluable during your recovery!