I'm not expecting yet (or if I am I am only a few days along) but I was wondering if anyone has worn a Belly Band equivalent to keep pre-pregnancy clothes up before maternity pants fit. My waistband was tight very early in my second pregnancy and I wear a lot of slacks for work but have heard that a lot of the bands do not look like a camisol layer underneath. Are there any that layer as though you're wearing a camisol while holding your pants up? I do not want to leap into maternity wear when I don't need to (and gave everything away anyway) but also do not want to go to work in the office with the "rubber band trick," which would show horribly with the kind of pants I wear. Thanks!
Any other ideas would be great, but I also will probably live in skirts--I have a lot of roll-top and soft waist skirts. Our dress code is business casual, so I can pull off a dress-up t-shirt kind of top with slacks, or corduroys with a blouse. I probably won't be wearing any suit material for the summer anyway (if I'm pregnant this summer). Most of my tops are longer because I have a mom belly and it keeps things looking smoother, which is why I was hoping for something to keep the pants up that looked like a layer. :)
Thanks for the ideas! It sounds like the fit and the material make a difference. I wear a lot of camisoles under blouses for work so might end up looking for some gently used bands to give it a shot. I can't afford a new work wardrobe on bottom unless I find one for sale second-hand yet, but I'm sure I will need it earlier this time around, if we're so blessed. Thanks again! :)
I swore by the belly band. I didn't have to buy maternity clothes until I was about 6 or 7 months along because of them. I had one in every color. I even wore them w/ my regular clothes after I gave birth.
It wont hold your pants up but it will cover you up and you can do the rubber band thing and use the band to cover it. I wore mine all the time! Really all the time. I would suggest getting more than one because I was constantly searching for mine in the wash. I could not have lived without it.
Works pretty well for casual clothes which was fine for me. It looks better with a bigger/longer top. It might be harder to make it work if you need to dress up in a suit or something dressy for work. One friend who had a corporate job managed to get through the summer in dresses and skirts (throw on a blazer to look dressed up) and then move to maternity dress clothes in the fall.
I got a Bella Band and was able to wear my x-small scrubs throughout my entire pregnancy. I don't remember wearing it much with my regular clothing, or if it kept my pants up, but I never did buy maternity scrubs or even any bigger sizes. As I got bigger and bigger more of the Bella Band showed and it looked like I was wearing a camisole underneath. All the larger sized scrubs I tried on made me look like I was wearing a garbage bag.
Bella band great for early and very late pregnancy. It held up my regular pants, then held up maternity pants that were a bit too big. I also used it sometimes in late pregancy sorta like a support band and it helped...
I love mine. Just 7 weeks along right now so not ready for maternity pants and can't button my regular ones.
I abslutely loved mine. I think the key is to get one that's not too small. The first one I got was a small and it rolled. The medium was perfect. Pre-pregnancy, I was a size 8, depending on the clothes. I was able to wear my regular (non-maternity) pants for a whole lot longer than with my other pregnancies. I wore casual clothes because I was a SAHM, but I saw on the websites, bands that had a lace bottom, that would be better for a more formal attire. Also, later in my pregnancy, when they were no longer holding up my jeans, I still wore it because so many of the maternity shirts I had, had been washed so many times, they had shrunk. Even the new ones weren't long enough for my taste. Then, after my daughter was born, I desperately wanted to get back into my pre-preggo jeans that I wore the bands before I could comfortably button them. *A tip would be to use a rubber band to keep the button and button opening together, then wear the band over that. Just a suggestion.
ugh, i hate hate hate the belly band. i got it when i was 9 weeks along, and it is absolutely horrid! it did not hold my work pants up...in fact, quite a few times they'd let my pants go and fall down in front of coworkers :(
I used the black one all throughout my last pregnancy with a couple fo my work pants and continued to post partum. I found it more useful in keeping too big or loser pants up than the other way around. The bottom of the band is structured to look like the bottom of a t-shirt or camisole so you can totally use it to layer.
I had 2 of them when I was pregnant and found that only one of them really worked. One was made from t-shirt material, which was comfortable, but it didn't hold my pants up at all and after a while was too stretched out to stay put over my belly. The other one I had was made out of some kind of spandex or some sort of stretchy material - that one was awesome. I wore it constantly and even used it post partum to hold up my maternity pants that were finally too big for me! If you are ordering one online, definitely check to see what kind of material is used. I can't remember the brand of the one I liked otherwise I would send you the link.... Good Luck!
I loved mine too, and also used it for added support at the end. Also worked well to "bridge the gap" -- when you (or at least I) get really far along, and your huge belly causes your shirt to lift up a little at times. It kept any skin from showing between tops and bottoms!
I used the Bella brand one. I loved it. It didn't exactly look like a camisole, but it wasn't obvious either. It was spandex but didn't look like I had my spanx hanging out :) It worked pretty well for holding my pants up. I folded it in half for the first part of my pregnancy and unfolded it later and it gave extra support. I think the key was using one that was the same color as either your shirt or your pants. With longer tops, it should be fine.
