Maternity "Bands" (like bellaband)

[Anonymous]

What kind of maternity pants band do you recommend? I am 15 weeks and have officially outgrown all my pre-pregnancy pants except one but am still too small for maternity clothes. I am considering buying one of those bands, as the rubber band trick ain't working for me. I've heard good and bad things about the BellaBand (it rides/bunches) but I wanted to hear what you used and if it was any good. Thanks for your input!

[Anonymous]

Bella Band

The good:
High-quality material
Comfortable when in the right position
Looks like a camisole, so no one knows what you're actually wearing/why you're wearing it
Thick enough material that when doubled over, you can't see the waist band of your pants (i.e., people can't tell your pants are unzipped).
Doesn't lose stretchiness throughout the day (meaning that it works just as well at 6pm as it did at 8am; also means you don't need to wash it every time).

The bad:
Rides up when sitting (more in the back than the front)
Worry throughout the day that it's slipped up and your unzipped fly is showing
Somewhat expensive

[Anonymous]

I have a BeBe Band (Targets version of the Bella Band - but still made by Bella Band).

Honestly, at 15 weeks I couldn't stand it. It did ride up, slouch down, etc. I spent most of my day fixing the darn thing.
At 16 weeks is when I finally couldn't fit into my regular clothes anymore, although I still wasn't quite big enough for full on maternity pants. I did buy 2 pairs of maternity pants though. I went to Motherhood (which by the way, Macy's also sells the Motherhood line with a much better return policy) and bought a pair of chino shorts with the Secret Fit panel and a pair of underbelly pants. You really need to go in and try on all the different styles. I had no idea there were so many different options. I found that the underbelly was the most comfortable when I was in between regular and maternity. The Secret Fit can be folded down to act the same way as the underbelly pants.

Now at 28 weeks, today is the first day I am using the BeBe Band again. This time I am using it as a belt to keep my maternity jeans up where they should be, far more comfortable than using the band to camoflauge too small pants.

[Anonymous]

I'm 32 weeks and wearing a Bella Band right now with some pre-pregnancy pants. Sometimes it rides up a little and I have to readjust (in the back more than the front) but I couldnt stand wearing maternity pants when they were still too big for me. I already felt fat and the bagginess of the maternity pants just looked so frumpy on me.

[Anonymous]

I just use the thing that goes on your button to extend it. This works better for me.

[Anonymous]

I love the BeBand. I used it constantly until 27 weeks. I still use it sometimes, but as you get bigger, the more the thing tends to ride up in the back and I had to constantly adjust it. Now, full on maternity pants are much more comfy. It definitely helped me get through my 2nd tri though, and I expect I'll use it a lot post-partum.

The target one is only $16, so it's not the end of the world if you buy it and don't like it.

[Anonymous]

I use my bella band with tunic shirts. I use the bella band to help keep my pants up (i still have to use a rubber band with my jeans) but mostly i use it to camouflage the fact that my pants are open so it doesn't show through my shirts. my shirts are long enough that if it did ride up i wouldn't have to worry about my zipper showing.

[Anonymous]

To 13:57 - the bagginess of the maternity jeans really bothered me too, until I tried on about 10 different pairs. I went to a Motherhood store while in NC and received the best customer service ever. She explained to me that you really need to read the material label of the jean. Maternity jeans in general are made to be super stretchy, but if you find the jeans that have more cotton than lycra/spandex they won't be so baggy. I ended buying a pair that was 98% cotton and they fit perfectly. They are the American Star brand from Motherhood, but they are the more expensive brand. They were $45 I think, but well worth it.

[Anonymous]

I used the target one for all of about 3 weeks. My pants just won't stay up if the button is undone. BUT, I have absolutely no hips or butt, so it might be a body shape thing.

[Anonymous]

I didn't buy any, got some from friends (bella and the target brand), but I have to say that I never liked it, felt it would ride/bunch/be visible. I finally bought some gap and some motherhood maternity pants with stretchy waists which were SO much more comfortable and I still wear them at 26 weeks and will hopefully fit into them for a long time. But to each her own. You could try to borrow some, or find used ones on ebay, see if it works for you. Some friends used them until 8 months, but most women I knew eventually transitioned to maternity pants.

[Anonymous]

I loved the BeBand....I was only able to use it for about 8 weeks in between regular and maternity clothes, but I thought it was an absolute lifesaver, and very comfortable. I feel as though I saved a lot of money not buying maternity clothes that were on the small side because of the $16 band. Totally worth every penny.

[Anonymous]

I bought one Bella Band during my first pregnancy two years ago, and I have gotten a ton of use out of it during both pregnancies and postpartum, both times. If you've ever seen those ads where they show four different uses, that is me -- I used it all four ways! It does ride up, no getting around that, so I do spend time adjusting it. But for whatever reason, most pants just won't stay up in late pregnancy on me, so I use it to keep my pants up. Early in pregnancy and postpartum I use it to keep too-big maternity pants and jeans up. If I had a ton of money to spend on maternity clothes, I could probably find some that fit me better, but since I don't, the Bella Band has worked well for me.