Belly Bands 101

Over the last seven and a half months I've expereinced all sorts of clothing adventures. From using a hair-tie to hold up my pants to buying new shoes because my feet have grown a whole shoe size. The one piece of clothing I'm most thankful for is the belly band. It's my one true friend, no matter how short my shirts gets or how far my pants won't zip up - its always there to save the day.

Through my clothing travels I've come across 4 of my top choices:

JAKs were my favorite in the beginning. They offer great protection when the top of your pants just wont button, and they appear to be a lace camosile which doubles as a underlayer to any top. They look absolutely fabulous on! However, the downside is that they are not intended as a true belly band, and as I've gotten larger they haven't grown with me as I'd had hoped. They are priced at $38 which I originally thought was a bit high, but I've had mine for almost 2 years now and they show very little wear and hold up very well. They are definetly worth the investment. I plan on using them after I give birth for that second in-between stage of trying to fit back into my original clothes.

Pettel Maternity is another of my go-to belly bands. The material they use is very thin and light weight so it works perfect if your still trying to wear your original clothes or even if you getting a little too large for your maternity clothes. They work best as an underlayer if your shirt is just a little too short and you need something to help cover up the gap. The two biggest bonuses to the Pettel Maternity Belly Band is the price, at just $17, and the assortment of colors and patterns since the majority of belly bands are in black and white.

The Ingrid & Isabel Belly Band is the best option if your trying to hold up your pants! Thats right, I will admit that even at seven and a half months along I'm still trying to fit into my original pants. My pants will not zip or button, but with their extra thick fabric, I don't worry about them falling down. They are twice as thick as all of my other bands, and sometimes tend to get a little hot, but if your trying to save money by wearing your old clothes this belly band is the way to go. They are priced roughly between $26 and $33, and have several varieties to choose from. I recommend buying one size smaller then you think you need because they tend to run a little larger then normal.

The Tummy Sleeve by Motherhood is a great economical choice. They are priced around $17, but offer enough support to hold up your pants without being too hot. My only complaint is that they don't come in very many colors which doesn't give you as many options. They are a mix inbetween the Ingrid & Isabel and Pettel Maternity belly bands that I talked about above.