S.H.
It worked great for the first few months. Once the belly really starts to fill out it's not so good. Also came in handy after I had my son, before I lost all the pregnancy weight. Good luck!
I am interested in buying a bella band but was wondering if anyone has any experience with one. I want to know good and bad before I purchase one. I would love to not have to buy maternity clothes for a while if the band will actually work.
Thanks so much for all of the input! I will definitely try the rubber band. I am just sad because this is my second pregnancy and my maternity clothes from the first are all too tight and I'm only 12 weeks! Oh well, guess I'll go try one and see what happens!
It worked great for the first few months. Once the belly really starts to fill out it's not so good. Also came in handy after I had my son, before I lost all the pregnancy weight. Good luck!
I never felt totally comfortable using it with unbuttoned pre-pregnancy clothes, but I used it EVERYDAY with my maternity clothes! When they were a little big, the Bella Band held them up, and then when they did fit, I just felt more comfortable with the band--to hold my belly tight and just smooth everything out under my shirts. Don't forget, you may also need it AFTER the baby comes--when you're still feeling a little poochy.....
They are okay, I was pulling mine up and messing with it for a while. I great trick is just a simple rubber band. You can loop it around the button on your pants and go through the button hole then back to wrap around the button.
Then wear your shirt untucked over your pants.
Gives you about two inches of extra room in your waistband.
I am 23w and love mine.
I loved the Bella Band- used it all the time...it saved me tons of $$$ not having to buy maternity bottoms. Can use Postpartum as well.
loved them. I used them a lot during my 1st and 2nd trimester but felt they were a little to snug for the third trimester. They are also great for post pregnancy body to help the stretched muscles.
I purchased mine off of ebay really cheap and they were ok.
I liked my bella bands, and didn't really have a problem with them rolling down, but by the end of my pregnancy I found it uncomfortable to have them all the way over my belly. I felt like they put too much pressure on me.
I also had a b-buckle, which I liked. Same concept as a rubber band really. You snap the ends around your belt loops instead of buttoning your pants. There are snaps all the way across, so you can go bigger and bigger as you need to. :) http://www.mybbuckles.com/
As for holding up my pants it was completely useless. I tried it one time when the rubber-band trick no longer worked, and I was pulling my pants up & my shirt down all day!
I did wear it under my maternity clothes for a little extra support before it was time for the belly bra which was a godsend during my last pregnancy. The first time around, I had no problems at all, but with my 2nd, I was huge & felt it!
The bella band was also great for extra ab support after my c-section when I still had to support my belly during awful things like coughing or laughing! =o)
Definitely get a few!! They are great! I use them more post partum than I do when I first get preggo. I gain weight pretty fast in the beginning and am out of regular jeans by like 3.5 months :-(
I think they are pretty expensive a the Motherhood store. I got mine at Target pretty cheap. They have held up through 2 pregnancies so far!
I think it depends on your body type. I got one and hated it. I am a small person 5'3, 109 lbs and when I was pregnant it was too big. I got the smallest size and would even roll mine down and my pants still fell down or the band would hike up to my bra. It didn't fit and work right until I was 8 or 9 months pregnant and by then my regular maternity pants fit fine without the band. for me it was a waste of money. So if you are small like me you might not want to try one.
Greatest invention!!! I have 4!
I didn't really use mine at the beginning this time, but at the end it is necessary, or I would have to buy some circus tents to cover my belly for the last few weeks. Mine does roll up, but still beats showing my belly to everyone. Another option is the Blush topless shirt. I got these (even when I had the Bella Band for breastfeeding modesty, and they were awesome. May not stretch enough to do both pregnancy and breastfeeding, but they are more t-shirt material and very comfortable.
Hello!! I haven't read any of the responses to your question so I do apologize ahead of time if this is a repeat of what you've read. I don't exactly have the Bella Band but I have similar band that I purchased at Target. I love it!! I'm 15 weeks into my pregnancy and haven't had to wear maternity bottoms since the band is holding up my regular pants. It's worked wonders for me. It's very comfortable. I hope this helps.
I really liked mine, but my cousin hated hers! I think it really depends on your body type. Some people say they roll down. I didn't have this problem. I still used a rubber band or hair tie looped around my button to help keep my pants up! I used the bella band to cover it up. Hope this helps.
I absolutely loved mine. I needed it because I wore a uniform at work and it was not a maternity shirt, so it wouldn't cover my belly. So I used it to hold my pants up and cover the gap. It worked fairly well for extending the life of your regular clothes. But more than that, I loved the extra support it gave my belly. If I happened to leave the house without it, by the time I got home from running errands my muscles, skin and ligaments would be so tired and achy. By the end of the day without it I would be supporting my belly weight with my hands. But when I wore it, I had none of that stretching, pulling sensation. I definitely recommend them.
I loved loved loved my bella bands. Used them at first before I had to switch to maternity clothes, then once I had the baby and still had to wear maternity clothes and now I sometimes use them when I want to wear a pair of pants that are a little bit too big. I'm also a huge fan of the pants with a panel built in, not the ones that go under the belly which probably explains my love for the bella band.
I got one when I was 9 weeks along and can't stand it. I did the rubber band trick till I was maybe 14 weeks, but then broke down and bought a few maternity items at Thrift Town. The Bella Band never worked for me...my pants were still falling off if I wore them and the band.