family

you’re pregnant, now what? clothes edition: take 1

I’m not going to lie: one of the first things I thought about when dealing with pregnancy was clothing. Clothes shopping is not always an insanely fun activity for us tall folks, and without any friends to lean on in times of crazy questions, I felt like I was on my own for figuring out what in the heck would work out. I mean… I’ve got Dr’s/books/etc. to cover the rest of my questions… but this whole clothes thing is a mystery in itself!

So after the initial freak out, I naturally put the issue to the side… until the nastiness known as “the bloat” appeared out of nowhere one day around week 6/7. I went to slip on a pair of shorts, and suddenly, there was no way to button those things up. I looked in the mirror to see an inner tube around my waist, and panicked about what to do. Obviously the only solution was find the biggest pants/shorts I owned, layer with a tank top, and cross my fingers that no one noticed the bulge at my waistline when I left the house. Oh… and I immediately went out to order 2 of these puppies (in white and black):

BellaBand
The loveable “BellaBand

These things are a savior to both your wallet and your sanity in the early weeks of pregnancy. First, they save you from thinking you need to buy 30+ weeks of maternity clothing… because you don’t! I’ve stayed out of maternity pants through week 20 and stayed in my normal jeans/pants/shorts/etc. with the simple addition of my band. It’s been a blessing for my work attire, because I can still rotate my slacks in and out as normal. They’re also just easy to slip into any wardrobe and be masked as a camisole under whatever shirt you’re wearing.

Why they’re so awesome though? Well… around week 12/13, the bloat just up and left. Suddenly, I was back to normal size, fitting in normal clothes, maybe just needing the top button undone instead of everything. Had I run out to buy maternity clothes, I would have ended up with crazy sizes, because during the bloated times, my midsection grew every which way, not just out into a baby bump.

Now, just as a personal warning, make sure that you buy the REAL BellaBand, and not the BeBand from Target. I only say this out of experience, because the two are not created equally. My mom was kind enough to send me a replacement white BeBand for my BellaBand that was lost among a sock or something around the house. While it’s comfy and works, it’s not as roomy and breathable as the original. While that hasn’t been too much of an issue so far, as the belly has been growing, I know that my BeBand isn’t as comfy as my BellaBand anymore. For the $10 difference, I’d choose the BellaBand. ($26 @ Amazon.com or BareNecessities.com [code: BNFSNJ5E for free shipping or RETAILMENOT09 for 15% off; and use ebates.com for an extra 5% off)

I’ve got to say that it makes me feel good that I can wear my normal jeans and still be pregnant… and it takes a bit of the edge off of the consumer-driven maternity/baby spending spree.

4 Comments

  • HamiHarri

    I heart the Bella band too – but mine only worked for me until about 15/16 weeks. I spent too much time adjusting it :p I know you can buy little clippies to make it more secure to your pants, but I opted for mat pants. Now that I’m wearing elastic waistbanded pants, I fear I’ll never be able to go back – lol. Soooo comfie – but pricey :(

  • Mary

    I knew about BellaBand, but I skipped it entirely. At about 14/15 weeks, I got some elastic waistbanded maternity pants. I figured that eventually I would need to buy maternity pants anyway, so I might as well buy them sooner so I can wear them longer. Yes, they were a bit loose (still are actually even though I am 18 weeks now), but I wear long shirts to cover the elastic band part just the pants fall down a bit.

  • MandyBChan

    I love the Bella Band. You’re right about the stupid ones from Target! If you’re looking for clothes try H&M. They have adorbale maternity clothes at the cheap H&M prices. What size are you? My girlfriend is selling her maternity jeans-she has true relig, Rock & Republic, Seven for all Mankind…shes a size 2 and only wore them a few times. Just a thought since I know maternity jeans are hecka pricey!