Maternity Lifesaver: Tummy Sleeves

I have looked high and low for perfect maternity jeans.  My experience with maternity jeans is that they don’t fit right, they fall down, the band comes up to an awkward place, and on and on.  I once ripped the panel on one particular pair of maternity jeans from having to constantly pull them up!  Unfortunately, the ones that seem like they might work for me are way out of my price range. 

Tummy sleeves are an excellent, inexpensive option for women who share in my dilemma.  Basically, it is a band that you can wear around your tummy and waist area.  They have several different uses.

1. Wear them over your unbuttoned/unzipped bottoms.  This is how I use them, even now when I’m only weeks away from delivering.  This is a great money saver; I can wear my regular jeans and save on the cost of maternity jeans.  I have also done this for skirts.

2.  Wear them over maternity bottoms that don’t fit quite right.

3. Wear them while nursing for extra coverage.  Whether or not you use a nursing cover, part of your tummy tends to show when you nurse your little one.  You can cover your mid-section with the tummy sleeve.  Nursing tops are an option, but why not buy one product that you can use throughout pregnancy and nursing?

Recommendations:

 Bella Band

What I love about these tummy sleeves from Ingrid & Isabel is that you can get them with a lace bottom.  If your Bella Band is visible, then it will just look like you are wearing a lacy camisole underneath.  They come in a variety of colors and sizes.  Also available in organic materials.

Price: Varies by retailer

Planning on buying several? Your best bet is to check out the Bella Band sale at JC Penney.

 

The Tummy Sleeve

The Tummy Sleeve is from Motherhood Maternity.  Though there are fewer options (one size, three colors), these cost $7-10 dollars less than Bella Bands.  I can tell you from experience that these are durable.  This is the one that I use; it has lasted me through two pregnancies.

Price: 16.98

 

 

 

Belly Bands

Belly Bands are from Baby Be Mine.  They come in a variety of colors, patterns, and are available in four different sizes.  Baby Be Mine also has a special bamboo Belly Band collection, available in five different colors.  They are made from naturally grown bamboo and naturally breathable – a definite bonus for the pregnant women who feel hot all the time.  They are anti-static, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and 98% UV protective.

Price: 16.99 for regular fabric, 23.99 for bamboo