The misconception exists that only women with large(r) pregnant bellies require maternity belts. In truth, most pregnant women can experience huge benefits from wearing a belly brace at any point during pregnancy. I found mine to be a lifesaver when standing for extended periods of time (like when out shopping) or during exercise. My belly felt “lifted” and it took the pressure off my already weak back.
In the first trimester, I didn’t grow much, most likely due to the debilitating nausea and nonexistent desire to eat; however, I firmly believe a maternity belt would have still given me the support I needed had I decided to use it early on.
There are subtle differences between Maternity Belts and Belly Bands.
What is a maternity belt and what is a belly band?
Maternity belts are designed to carry the majority of your belly weight and provide belly support during pregnancy. Maternity belts are not as lightweight as belly bands because they hold the belly up.
Belly bands are lightweight fabrics that provide you with proper coverage. When your pants stop fitting, the fabric you place around yourself is called a belly band.
The first few times I had my spouse help me put on a maternity belt and adjust it accordingly – because as we all know, during pregnancy seemingly simple instructions don’t make any sense – one important thing to remember is the instructions suggest putting it on while standing, then lying down to re-adjust it before beginning your day. I can’t emphasize this enough because the initial standing adjustment resulted in a loose-fitting band, but after lying down to re-adjust it felt incredibly strong and supportive.
Most women choose to wear the belt over their clothing to prevent chafing or rubbing of the band material against already sensitive skin. As I was active duty military at the time of my pregnancy, it wasn’t practical or within regulation for me to do the same, so I wore a thin tank top followed by the maternity belt, covered with my standard blue shirt, then finally the military-issue blue camouflage top.
Unfortunately, all these layers only served to increase my already high body temperature so you can imagine how uncomfortable it became. My suggestion to combat the furnace inside you is to layer as needed, but remember the belt acts as an insulator so plan accordingly. Your sweat factor will thank you.
Within this article, the first three items listed are maternity belts (as their title states) and the last three items are belly bands.
1. NeoTech Pregnancy Support Maternity Belt With Strap
The band and its adjoining straps are made of stretchy cotton that hugs and conforms to your curves. Maternity belts can be worn all day, but I wouldn’t recommend wearing them overnight. The belt is adjustable and accommodates not only your growing tummy but also supports the lower back region, hips, and organs while still giving baby room to do somersaults, practice yoga, or whatever he/she/they decide to do in there. This particular belt also comes with a strap to cross over the top of your belly ensuring a roomy fit and the band’s ability to stay in place (I’ve never seen a maternity belt just fall off, but I’m sure if you didn’t wear it snugly it could). Several neutral colors are available, as well as a range of sizes to fit all women. I can’t see this product as being anything you’ll use outside of pregnancy, so it’s definitely an investment during this time, but when you factor in how much support, peace of mind, and comfort it provides then the price tag seems miniscule.
2. Maternity and Abdominal Support Belt
Made with an elastic and breathable material, this belly band provides optimal support for your belly while evenly distributing the weight around the hips and pelvis. It massively reduces the strain on the back therefore providing relief for back pain that comes with pregnancy or caring for a little one while pregnant. It isn’t only specific to pregnancy but also comes in useful postpartum as a belt to tighten your enlarged pelvis or provide support after a c-section. The breathable fabric makes wearing all day sweat-free and airy.
3. Gabrialla Elastic 2-in-1 Maternity and Post Pregnancy Support Belt
Simple enough to wear under clothes, the Gabrialla hoists the belly up to promote a more comfortable position for everyday activities, including active workouts. It is a perfect maternity belt for running. Many women find this maternity belt helpful when recovering from C-sections or other abdominal trauma. There are many sizes available so make sure to order the correct one for your body.
4. Seamless Belly Band with Pants Extenders for Pregnancy and Postpartum
With an easy “pull on” style, this belly band offers mild support or can even provide extra length, much like a shirt being worn as a layering piece. With its seamless design, the belly band can also be worn over unbuttoned jeans or pants to extend the life of pre-pregnancy clothing. In order for this band to stay in place, it has a silicone rubber band on the bottom of the material to ensure there is no unsightly rolling up of the belly band during wear. Without the need to have any assistance in putting the belly band on, it’s very useful during exercise and can be worn while sleeping for ultimate comfort. This 2 pack offers an assortment of colors to match or pair with many different outfits.
5. Ingrid & Isabel Women’s Maternity Everyday Bella Band
During early pregnancy, the Bellaband holds up unbuttoned pre-pregnancy bottoms. When belly is bigger, the Bellaband may be worn as a full panel or folded over to hold up maternity pants. After baby is born, by continuing to wear the Bellaband, moms may find it easier to transition back to previous bottoms or to use as belly coverage while breastfeeding. Made of stretchy nylon with some cotton, the fabric is breathable and supportive. A silicone strip holds the Bellaband in place, in case you had doubts about the band rolling or not looking seamless under clothing. Many sizes and colors are available.
6. Belevation Women’s Maternity Support Belly Band
Made of nylon and spandex, this belly band has more elasticized material to better stretch around the belly and hips/midsection. Unique to the Belevation is the engineered support panel which proves a gentle lift to the band, similar to what you’d find in a maternity belt, but with all the nice touches of a belly band. The Belevation offers a seamless design so it can be worn in every stage of pregnancy, as well as postpartum. Also nice about this belly band is the length. Some belly bands are shorter, but the longer length of the Belevation ensures your belly stays covered underneath most tops. Touted as a layer piece for a growing belly, this band really holds it together!
