The first time I saw a BellaBand it was love at first sight. I was done having kids and at my local maternity shop, shopping for someone else. I saw the BellaBand in the window and wondered why I missed out on such a great product with my pregnancies. I sent a love letter to ingrid & isabel, the makers of the BellaBand, asking if they would be interested in advertising at Breastfeeding Moms Unite! The BellaBand can be used postpartum for breastfeeding moms too you know! They responded that if someone on my team was pregnant they would be happy to send me one to review. Perfect! My friend and extended breastfeeding mom extraordinaire Amy was almost finished her first trimester. She agreed to do the review and in exchange received the Everyday Collection BellaBand in black.
The BellaBand comes in four different styles: The Everyday Collection (six colours), The Everyday Organic Collection (three colours), The Everyday Lace Collection (three colours) and The Fall Collection, 2009 (three colours). All of the collections, except the Organic BellaBand, is made out of 84% nylon and 16% spandex (it feels very soft and comfy to the touch) and is machine washable and dryable. The Organic BellaBand is made out of 95% organic cotton and 5% spandex and is also machine washable and dryable.
Here is what Amy had to say about her BellaBand:
I am currently 8 months pregnant (when the photos were taken) and received the BellaBand when I was about 3 months along. This being my third pregnancy, I am aware of all of the frustration around having a consistently changing size and therefore wardrobe. I have a diverse maternity collection ranging from the cute and trendy to the atrocities of the 80’s and 90’s styles. I do have to rave about the benefits to my wardrobe that the BellaBand has allowed me. For starters, beginning with the initial weight gain, the band allowed me to remain in my regular clothing for longer than ever before. For the most part, I have been able to wear the band comfortably with only the button undone on my pants. As well I found it trendy as it only looked like I had layered another shirt underneath my regular shirt. I did find around month six that the band no long worked comfortably with jeans, I felt that it was too tight and I felt too “constrained” in my clothing. However, as of month eight I still will wear the band with regular cotton, non-maternity pants. As the days go by, I find I am more comfortable in looser clothing and do not wear the band as frequently as I did in months 3 to 7. However, it continues to remain an option in my wardrobe. As well, I do find that as I get bigger the part of the band that I fold over sometimes will roll or fold up. It would be a nice option to be able to button it after folding it over my belly. Overall, I am extremely satisfied and pleased with the diversity this band has offered me. I am pleased with the comfort and fashion level it has allowed and I have had to purchase less clothing as I have changed sizes. I give it two thumbs up.
Amy told me she has not needed to wash it so could not respond to how it launders; however, according to the website, “the BellaBand fabric resists piling and fading even through frequent washing and wearing, so you can wear it everyday.”
To re-cap:
Things Amy liked:
- Style versatility.
- Ability to stay in pre-pregnancy clothes longer than ever before.
- Less money spent on maternity wear.
- Comfort, especially from months 3 to 7.
- Since you wear it under your clothes it doesn’t need to be washed very much.
What I like:
- Ability to wear it throughout entire pregnancy including the postpartum period.
- Ability to use to hide the postpartum belly when breastfeeding, if desired.
Things Amy didn’t like:
- She felt “constrained” wearing it with jeans after six months.
- The part of the band that folds over sometimes rolls or folds up in the later stages of pregnancy.
Thanks to Amy for doing this review for Breastfeeding Moms Unite! and thank you again to ingrid & isabel for the opportunity to review their fabulous product. It almost makes me wish I was going to get pregnant again!
To read more about the BellaBand please go to ingrid & isabel.
The BellaBand should be available to buy at most maternity shops.
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Hello! I am in my 8th month and I love the bella band too, and I have washed it several times in the washing machine using cold water, it has the same elastisity after every wash.. I wash mine often because I graciously lather my belly with coco butter and it gets the band sticky! Hope this helps
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