If you need some belly support when pregnant, here are some great belly supports you can use. This post is sponsored by JOBST® but all opinions are my own.
Pregnant women all carry their babies differently in their bodies, causing some women to barely show at 40 weeks pregnant, others to get wide hips, while others pop bellies straight forward.
I’m definitely in the latter camp.
And while I generally appreciate the compliments from strangers and friends about having an “all-belly” pregnancy or “carrying all out front” or whatever, that huge torpedo-like belly I sport is HEAVY!
It’s especially heavy when growing large babies (my last singleton was over 11lbs) or as it’s doing now by growing twins (for the second time).
This is the first pregnancy I have splurged on getting belly support bands, and I am kicking myself for not getting them and wearing them with all of my earlier pregnancies!! Wearing a belly support band has been a huge game changer for me!
Benefits of Wearing Belly Support Bands
When I don’t have a pregnant belly support band on, my belly feels extra heavy, especially when ascending an incline, climbing stairs, or just generally! A large pregnant belly puts a LOT of extra stress and weight on your lower extremities.
Because I wear a belly band for support each day, all day long now, my legs aren’t swelling legs. My labia (with its horrible varicose veins) isn’t swelling or throbbing. My feet don’t look like sausages and I don’t have cankles, and I am 35 weeks pregnant with twins!!
I find that to be quite the feat to not be experiencing those symptoms, as I definitely did in my last pregnancy with that 11lb baby I mentioned earlier and it was pretty miserable because of it.
Back pain is greatly lessened as well. There were some definite points in my pregnancy where my back was in serious pain, and usually, it was because I did too much physically and didn’t have on a belly support band. When I’ve since done more strenuous physical things around the home (think preparing the home for baby stuff), I made sure to wear the belly support bands and my back was way, way better feeling.
While my lower body and back are definitely not pain-free during this pregnancy, the lift and back support that pregnant belly support bands provide help lessen or mitigate the pain I feel.
Belly Support Bands
I have tried out three different supportive belly bands this pregnancy and they all have their pros and cons in terms of their comfort-level for all-day use, support, and so on.
I just received a JOBST® maternity belt and there are some pretty neat features about it that make it very comfortable and supportive.
The JOBST maternity band has two hard vertical back support bars built into it for added back support, an anatomical fit (with the band decreasing in thickness in the front so it doesn’t roll and get bunched up on those big torpedo bellies), and has adjustable velcro straps for a tighter or looser fit.
I find it very comfortable to wear. I also like that it has a very low profile and doesn’t show much at all underneath those tight stretchy maternity tops/pants.
The JOBST Maternity support belt currently comes in a rose color, white and black, in sizes S-XL (I ordered the XL) which is approximately 32″-52″ around your hip measurement.
You can order a JOBST belly support band for yourself on Amazon!
Compression Stockings
Another great pregnancy belly support comes from wearing maternity compression stockings!
I haven’t ever worn compression stockings before this pregnancy either. I guess that’s mostly because I don’t really get varicose veins in pregnancy on my legs.
But, JOBST sells opaque maternity tights that has an elastic belly “Maternity SoftFlex Zone” that adapts to your growing belly to help lift and support your belly even more.
There are also several additional benefits for wearing JOBST maternity compression stockings. These include: Less nausea and vertigo, higher comfort and well-being, significantly less edema (swelling of legs/feet), and a lighter feeling in legs, belly, and back.
With a summer pregnancy, I was a little leery about wearing the full-on opaque JOBST maternity stocking (panty version) as I didn’t want to sweat and be warmer than I already naturally am right now.
But, they’ve designed these stockings with knitted-in ventilation zones for optimized air circulation, placed in the cavity between the toes and the foot. Plus, the special yarn of the tights wicks away moisture and can still be very comfortable on the skin.
The JOBST Maternity Support Stockings come in five colors – caramel, black, anthracite, navy, and cranberry – and three different styles – knee high, thigh high, and maternity panty. Sizes range from S-XL and two different compression classes: 15-20 mmHG and 20-30 mmHG.
You can order the JOBST maternity support stockings on Amazon.
I got the size L and 15-20 mmHG. They were very tight on the feet and calves through the knees and then very comfortable on the thighs and belly. Yes, even over my very large belly. They didn’t dig into my stomach at all which was amazing!
In addition to the products I have been wearing, JOBST also sells maternity belly bands and postnatal tubes which you can find on Amazon.
Other Tips for Supporting Pregnant Bellies
Moving slowly and carefully while pregnant is super helpful in avoiding pregnancy belly pain and discomfort, especially of the round ligament variety. Quick motions and sudden movements can pull those ligaments and cause some serious pain (though thankfully not too long-lasting usually).
This is especially true when going from a seated or rested position to a standing position and vice versa. Go slow. Grab onto things for support, and hold your belly! If you feel pain at the front of your hips/lower abdomen (aka round ligament pain), stop and rest and wait for it to pass before standing.
When it comes to pregnancy sleep, a pregnancy sleep pillow can help a lot in supporting your belly as you sleep. I like to hold my belly as I roll over at night as well, and go very slowly!
Also, avoid jack-knifing up from a resting or lying down position as that can put extra strain on your abdominal muscles (and contributes to diastasis recti).
This means, instead of going from your back to sitting straight up, you’d use your hands to support you as you sit up from a side-sitting or resting position instead.
I am sure there are additional products and tips out there on pregnant belly supports, but I hope that this post helps! You don’t have to hurt so much ladies! Use the amazing tools and belly supports out there and have a more comfortable pregnancy.
For more pregnancy tips and advice, check out the following posts:
- Surviving Long Road Trips While Pregnant
- Best and Worst Things About Being Pregnant
- Top-Rated Postpartum Belly Wraps, Corsets, and Binders
- Fun Gender Reveal Ideas
- Pregnancy Box Subscriptions That Pamper Mom-to-Be
- Best Maternity Clothes Subscription Boxes
- What Moms Need to Know About Delivering BIG Babies
- Essential Checklist for Preparing House for Baby
- 15 Must-Have Essentials for Newborns
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