I have found myself in need of some more long sleeved stuff to fit my growing belly. I just don’t have the money or the stomach to spend the money on more maternity clothes, so I found myself looking at the larger-than-I usually-get plus sizes and the men’s section* at Wal-Mart yesterday. And while these are ok, I find the plus size shirts don’t come down long enough to fully cover my belly. With winter inching its way toward us, a covered belly is more a warmth issue than a fashion one.

So today, I checked out the Bella Bands online. This is a band of fabric used to help keep pants up, and possibly let pregnant women wear non-maternity pants longer. I have several pairs of pants that fit my legs, but when they get to my belly, they just don’t really stay up.

I actually had a bella band in an online shopping cart, but I decided to go ahead and see if the Motherhood store at the mall had any. They carry their own version, the tummy sleeve. I tried on the plus size one and it was too big. So I went down a size and it was perfect. Not only did it keep my pants up all day, it helps keep my belly covered when my shirts don’t really do the job.

And now that I have this quick $15 fix, I might be able to bring back some of my pre-maternity things and expand my wardrobe even more.

*I prefer the men’s section for sleep pants. I finally have a pair of PJs that fit and keep me warm.