Review: The Ultimate Support Belt

I promised a review of The Ultimate Maternity Belt and here it is...best $30 I've spent.  It's a God-send!  First of all it takes the weight of my baby and helps me carry it in my back instead of tugging on my abdominal muscles.  It also helps with round ligament pain.  This is perfect for days when I'm standing and moving a lot at work.  I also put it on when I'm doing household chores that require a lot of movement.  I'm carrying low and it's nice to have some of the pressure off my lower belly.  It takes a little practice putting it on, the main part of the belt connects just under the bump and has two smaller belts on the sides.  It's important that you don't have it too low or all the tension will be on your bladder.  The thicker belt pulls around and connects (based on how tight you want it) to comfortably pull the belly back and another pulls down and connects (based on your comfort level) to gently lift the belly up so your back supports the weight.  You are wearing it correctly if it looks like belly bondage via Christian Grey.

The downside, the belt puts more pressure on your bladder making it feel like you need to potty more frequently.  It's not terrible comfortable if you are doing a lot of sitting.  If you are up and down the way I am during the day it's fine but I take it off if I'm sitting for long periods.  It's a total pain to take off and put back on when you have to use the bathroom, but it's a minor concern giving the amount of relief get by wearing it.  I personally can't wear it right next to my skin, shockingly it is easy to hide underneath my clothes though.  I normally wear a Liz Lange tank under my clothes most days anyway, so I put mine on over my tank and under whatever shirt I plan to wear that day.  The velcro pieces are a little lumpy under my tighter fitting tops which I think some people might find off putting.  Personally I don't care, but I also have a job where I can throw on a lab coat to hide any lumps or bumps if I feel self-conscious - a loose fitting cardigan would work the same wonder.

I bought mine at Destination Maternity, there are so many styles for support belts and this was the simplest and least expensive to try.  I'm so glad I got one and I'd advise anyone who spends a good amount of time on their feet to get one at the start of their third trimester.  The store has several open that you can try on while there and an associate can help you if you have concerns with fit.