Has anyone tried extending pants by using a rubber band, instead of buying maternity clothing?
I’m trying to find "cost-effective" ways of going through my pregnancy..does this work..
I work full-time and so does my husband so it’s notlike I don’t have money to buy maternity clothes it’s just that I still want to avoid spending money when it’s only temporary
I’m almost 20 weeks and doing that as we speak lol. I actually have a hair tie looped around my button, through the hole, and back on the button. It works to a point, but sometimes if you are sitting for long periods it can get a bit uncomfortable. I’m not sure how long it will work, but it’s a quick fix until you just can’t stand it anymore! But like someone else said, it only works if you wear a shirt long enough to cover it up 
December 25th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Yah, sure, I’m pretty sure a lot of women have done that.
Check ebay, Old Navy, Kohls and Gap Maternity. They have clearance sections where you can get good deals.
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December 25th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
It does work, but unless youre really small probably wont work throughout the entire pregnancy. I always was able to just wear my jeans under my belly and wear a bella over my jeans. you can also get away with only buying one or two maternity pants.
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December 25th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
yes i have tried that and did it for a while until my tummy got bigger and i just went and got a size bigger in regular pants, i never got maternity clothes,
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December 25th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
i did the rubber band thing. and also went to sears and got a generic Bella Band for 16$ (beats paying 40 online) and it helps so you can keep your pants up GREAT INVESTMENT!!!!
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December 25th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
I had a pair of jeans that I just looped a hair elastic through the button hole, then wrapped it around the button. Of course, only works if you’re wearing a long shirt. It all just depends on how you carry and how big your belly gets. I just bought some bigger clothes, since you don’t want to wear tight things after giving birth. Also, look at consignment shops. The few pieces of actual maternity clothes I had came from a resale shop.
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December 25th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Never tried that but I doubt it would work.. I know that I brought maternity jeans at motherhood maternity and they’re so comfortable and awesome. I think I might wear them for a little bit after pregnancy then put them away in case I have another baby.. and if I don’t then I will donate them to a pregnant woman in need! So don’t think it’s only a one time deal, because those pants can be used again and again and again..
Instead of buying maternity shirts (because I didn’t like the way they look), I brought shirts in a larger size.. and I got a couple of maternity shirts (for 14.99) at Spencers because they’ve got funny pregnant sayings on them. Also, you can buy tights, dresses, and sweat pants.. they will also be helpful during this time!
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http://guideonpregnancy.blogspot.com/
Great site for us pregnant women, those TTC, and those who are just curious!
December 25th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Hi. I’m 21 weeks and I still do the rubber band trick sometimes. It does get to a point where it’s not that comfortable anymore though. One thing that I tried, I took an old stretchy tank top and cut out a half circle. Then I cut a half circle out of a pair of my pre pregnancy jeans and sewed the stretchy material in. It worked really, really well. In some craft/fabric stores they actually sell "belly panels," so that you don’t have to cut up your shirts! Unfortunately, the pants can’t go back to normal, but I just did it to a pair that I didn’t mind losing. I also got a few pair of pregnancy pants on Ebay that were pretty inexpensive. If you search google or yahoo, there are actuall instructions on how to alter your own pants like I did. Congrats, and good luck!
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December 25th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
My mom showed me this trick the other day! lol yeah it works a little but it’s kinda hard if the leg area of your pants are super tight and you can’t function haha..but this is fine just wear a big flowy shirt to cover it or something!
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December 25th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Yeah, my mother told me to do that for a while. But I doubt it will work late in pregnancy. Just buy a couple of pants and wear them over and over.
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December 25th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
with my first son ( i am a large woman) i could not find any maternity pants in my size. so yes i did find some elastic so i could make my jeans last through my whole pregnancy. just with long shirts lol
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December 25th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Rubber band trick is AWSOME!! Even if you’re not showing, but feel really bloated, etc. Try it out, it’s amazing how much of a difference it makes!
But I don’t know if it work in your 3rd trimester… maybe try a DI/2nd hand store. I don’t want to spend lots of money on maturnity clothes, when I know I’m only going to need those clothes for a short time.
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December 26th, 2009 at 12:10 am
i used thicker elastic hair ties, they were less likely to snap then rubber bands, i never bought maternity clothes i did buy a larger size tunics that worked and baby doll shirts, they worked just as well as maternity and were a lot cuter
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December 26th, 2009 at 12:16 am
I’m almost 20 weeks and doing that as we speak lol. I actually have a hair tie looped around my button, through the hole, and back on the button. It works to a point, but sometimes if you are sitting for long periods it can get a bit uncomfortable. I’m not sure how long it will work, but it’s a quick fix until you just can’t stand it anymore! But like someone else said, it only works if you wear a shirt long enough to cover it up
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December 26th, 2009 at 12:32 am
I did this when I was too small to fit into maternity clothes, but my belly got big enough that the zipper would dig into my skin, and everything would just be so uncomfortable. I didn’t gain a lot of weight either… only 20#.
With my 1st pregnancy, I shopped only clearance and sales, and still spent about $500 on maternity clothes. Fortunately I am able to use them this pregnancy, and I’ve only had to buy about $200 worth of new items.
For whoever gave me the thumbs-down… its not like I have money to spare, but I am a professional and can wear neither jeans nor sweats to work. I also had some special events that required dressing up. A funeral, a graduation, meetings with clients, a family photo…
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December 26th, 2009 at 12:43 am
I managed to fit into my normal pants for most of my pregnancy, and since then I’ve survived easily on one pair of maternity jeans and sweatpants the rest of the time! I didn’t do the rubber band thing, but I have worn my pants zipped but not buttoned, and just with a long shirt overtop. I’m with you though – I hate the thought of spending money on clothes I’ll only be wearing for a little while, which is why one pair of maternity jeans (that I got on sale, no less!) have lasted me the whole time. You can also try a safety pin instead of a rubber band – haven’t done that myself either, but it’s the same sort of thing.
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December 26th, 2009 at 1:09 am
yep and it worked for about 2 weeks.
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December 26th, 2009 at 1:38 am
Yes, I did that! It worked from week 14 to week 22. Now at week 24 the gap is too big, and if my longer maternity shirts pull up for any reason, you can see more than I want you to see! Lol.
I bought some very reasonable maternity clothes from "motherhood." I know that it’s just for a few months, but you will feel a lot better about yourself and your body if you were comfortable clothes that fit and look good.
The elastic trick will make it longer until you have to buy maternity wear, but you will have to buy it eventually! Try to get it second hand if you don’t want to spend a fortune.
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December 26th, 2009 at 2:05 am
I used a hair tie… that worked until I was in my 6th month then I had to give in and buy maternity pants… motherhood has a lot of really cute really inexpensive pants that are so comfortable!
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December 26th, 2009 at 2:37 am
i completely understand not wanting to spend money on temporary clothes. i never bought them. i used a thin ponytail holder to loop my pants together, but it wouldn’t reach once i reached about 7 months. but my husband talked me into quitting work at 6 months so i resorted to wearing big loung pants and my pajamas for the rest of the time.
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December 26th, 2009 at 3:26 am
I sure did. I was trying to save as Much money as possible and I used a pony tail holder. I was able to wear all my jeans, so that was not only a huge penny saver but a relief to know that my legs could still go into my jeans
lol
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