I started to get a lot of sciatic (lower back) pain in the second trimester of my first pregnancy.  After talking with my chiropractor and obstetrician, I decided to try a maternity belt.  I did some research on my own and selected the Curad Universal Maternity Belt. I do have affiliate links for products I’ve bought and love!

What I Like

The price!  This belt was only $20 on Amazon, while others I had looked at online and in stores were closer to $70.

I liked that it was a one-size product, since I didn’t know how much my belly would grow throughout my pregnancy, and I wanted something which would continue to be useful. I appreciate that it’s a neutral color.

The major thing I like, of course, is that it does help with the pain.  When you first feel the belt, you can tell that it has a lot of support built into it, especially the piece which goes along your lower back.  I also felt like it gave my lower abdominal muscles some relief from holding up my baby bump.  My back pain didn’t completely go away but I could definitely tell a difference when I was on my feet at work (as a teacher who had 10+ hour days).

I also like that it’s machine washable (air dry) and very easy to put on.  There are four pieces – the front below-the-belly piece, the back piece, the Velcro elastic band which connects the two, and an optional above-the-belly piece which can keep the belt from sliding around (I didn’t use that last one).

What I Didn’t Like

The main thing which bugged me about the belt is that it gets really uncomfortable if you wear it while sitting.  Basically, the below-the-belly piece will fold over on itself and, due to the tension with the Velcro band, put tension on your lower abdomen.  It feels like how you’d feel if you sat down wearing pants that were way too small in the waist.  For example, for my commute to/from work (about 20-35 minutes), I couldn’t wear it.

I also didn’t like that the belt would start to fray and fall apart because it’s completely put together with Velcro.  The Velcro also would pull apart on the corners and stick to the inside of my maternity pants/dresses, which caused a few pieces of clothing to fray.

Remember that this can be worn above or below your clothes, but it looks very unsightly if it is seen in my personal opinion.  However, some of the seams may be irritable on your skin so a cami may need to be worn underneath.

As I got closer to the end of my pregnancy, I found that having the belt on helped with my back pain but seemed to aggravate my abdominal muscles (basically helping me in the back, but causing more issues in the front).

Overall

This is a great introductory product if you’re experiencing back pain but don’t want to shell out $50+ just to see if a belt will help you at all.  It’s soft and machine washable and very easy to put on yourself.  But if you sit for long periods of time, or have sensitive skin, this may cause you a bit of grief.

Which maternity belt(s) would you recommend?