Maternity Jeans

Do you want to hear the "deal" or the "thing?" Don't worry if you don't know what I'm talking about, just skip this post if you're confused.

As I've mentioned before, I love jeans. In the winter I prefer to wear pants/jeans, except to church of course. So this winter I'll have pregnancy induced lordosis (doesn't that sound so gross?! it just means my spine will curve and my belly protrude, thankfully temporary) and my belly won't fit into any of my jeans, well neither will other parts of me for that matter. Last time I was pregnant it was summer, I wore skirts, Capri pants, gauchos, and a pair of jeans Chei lent me. I can't wear those this time around. So, this summer I went on a hunt for some nice maternity jeans, that also fit over my booty (which for the first half of my pregnancy grows faster than my belly.....darn pelvic bones shifting!), that also accommodate the baby bump. I walk into A Pea in the Pod (a maternity store) because I can see they have some cute jeans in there. The sales lady proceeds to explain to me about their "innovative" product, designer jeans with a Secret Fit Belly.

"First the waistband is cut off," she explains. "The fly is sewn closed and our secret fit belly panel is sewn in."

She was squawking to the WRONG person. Not long after I left the store the wheels started turning. They turned for a couple of months, since my prego brain is working slower than normal brain speed. I decided, "why can't I cut the waist band, sew the fly closed, and add a panel?" I felt like the THRIFTIEST GENIUS on the planet at that moment.

Now, when I was pregnant with Jacob I used a cool thing called a "bella band" to help keep my pre-pregnancy pants on while they were un- buttoned or unzipped. But that only works for so long, before the baby belly completely rolls it down and it doesn't work. I still have the bella band....so tonight I took it, cut off the waistband of some $15 pants, sewed the fly shut, and sewed in the "bella band" and VIOLA......I MADE MATERNITY JEANS! Tonight I am the SUPEREST THRIFTIEST GENIUS on the planet!

I did have help. I looked it up online, and found several other genius women who had posted tutorials on how to do it. Some used a pre made band, some used old t-shirts for the band, some used stretchy material from JoAnn's Fabric and sewed a band.....but they all, in the end, came up with wearable maternity jeans from pre pregnancy jeans. Yay!

Here are the top 2 tutorials, as far as I've found. A. B.

Here are a couple of pics to make you realize I am really cool now ;)

I'm too tired to take pics of my pants just now, trust me they are this cool.

Hope this helps someone laugh, smile, or actually find some comfortable jeans during their pregnancy.