Thanks for your recommendations everyone.

I had a look around town today and there were no bump bands to be found in New Look, Mothercare, Next or Topshop - I think it's a conspiracy to force us to buy more maternity clothes! Looks like online it is.

Jojowhatsit was great. £15 but it has a buttony bit to fasten onto your trousers.

I had to buy a posh/nice outfit for a do, so bought a top from isabella oliver, and they do a twin pack of one black, one white for £30, and I haven't taken them off since! ALso if you do a google search for isabella oliver discount coupon, you can find an online code and get 15% off - i think mumsnet had an ad on the homepage for 10% too, don't know if it's still there.

Mothercare, tenner.

I got one from next for about £10, was excellent

I cut the neck and sleeves off the top of a top that was too wee anyway and just used the bottom half. Worked a treat.

i got harry duley ones. i wore them throughout my 2nd pregnancy & on & off afterwards (good for layering when you don't want to be too warm). have just passed them onto a friend, so very good quality. not the cheapest though.

I had a monsterous bump and wanted different colours so just bought cheap vest tops and wore them round my middle, no-one ever knew!!

I bought a cheap black one off eBay and it's the business - beats the pants off the one from bloomin marvellous which has to be washed and tumble dried to a heat akin to the sun to get it back to its original size inbetween wears.

you wear themwhen you can't do up your trousers but you can still get your thighs in then when you get a bit bigger you can wear them under your normal tops and they fill in the gap at the bottom, in winter they keep your ever expanding bump warm and postnatally they cover the jelly bely especially if you are breastfeeding and you hoik your top up several times in a -minute- day

I bought some New Look ones but am now trying to work out exactly what they are for! Are you supposed to wear them with your normal clothes - i.e. trousers unbuttoned? I don't think I need them quite yet but like to be prepared

New Look - 3 for £9 (white, black and grey)

I have the topshop one and it's fine. Nothing special, but I only use it to stop my pants being shown to the world.

an old boob tube will do that job just as well and they are about £3 at this time of year!!

I also had a topshop one which was fab and comfy. Its doing a good job at hiding my postnatal overspill too

After realising that I’ve just been flashing my pants at the man who came to read the electricity meter, I’ve decided that it’s time to buy a bump band.

Can anyone recommend a good one please, as the ones that I’ve looked at seem to vary quite a lot in price (£5 at Topshop, £13 at Birthease and £18 at Bumpband). Are the more expensive ones less likely to loose their stretch?

Thanks!