Let me start by saying this belly band is NOT for the faint-hearted. As a mom of two with stubborn post-baby weight, I wrestled with this thing like it was my personal trainer. The M/L size felt like putting on medieval armor at first - I had to do this awkward dance stepping into it and shimmying it up over my hips. But once conquered? Magic.

The boning is the real MVP here. Unlike other shapewear that rolls down when you breathe, this stays put through weddings, workdays, and even toddler chasing. I wore it under a flowy dress for 7 hours straight with no sausage-roll effect. My postpartum pouch? Disappeared. My posture? Suddenly ballerina-perfect.

Now the not-so-fun part: sizing is RUSSIAN ROULETTE. I'm 5'4"/135lbs and M/L fits like a second skin (in a good way), but multiple reviews mention sizing chaos. The flexible metal rods dig in if you're between sizes, and larger frames might need to remove them entirely.

Pro tip: This isn't your quick-bathroom-break shapewear. Getting in/out requires strategy - think Houdini meets yoga instructor. But for $20? The compression feels like a constant hug from your pre-baby jeans. Just maybe order two sizes and prepare for battle.