How do you wear an insulin pump with a dress?

How do you wear an insulin pump with a dress?

Million Dollar Question right? Sooner or later, you may need to dress up and want to wear a dress.  If you use an insulin pump with tubes, this may be a bit of a dilemma, but it is not the end of the world. 

We know everyone is different and what works for one person, may not work for someone else. So, FULL DISCLOSURE: WE RECOGNIZE, WE ARE BIASED IN OUR ESTIMATION, BUT WE HAVE DONE OUR BEST TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE, and this post is an honest list of possible options to make wearing a dress and an insulin pump easier.

Options for wearing a dress and an insulin pump:

1. Clip pump to the front of your bra, or use a special bra with pockets. (e.g. https://pocketbra.com/)
2. Use a thigh band. (e.g. https://www.diabete-ezy.com/product/garter-pump-diabetes-band/)
3. If you dress has pockets, cut a small hole in the bottom of the pocket, disconnect your tube, and feed your tube through from the inside of the garment through the hole, into the pocket, and then re-attache your pump to the tubing.  
4. If you use your phone to bolus, you can use any of the following to secure your pump close to your skin:

• a Spy Belt.(e.g.https://spibelt.com/)
• a running belt.(e.g. https://flipbelt.com/)
• a pair of Pump Pocket underwear (e.g.https://pumppocket.ca/products/pump-pocket-womens-classic-cut-sizes-xxs-xxl)

5.  If the dress does not have pockets, and you cannot bolus from your phone, you can discretely have a tailor open up the side seam of your dress and insert an inseam, invisible zipper.  When you need to access your pump, simply open the zipper and, voila, you have access to your pump. 

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have more ideas!