Wearing an insulin pump can be a great way to take a little bolus, tweak a little basal, and keep your insulin literally by your side all day long. Insulin pumps keep getting smaller, sleeker, and more streamlined, but fitting this fancy little device into your day-to-day fashion choices can be a hassle.
How can you nimbly hide your pump, if that’s your preference? Believe it or not, there are easy ways to hide an insulin pump. We have some fashionable nips, tucks, and accessories that can keep your diabetes devices discreet without sacrificing your style.
Scarf it down. You don’t need to find a special insulin pump-hiding scarf. You can use everyday fashion scarves as camouflage for your diabetes devices. Clip your devices to the fabric loops of an infinity scarf or use the fabric to drape over your medical equipment.
Pocket power. Dresses with pockets are an obviously great choice for stashing diabetes devices, from CGM receivers to phones to insulin pumps (be sure to snip a little hole in the top of the pocket to snake the tubing through). But pockets aren’t just for dresses. You can also purchase underwear (for men and for women!) and bras with pockets for your marsupial moves.
Get a garter. Garters for hiding devices are common, but finding one that can stay up without issue can be a challenge. You can find some on Etsy (like this one) or through individual insulin pump companies (like this one), but the key is taking a test run at home before heading out for a night.
Sock it to me. Sometimes keeping your pump close to your skin can be irritating, but thankfully there’s a quick fix for that: baby socks. Buy a pair of inexpensive baby socks and stick your pump into one of them. It’s enough of a barrier to protect your skin and can be carefully pinned to a bra or other undergarment for discreet storage.
Belt it out. There are several ways you can use a belt to stash your insulin pump, but we have a few favorites: the original “tummietote” from Tally Gear and the insulin pump belt from SpiBelt. Both options are streamlined and fashionable, available in several colors, and can make wearing a device less intrusive.
Be seen! And if you’re not into hiding your devices but instead want your diabetes to be seen, you can decorate the device itself with these awesome decals from PumpPeelz. They have dozens of designs to match any outfit or occasion.
If you have other tools and tricks that you use to make wearing your devices more comfortable, share them in the comments section! We love hearing from our readers!
My husband was a farmer, so wearing the pump in his pocket or outside his shirt never worked. So we buy white children’s mittens cut off the thumb, sew it together then sew a heavy string unto the sock. He has worn his pump on his chest for over 20 years this way.
I forgot to add then he puts the string around his neck and lets the pump hang down on his chest under his shirt. That way the tubing doesn’t get caught on any machinery etc.
The simplest hiding place, at least if you’re wearing pants, is your pocket. All my pants front-pockets have a hole cut near the top through which I thread the pump tube. Pretty simple.