I wanted better maternity wear, so I made my own. Now I run a successful company that has grown along with my family. The brand Ingrid & Isabel was born from the founder's necessity for a belly band during pregnancy. Courtesy of Ingrid Carney Ingrid Carney invented a belly band when her regular pants no longer fit during her first pregnancy. She's grown the idea into a comprehensive maternity line since launching in 2003. She turned down venture capital in order to grow slowly and steadily, she says. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ingrid Carney , founder and CEO of Ingrid & Isabel. It has been edited for length and clarity. Back in the early 2000s, I was working at my third startup. One day, I was getting ready to pitch venture capital investors . I just couldn't find anything to wear over my pregnant belly, which had recently popped. I was desperate. I tried cutting pantyhose to fit over my unbuttoned pants, and even using a bandage to keep them together.…