Getting ready for baby means more than prepping a nursery, drooling over adorable outfits, and obsessing about finding the right pediatrician. Mothers will undergo a significant transformation, so when you find out that you’re pregnant, that means updating your wardrobe too, preferably with a plethora of comfortable maternity clothes that you can still use postpartum.
It can seem rather daunting (or fun if you’re a shopaholic) to contemplate pretty much replacing your entire existing wardrobe with a matching maternity one that may not get much use once your baby is born, but this guide can help you find the best maternity clothes in multiple apparel categories.
Every pregnancy is different, so the decision on when to start wearing maternity clothes doesn’t have a magic number that works for everyone.
Whenever you feel that your regular clothing is getting to be very uncomfortable, or you can’t close buttons on tops or bottoms, then it is probably a good time to incorporate maternity wear into your wardrobe.
If you find a clothing item you’re interested in, double check the sizing guide, but typically you’ll shop for the same size you were when you weren’t pregnant. A size eight pre-pregnancy can usually buy a size eight in maternity clothing.
To come up with our recommended and unbiased “best of” list, we looked at multiple customer reviews and testimonials behind some of the best-selling and highly rated items to find out why women loved those particular maternity clothes. We also examined the brand’s reputation and any available data or news about the manufacturer.
Just because you’re pregnant, doesn’t mean you want to give up wearing skinny jeans, and with these Signature by Levi Strauss Maternity Skinny Jeans, you don’t have to.
The Levi Maternity jeans have a knit panel that smoothly covers and adapts to your growing bump while also providing support for your lower back. The pants are a blend of 3 percent Elastane for elasticity and stretch, 22 percent polyester, and 75 percent cotton.
Made with the quality denim that is associated with the Levi name, the jeans have a slim fit through the thigh and hip and taper down to a skinny leg. The main difference with these pants is the panel for your tummy, but your top can cover that, so they have the same appearance as a standard pair of skinny jeans.
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Many moms-to-be rated the pants highly and recommended the jeans.
The denim of the Levi Women’s Maternity Skinny Jeans comes in a variety of washes including:
Depending on which style you select, the pants vary in price.
If you’re pregnant during the summer season and you need a simple dress to keep you cool without feeling constrained, then you might be interested in Liu & Qu’s Maternity Tank Dress.
The dress looks like a long tank top, but with highly elastic and breathable material, and ruching on the sides to accommodate your growing bump. The dress has a combination of 5 percent spandex that makes it stretch out and 95 percent viscose.
The lack of sleeves makes it ideal for hot summers, or if you’re wearing the dress post-partum, it can also make it easier to breastfeed. The scoop neck style is also comfortable and doesn’t make you feel restricted.
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Liu & Qu carries their Maternity Tank Dress in a variety of different colors and prints like:
Depending on which style you select, the pants vary in price.
If you’re on the hunt for some comfy work trousers that can grow with you while you’re still going into the office, then you might like Motherhood Maternity’s Super Stretch Skinny Work Pant.
The work pants has three percent spandex to help the fabric stretch and a twill blend of 77 percent rayon and 20 percent nylon. The tummy panel for your bump is seamless so it shouldn’t be detectable underneath your tops and the trousers are versatile enough so that you can dress them up or down.
Although designed as work pants, you don’t have to worry about undertaking the additional expense of dry cleaning these trousers as they are machine-washable.
Pregnant women who reviewed their Motherhood Maternity Skinny Work Pants were not shy about sharing what they thought worked for the trousers and what needs changing.
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The Motherhood Maternity Skinny Work Pant comes in many shades including navy, white, black, and khaki. The price varies depending on your selection.
Leggings are already designed to be comfortable, stretchy pants, so it’s no wonder that maternity leggings are typically a big must-have for pregnant women. If you plan to have this staple in your wardrobe, Mothers Essentials seems to have come up with the winning combination of elasticity and comfort for their maternity pants.
Not only are Mother Essential maternity leggings made to keep pregnant women comfortable, but they also wick away moisture so that they can stay dry too. The pants have eight percent elastane for added stretch and a seamless panel that adjusts to growing bumps and adds back support.
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The price for the Mothers Essentials Maternity Legging varies by color, size, and quantity. You can select from either black, grey, or a black two-pack.
If you’re pregnant during summer, want to head to the pool, lake, or beach, and find you need a bathing suit that can accommodate your growing belly, you might like MiYang’s Maternity Tankini Swimsuit.
The ties of the halter tankini are adjustable so you can manipulate them to give you the best fit and support. The cups of the top are lined and come with a pad sewn in so that you don’t have to worry about them floating out and away or having to readjust them into place.
The bikini bottom also has adjustable ties on the side so that you can widen or loosen to fit comfortably under your belly. Both top and bottom have plenty of spandex to provide stretch and room to grow so that you can wear your bathing suit for the duration of your pregnancy.
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The tankini comes in black, navy, or purple polka dot or blue tie-dye and the price varies depending on what color you select.
If you plan on breastfeeding or pumping, you should probably add a quality maternity bra to your collection. Normal and maternity bras can get expensive, but Hofish offers a three-pack for the price of one.
If pregnancy is causing your breasts to swell, you’ll need a bra that offers support, but you probably want to avoid having underwire making you uncomfortable, so the Hofish maternity bras are seamless with removable foam cups.
The sides of the Hofish maternity bras have a lot of elastic to help the band widen and keep up with your fluctuating body. Also, clasps on the straps unhook easily with one hand to make it easier for you to get access when you need to breastfeed or pump.
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The price varies depending on what color combination 3-pack you choose.
Pregnancy is an inspiring, transformative time in a woman’s life and choosing maternity clothing can be exciting since it brings home that you are in fact carrying a baby.
Usually in this section, we’d select which items we think are best, but given that the world of maternity clothing is so vast, and we compiled a list of apparel other pregnant women agree are the best in various categories, it’s ultimately up to you to decide if we nailed it with this article.
At the end of the day pregnancy style is no different than personal style, so if you’re comfortable in heels and form-fitting clothing or yoga pants and funny t-shirts, then keep it going for those 40 weeks.
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