One Mom’s Guide to Maternity Denim

There are so many great choices for Maternity Denim now it can get downright confusing!  We are going to go through each one and give you some choices to consider. But first things first, I found some great tips right from Paige Premium Denim for you to read!

Paige’s Top Five Tips For Buying Maternity Jeans

Consider your style needs. First, decide if you want something comfy to wear on a daily basis or something hot and sexy to wear out. If you want an everyday jean, go for a pair that’s lighter-weight and stretches more. If you want a sexy jean for nighttime, look for a skinny style or a legging or jegging (denim leggings) in a thicker or heavier fabric that really holds you in — you’ll be one sexy mama!

Also think about the kind of tops you like to wear. If you’re into long tunics, jeans with a skinnier leg — like our brand new Willow style ($185) — are your best bet. Fitted tops look best with boot-cut or flare leg jeans, otherwise you’ll look big all over. Dressing — even with a bump — is still all about proportions.

Pick the right size. With denim, a lot of women tend to think, “Oh I’m pregnant, so if I’m a 28 in my normal jeans I’ll need to get a 29 or 30 in maternity.” But our size 28 maternity jeans fit the way they should fit — you don’t need to go up a size! Although for some women that last trimester is tricky — sometimes you might have to go with a larger size those last couple of months.

All maternity jeans aren’t created equal. Some jeans have panels and some don’t — it really depends on your preference. I have one style called the Westbourne that’s amazing. It’s low-rise and has elastic pulls on the inside. You can loosen the jean up as you go through pregnancy. It’s the same idea as little kids’ jeans, where you can pull the waistline in then expand as they grow. What’s great about this style is that after you have your baby, as you lose weight you can tighten them back up again until you’re ready to wear your regular jeans.

Do the sit-down test! Try it out in the dressing room. It’s a great way to see if the overall fit or panel work for you. Sometimes when you’re seated, the spot where the belly panel meets the jean can be uncomfortable, digging into a pressure point. And it’ll only get worse as you get bigger. The key is to find jeans — with or without the panel — that have a waistband that hits below your belly.

Shoes matter. More than likely, you’ll be mostly wearing comfy flats during your pregnancy, but you might want a pair of jeans you can wear with your heels too! So get two pairs — one that’s hemmed for flats and one that’s hemmed for heels.

Now that you have your tips down, let’s go through all the options:

1) Bella Band-Wear any pre-pregnancy favorite as long as your bum and hips allow!  These are a basic band that is usually doubled over and placed over the waist band of unzipped/unbuttoned jeans to hold them up and extend the waistband.  The band can be doubled over to fit under the belly or  made to a single layer to cover the belly as well.  The pro is that you don’t need to buy all new jeans, the con is that most women’s pregnant bodies grow not just in the waist but also the bum and hips so that even with the largest waist band normal jeans can no longer be worn.  So these are great to start with but at the end of the pregnancy most women will need more room.

2) Belly Belt-Much like the bella band, they will allow you to wear your pre-pregnancy jeans and extend the waistband.  This does not have the versitility of being able to cover the entire belly though.  The pro over the bella band is that the belt should hold your jeans up better, though you will have the same issues with the belt as you will with the band.

3) Jeans with a band built in-These are much like the Bella Band but the band is built into the jeans, it is a lower rise band(about 4″ in width) and the band is not meant to go over your tummy.  I thought these were great for the first 2/3 of the pregnancy, but as I got larger they became uncomfortable and if my shirt wasn’t long enough you would be able to see the underside of my belly.  The pro is that these really are great for the first 2/3 of the pregnancy!

4) Jeans with a hidden adjustable waist-Now don’t they tell you to imitate some child things in your adult life?  These are just like kid jeans with the adjustable waist.  They have the same con as the jeans with the built in band, being that they are great for the first 2/3 of pregnancy but you can grow out of them for the last 1/3. The advantage they have over the jeans with a built in band is that after you have your baby and you are still trying to work off that baby weight you can wear these jeans discretely.

5) Jeans with a full belly panel- a pea in the pod is making the “secret fit belly” panel that is a full panel to go all the way over the tummy.  I have to admit I really like these!  They have them on many of the premium denim brands we love too!  They will be comfortable the whole way through the pregnancy.

I hope you enjoyed the guide and you find your perfect jeans!

Here are some quick links to designer maternity denim and a few on sale too!

Paige Maternity

Citizen’s of Humanity $69.99

R&R Ritchie $84.99

R&R Tyler $119.99

a pea in the pod

True Religion Maternity

Hudson Maternity

7 For All Mankind Maternity

AG Maternity

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