With the weather cooling down, you can’t go past a comfy (yes, we said the word comfy when talking about jeans!) pair…or two…of maternity jeans. But, if the actual thought of buying jeans makes you want to curl up into a ball and cry, you’re not alone mama!

But why would I buy jeans when I can live in my active wear all the time? We hear you! And while active wear is a wardrobe staple, a good pair of jeans will take you from day to night and everything in between. No matter if you’re 13 or 35 weeks pregnant, you’ll find a pair that grows with you and if you’re like every other woman on the planet, you’ll probably find yourself wearing them even after you’ve had bub!

So, what’s the big deal with maternity jeans? Why can’t I just do the ol’ hair tie trick with my regular jeans?

Well, you could but that’s only buying you a little more time. Initially it can be hard to understand the what, when, why, how’s of maternity jeans. We also know that it can be hard to justify buying more jeans when you probably have a wardrobe full! So here’s a few points of difference with maternity and regular jeans.

Urgh, I’m just not ready to face maternity jeans yet…

You’re not alone, babe! The most noticeable difference between regular jeans and maternity jeans is the cut of the waist band. Regular jeans, whether they be high waisted or hip huggers, are cut straight across meaning that if you go down the route of wearing them throughout your pregnancy, you won’t get much time before you find yourself having to unbutton and then eventually unzip them. Sure, the hair tie around the button trick will work for a few weeks but as your bump grows you’ll find yourself having to re-zip your fly too many times a day to count! Plus, who has the time to feel uncomfortable when they’re busy growing a brand new human!!

Maybe I’ll just buy a bigger size in regular jeans…

This is a tricky one. Sometimes it can be hard to feel good in your own skin when everything is changing so quickly. A good fitting pair of pants can really make or break your mood. If you go up a size in the waist, the legs of the pants won’t fit you as well. Also, who’s to say that you won’t need to buy yet another pair after that in the next size?! It adds up. It also means that there’s no way you’d wear those jeans post-birth because they just won’t fit you.

What if I still haven’t wrapped my head around wearing maternity jeans?

If you’re not quite ready to move into the maternity jeans world, a good temporary option is the Love Your Bump Belly Belt . This handy little pack includes elastic of various sizes – so your bump will have more room than it would with the hair tie trick! It also includes fabric inserts in blue, black and white that you can place inside the zip of your pants. While this is a good in between-y option, you’ll need to have tops that are long enough to cover the top of your pants even when you lift both arms up (or check out the Love Your Bump belly band Love Your Bump - Bando to give your tops some extra length). That’s another reason many mamas tend to skip past the in between stage and go straight to maternity jeans. And let’s be real, once you’ve tried on maternity jeans you won’t go back!

The fabric

Like regular clothes, maternity jeans come in a variety of different fabrics. Some could be made mostly from cotton and feel as comfortable as a cosy pair of trackies and others a super soft denim. However, the common feature with maternity jeans is the stretch. Most, if not all, will include either elastane or spandex in their blend meaning that not only will the waist and belly band stretch with you, but they’ll also stretch in all the right places when you need them to. If this isn’t a reason to make maternity jeans a part of your everyday wardrobe – even post birth! - we don’t know what is!

The cut

If you do opt to go the maternity jeans route for the first time you’ll notice that in both the over and under the bump styles, the band isn’t straight all the way around but rather dips at the front to allow room for your gorgeous bump to grow and sits higher at the back so you don’t feel like you’re on the verge of losing your pants – this is usually a big concern when it comes to under the bump jeans but we promise, they’ve been designed with all of this in mind!

Many pairs also have adjustable elastic sewn in to both sides of your jeans. If you’re finding that your jeans are slipping down off your hips, it’s super easy to tighten the elastic and voila! No more pulling your pants up.

Over or Under?

What did you prefer to wear pre-pregnancy? If your go-to pair was a gorgeous high waisted style then you might find that a maternity jean with the over the bump band will feel as close to your fave pair as possible. It also has the added bonus of making you feel like your bump is that little bit more supported, you won’t feel anything sitting under your bump and the band is the perfect extra layer for under your tops.

Then again, if you were more of a low-rise gal you might find that an under the bump style feels more ‘you’. These are an awesome choice year round as you don’t have any extra layers to deal with – we all know how hot you run when you’re growing your little mini me - and chances are, you’ll love these so much that you’ll be wearing them for months – if not years! – after birth. While you’re trying to dress your baby bump, you’ll wear this style of jean lower but post-birth you’ll be able to wear them like an easy mid-rise jean.

There’s a style for everyone!

It can sometimes feel like pre-pregnancy you had all of the options in the world for jeans and suddenly, you’re left to pick from awful option 1 or equally horrible option 2. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered for styles. Need some help figuring out which ones you love the most? Check out your choices below. Just think about which length and style you prefer and go from there! We’ve even made a little note next to the cropped styles to really help you get to the bottom of all things maternity jeans!

And just like that, you’ve got a world of options when it comes to maternity denim! Don’t forget to do the Sit-Down Test with your jeans. You want them to feel great both sitting and standing and remember, as with all maternity clothes stick to the size you’re currently wearing. Don’t go up a size just to accommodate your baby bump. These jeans will all stretch with you as you grow and if you love them as much as we do, you’ll want them to fit once you’ve got bubs in your arms too.

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