Shopping for Maternity Jeans

When I found out I was pregnant, I knew straight away I would be investing in a pair of maternity jeans. I’m totally a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal, and since I’d be spending a good chunk of being pregnant in winter, I knew I’d need some sort of jeans or pants to keep me warm. I’ll be honest, I had never even glanced at a pair of maternity jeans before, and I had it in my head that they probably weren’t the most flattering or comfy things to wear. At about 16 weeks pregnant, I decided I needed to bite the bullet as my current jeans were becoming so incredibly uncomfortable that I could hardly eat anything while wearing them. In fact, after one rather large lunch (that may or may not have been KFC), I actually had to unbutton my jeans on the car ride home as I thought they were going to cut me in half. Not ideal.

I headed into Jeans West which is where I buy the majority of my jeans from. I know a lot of people swear by ASOS Maternity jeans, but I had no idea what to expect, and even what size I’d be and I couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of having to return items. Also, I sort of needed the jeans sooner rather than later to avoid any awkward button popping experiences! It felt weird going over to the maternity jeans section in the shop. I picked out a pair of black skinny jeans in my regular size, and headed to the changing rooms.

First up, who knew that maternity jeans didn’t have a zip or button? I mean, come to think of it, of course they don’t because how would they do up…? But I actually just assumed that they were pretty much the same as regular jeans. After standing in the changing room for a few seconds wondering how the hell I was actually supposed to get them on, I realised that maternity jeans are pretty much just fancy leggings. You just pull them on and up. And oh my word, they are COMFY!

Maternity jeans are made from a denim/spandex blend that means they look exactly like regular jeans, yet they have a whole heap more stretch allowing you to pull them on easily. They come with this stretchy fabric flap at the top that you can either fold down over your hips or you can pull it up over your tummy and bump area. The first time I tried them on, I had the fabric pulled right up, even though at that stage I basically had no tummy and it looked absolutely ridiculous! I actually thought that was how you were supposed to wear them at first 😂 I wore them folded down until about week 22, when I started to get a bit more of a bump and the fabric panel actually started to fit. Now I’m obsessed with the fabric panel as it offers so much support for the bump, yet has enough space that the bump can keep growing. It also hides any belly button weirdness under tight tops!

I’m now slightly obsessed with my maternity jeans and I plan to continue to wear them for a while after bubs is born as they are just so comfortable, and I think they will be good to wear post-partum as they don’t dig in as much as regular jeans do. They look and fit exactly like my regular skinny jeans, and most people would never know that they are actually maternity. They stretch with me, so if you eat a little too much at dinner, it’s no problem. You also don’t have to panic about your fly ever being undone, so it’s really win-win.

Here’s a few tips for buying maternity jeans that I’ve learned along the way….

Tips for Buying Maternity Jeans

• Make sure you buy your regular size. I’m normally a size 6, and the size 6 maternity jeans fit me perfectly from early pregnancy right through until now, and there is still a bit of room left in them for the bump to grow. There’s usually no need to size up. The only tiny downside I have with mine is they are just a tad too long. I could get them taken up but I don’t think I can be bothered and I’ll wear them tucked into boots 90% of the time anyways. For reference, I got mine in a regular length and I’m about 5’3″.
• Try to buy the maternity version of your regular jeans so you know what to expect. As I mentioned, I love Jeans West so I opted to get my jeans there.  They also do amazing sales such as 40% off or 2 for $109. I ended up getting this deal so grabbed a pale blue denim too. $55 for a pair of good quality maternity jeans? Bargain!
• If you wear jeans a lot, look for a high quality fabric and fit. Personally I think jeans are worth investing in, as you pay for what you get in terms of fabric. Like regular jeans, many cheaper brands can stretch out around the knees and fade unevenly. If you aren’t someone who wears jeans regularly, but wants to have a pair in the cupboard then you can likely get away with a cheaper pair. Just make sure you try them on first!
• Make sure the jeans you are buying have a good amount of stretch in the fabric panel to accommodate the growing bump. Ideally, you only want to buy one pair of jeans that work through your whole pregnancy!
• Try your maternity jeans on with a few different tops, and especially the style of top you are planning to wear them with. This allows you to get an idea of how they will look on an everyday basis. I love floaty tops as they do hide any bunching that might occur in the fabric panel. You also want to opt for longer style tops as you may be able to see the panel if your top is too short (and it’s really not that flattering!)

Jeans – Jeans West Maternity (buy here)
Tank top – French Connection
Embroidered leather jacket – Forever New
Boots – Kmart
Bag – Kate of Arcadia (buy here)