How to find the best and the comfiest maternity underwear for you
Knowing your under-the-bump from your over-the-bump and your boy cuts from your briefs is a lot to learn. Because we know you’ve got enough on your plate already we’ve put on our big girl pants on your behalf and tracked down the best maternity knickers on the market, as well as summarising how to find the best pregnancy pants for you. Are you sitting comfortably? Well if you’re not, just read on…
Do you really need maternity underwear?
One pair of knickers is basically the same as another pair of knickers, right? Well, in your first trimester that might well be the case, but as your bump grows you might find you want some pants that pack more of a pregnancy punch. Maternity underwear accommodates your bump, either sitting underneath it or coming up over the bump, so the pants are more comfortable than your average pair of non-pregnancy knickers, and they can offer a bit of support. They’re also usually made from soft, comfy material with no scratchy lace or bits that might rub sensitive pregnancy skin.
After your baby’s born, you might also be glad of something a little more, um, ‘capacious’ than your average undies to house those giant post-partum pads, give a bit of support to your belly as it deflates, and maybe also to take into account a C-section wound as it starts to heal. If really aren't keen on maternity styles, many a Mumsnetter recommends plumping for large cotton undies from M&S - this pack of three comes in under £10 and are a nice, leak-hiding black.
What are the different types of maternity underwear?
The two basic types are under-the-bump and over-the-bump. Which you go for depends entirely on which you find most comfortable. If you’ve always been a big knickers sort of woman, you might feel more ‘enclosed’ in an over-the-bump style, They also offer a bit more support if your bump is huge, as well as warmth!
If you generally are used to something a bit skimpier you might prefer your pants to sit beneath your bump. If you have sensitive skin on your belly, these can be a better bet, too, and if you get very hot, skimpier knickers won’t contribute to your inner thermostat going on the blink. Obviously, you don’t have to nail your colours to the mast though. You might like to try a few of each. Additionally, there are other styles such as maternity thongs and boy shorts styles.
What to look for in maternity underwear
Other than the style and design you want, you might want to look for seamless pants that will sit more smoothly; breathable materials that will help keep you cool and let the air circulate a bit around your nether regions; and features like pockets to hold a pad. A nice wide band, rather than skinny elastic will stop them digging in, and look for comfort bands around the leg holes, too.
Can tight underwear hurt my baby?
It’s enormously unlikely and not something you need to lose sleep over. However, really tight undies can contribute to thrush as well as heartburn, and if it’s very tight you can end up with circulatory problems, which are all things that won’t make you feel great and could eventually have knock-on effects for your baby as a result.
What underwear is best when pregnant?
Finding a style that suits you is the most important thing, but if we had to pick just one, we’d go for Intimate Portal’s under-the-bump maternity knickers. They come in a six-pack in a range of colours and have a crossover belly band that sits softly under your bump. They’re super soft and completely VPL-free, too, which is why they scored the highest on our round up.
How we chose our recommendations
Before beginning our research we checked in with the experts at the NCT to see what advice they gave about buying the best maternity underwear. Armed with that knowledge we scoured review sites and online stores in search of bestsellers and those knickers that had won awards and accolades. We also consulted the Mumsnet Talk boards to find out which maternity underwear impressed, and which they thought were a bum deal. We collated all that information to form a long list of the best maternity knickers on the market and then curated that list to create our top 10, which we think offers something for everyone.
Why you should trust us
Mumsnet has been helping parents make their lives easier since 2000 and, in those years, we’ve seen, tried and reviewed thousands of products. Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about where we find our recommendations. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones that our users would recommend to their own friends and family.If you decided to buy something that we recommended as a result of our research, we usually (not always) get paid affiliate commission from the retailer where you make a purchase. But, if you weren't impressed with the product and decided to return it, we wouldn't make a penny.
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About the author
Mum-of-three Jenny Wonnacott is a Content Editor for Mumsnet, specialising in writing, editing and optimising pregnancy care and child play content.
Before joining the content team at Mumsnet, Jenny worked as a journalist for newspapers, radio, TV and b2b trades magazines for over a decade. She is also a bestselling sci-fi author (writing as J M Briscoe) and parenting blogger.
As a parent of three primary school-aged children, Jenny is passionate about making Mumsetters' lives easier through rigorous research of all items recommended in buyers' guides such as these, as well as product reviews and expert advice on all things pregnancy and child play related.