Maternity Underwear - All You Need to Know17 October 2022 Growing a baby is such an exciting time and you will find your body changing daily as you acquire a pregnancy glow. Not everyone has morning sickness, varicose veins and stretch marks, but most people find that as they approach the six month mark you might start to feel uncomfortable in their regular clothes. Maternity panties can be normal underwear with space or stretch for your expanding tummy and growing uterus or they can include moisture wicking, absorbency and a leak-proof layer too. In this article we'll cover the following to help you decide what will work best for you if you're looking to buy maternity pants:
Maternity pants are underwear that will stretch with your growing body and can offer support for your bump. Pregnant women find that as their body changes during pregnancy with weight gain, they might outgrow pre-pregnancy knickers and move into wearing from their maternity wardrobe. Your pairs of maternity pants will still be comfortable to wear in the weeks after your baby is born and if, like cheeky pants, they have absorbent layers, can be used postpartum and for the return of your normal cycle. The days of having no option but mesh disposables knickers for labour are gone! 'Excellent speedy service, good value for money, comfy supportive postpartum pants, and pretty lacy period pants too. What more can you ask for? ' Emma via Trustpilot
The benefits of maternity pants and absorbent pregnancy underwear are: - sweeps and scans - sonographers are liberal with that gel!
- bladder weakness - if your little one is bouncing around or pregnancy hormones are causing you to have surprise pee leaks
- extra discharge - nobody tells you all this fun stuff to come!
- mucus plug loss - a sure sign things are starting
- waters breaking - I ended up sitting on a tesco bag and towel which my husband graciously left in the footwell for me to find a week later!
- postpartum recovery & postpartum bleeding - whilst the heavy flow may only last from a few days to a week you could need absorbency for up to six weeks after baby is born, reusable pants will ensure you never run out of protection. So much more comfortable than disposable postpartum underwear
- the return of your normal periods - so cost effective to continue wearing once your menstrual cycle starts again
'Unfailingly brilliant products. The undies and pads have taken me through menstruation pregnancy and postpartum and MS incontinence. The wipes kits are brilliant for baby and adult alike. The soak bucket is genius. And the clean/mucky boxes and bags make life so much simpler and less full of single use wipes and plastic. I've found d the lack of rubbish touching my skin better too. The pads I first bought are still going strong and the knickers are used everyday due to continence.' Lou via Trustpilot How to choose maternity pants 
To choose maternity pants: - Choose cotton or organic cotton, breathable underwear that will sit comfortably and expand with your body.
- Consider Low rise options like Feeling Sporty heavy will sit under your bump
- Alternatively, stretchy mid rise styles like Feeling Sleek and Feeling cosy bamboo boy shorts sit just below your belly button and have lots of stretch.
- Lastly, ultra high waist or high rise styles such as Feeling Confident sit just under your bra and gently hold your growing tummy. High rise maternity underwear are perfect when t-shirts stretched over your stomach leave a little gap of skin - brrrr!
'Life changing! Love them. Have been considering the switch to reusable period products for a while and these are just great. I’m so surprised by the absorbency. I was very sceptical but they really do work and I suffer very heavy periods. I double up on heavier days with the pants and a pad.' Rachael Via Trustpilot
You can start wearing maternity pants whenever your everyday knickers become uncomfortable or if you feel the need for some absorbency and protection. You can use period underwear during your pregnancy and postpartum, and all of our pads can be used too. We have a really handy 4th trimester kit that covers pads, and reusable wipes for baby too! Great to add to your hospital bag. Whilst not designed for pregnancy and postpartum quick change side opening pants are great for dressing changes etc and will sit below your bump and any c-section scars. 'I love them! Almost feel sexy, which is saying something 1 week after giving birth! Much prefer to Tena disposable because of silky feel, high rise (covers belly button and dark line, which I don’t like looking at right now) and close fit. And of course, reusable! Will see how well they wash next' Zoe, via email We hope you've enjoyed our Ultimate guide to maternity pants and that if you haven't tried a pair yet, you feel more confident to. We are so sure that you will love our period pants and pads that we have created a 90 day trial scheme for them, so if they don't work for you, we'll refund you in full. If you enjoyed this, we think you would like this blogs on the Ultimate guide to postpartum underwear or have a browse of all our blogs! As always, if you're unsure of what you need to make the switch, please do drop the team a line or use the online chat function. The team all use the products themselves and just LOVE to chat pee poo and periods, all day long, nothing is TMI and we all love to overshare based on our own experiences... About the Author: Kirstin Scriven is part of the Customer Experience team at Cheeky Wipes, which since 2008 has been selling the original reusable wipes kit. She is mum to 3 and loves the forest, the sea and the hills! Along with the rest of our crack team, she spends most days talking about poo, pee and periods and loves a chance to overshare. The business was recognised with a Queens Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development in 2021, celebrating their hard work over the last 13 years. | 
