Many women today use clothes as a statement of who they are, and common unflattering oversized maternity garments for pregnancy just won’t cut it. Yet finding the right maternity clothes is easier said than done.
Maternity clothes should be designed to accommodate the changing size and needs of your pregnant body without being discarded post baby. Read on to cut through the confusion and discover the maternity clothes essentials.
Oversized clothes can certainly help accommodate your growing bump, but they’re often not supportive, comfortable or flattering. Fashionable maternity clothes are slowly emerging on the market so you can feel more like yourself as you traverse pregnancy and motherhood.
We believe in encouraging mums to stay active throughout pregnancy and #mumlife not only for their physical wellbeing, but for mental and emotional health as well. Buying activewear staples that actually fit and support you will help you stay active without fighting against annoying excess material.
We believe you deserve to stay active in both comfort and style, which is why oversized clothes just won’t cut it for your everyday active and casual needs. You deserve the best maternity fitness wear Australia has to offer, and stylish maternity wear is absolutely achievable!
Classic leggings are a staple that you just can’t do without. Regardless of the season, leggings are a wardrobe staple and our Classic Black Tights are the best maternity pants on the market for every pregnant and new mum. These tights provide light compression support whilst looking chic enough to wear from pilates to the office. But the best bit? Our high quality fabric means you won’t waste time and energy trying to keep them up when out and about!
It’s proven that posture and mood are closely linked, so choosing the right nursing bra to help prevent and relieve neck and shoulder pain from breastfeeding is a must.
For the early days post baby, choose a soft bra to help accommodate your breasts as your milk “comes in” and you navigate any early feeding challenges. When you’re ready to become more active, nursing sports bras provide both breast and postural support.
Our physio designed bra within a bra reduces bounce and discomfort when exercising and adapt with your as well as your changing frame and breast volume from pregnancy to postpartum, and pre to post feed.
Recent research found that nearly all women will have a DRAM (Diastasis Recti Abdominal Muscle, or Ab separation) by 35 weeks of pregnancy. This means your pelvic floor and tummy muscles have increased stretch and load from the weight of your baby regardless of if you had a C-section or not.
Support shorts or leggings are extremely beneficial to helping your body recover from pregnancy and labour. Whilst our postnatal short is in the works, our Hi Mama Postnatal Legging has a high waist with light compression to help your tum heal and a soft peachy feel fabric in the leg for extra comfort.
How we know the first-hand awkwardness of feeding in the wrong clothing! So we’ve designed all our maternity tees and tanks for maximum #mumlife efficiency.
Whether it’s a low-cut armhole for easy access (minus the maternity look) or invisible zips for discreet access, we know how much easier these tricks make breastfeeding! Our More Than Mama Tee even features horizontal zips across the breast area to save time expressing as you can lock the pump in and go hands free! Yass!
Every mama wants to look and feel glamorous during pregnancy… despite not always feeling so. Think outside the box for dresses as they don’t have to be maternity items. Floaty boho or stretch and wrap dresses are all amazing for getting your glam on whilst accommodating your bump.
Even pleated skirts with an elastic waist for pre to post pregnancy wear and longevity are great. Remember, buy clothing for motherhood, not just maternity – buy once and buy well.
This again is a very personal preference sort of thing and depends on your current wardrobe and lifestyle. Women working in corporate will most likely need to buy more clothes than those who already live in boho dresses. In saying this, we recommend a few basics to see you through your journey in comfort and ease.
Every mum will definitely benefit from our In the Zone Leggings to help support your growing bump and recover from labour. Meanwhile, our Gazelle Nursing Sports Bra is the perfect combo for women on the run.
Contact us for information about displaying Lenny Rose Technical Activewear in your practice and joining our Health Professional Program.
Delight your clients better with anatomically-designed activewear that physically and physiologically supports women during and after pregnancy.
Contact Us
I absolutely love the clever design, perfect fit + anatomically correct, targeted compression of Lenny Rose In the Zone leggings. There is nothing else like it in the current maternity market, and I would highly recommend it to every pregnant woman out there who wants to support their growing bump, pelvis + lower back whilst looking great + feeling super comfortable during their pregnancy. Well done Lenny Rose!!!
This depends on your personal shopping beliefs and habits, lifestyle, even what number baby you’re up to (second-time mums often feel they show sooner). Our Lenny Rose range is designed to accommodate the changes of your body for pregnancy, but also fit, feel and function well for postpartum bodies too. It’s gear for your whole motherhood journey, so you can buy once, and buy well.
Although many women get away without maternity specific clothing in the first trimester, if you find your clothes aren’t comfortable or fitting well, it’s time to buy some maternity clothes. By choosing high quality fabrics with spandex and elastane blends you won’t have to worry about being in-between sizes. The blend of these fabrics allows plenty of variability of size, so you can wear your gear throughout pregnancy into motherhood with confidence.
For most mums, the start-to-mid of the second trimester sees the evolution of your growing belly and breasts with many women feeling ‘bloated’. This makes it the ideal time to consider getting some well-fitting elastic-waisted pants, skirts and other comfortable clothes to add to your wardrobe.
It’s at the 4-5thmonth of pregnancy that bras are best fitted and chosen as most of the growing is complete. Ensure bras are underwire free, have room to adjust the waistband and the capacity to nurse from when your baby arrives.
Now is a great time to show off your bump in a maternity dress. It’s generally during this period that you’ll want extra bump support to fight pelvic discomfort and ab separation. Now’s a great time to invest in some supportive leggings, shorts or tights to aid this as well as wearing flattering cut tees and tanks with stretchy or loose fitting fabrics will retain its shape for your post baby body.
Take note, our bodies don’t magically snap back to the way they were before our bubs. By choosing maternity clothes well, garments can continue as wardrobe staples postpartum until you’re back to your pre-pregnancy self – be it in weeks or months.
In the early postpartum period, you may still look and feel pregnant, and so this is when you will be grateful for stretchy, adaptable and supportive ‘motherhood’ gear rather than simply ‘maternity’. Look for active and casual wear made to stretch, rebound, support and nursing with ease. Which is actually the Lenny Rose difference – gear that lasts across pregnancy and into motherhood to support you through the metamorphosis into #mumlife.
Getting ready to give birth is one of the most exciting and suspenseful times in a mum’s life. Get a copy of our hospital bag checklist print-out to ensure you are all ready for before and after birth.
Download Now
Whether a planned or a complete surprise, those who have a C-section will need to take care of their healing scar. Not to mention their pelvis floor and core. This means comfy loose gear for night-time and support during the day is where it’s at.
It’s important to avoid wearing any seams about your C-section scar, however light compression can help support blood flow for healing. Medical grade compression wear can often be too much for this sensitive scar area, so we designed our Hi Mamma Legging to nicely hide your scar with a seam-free belly panel.
Online is the place (we may be biased) to go when looking for maternity clothing, especially if you’re suffering from morning sickness, are heavily pregnant or already have other bubs to drag along! Look for brands that offer quality fabrics, refunds and exchanges if you’re worried about sizing. Bare in mind, the cheaper the clothes the less likely they’re going to last through your pregnancy or accommodate your postpartum changes.
If you’re looking for something for a formal occasion, try renting maternity dresses. Not only are they great for the environment, but can save you money too. Our favourite online stores to pick up a gorgeous rental maternity dress includes Glam Corner and Mama Rentals
For those eager to try on clothes to ensure a perfect fit, brick-and-mortar stores are the way to go and can be easily found in your local area with a quick Google search.
Again, there are rental options for those wanting to find that perfect one-time dress for a special occasion. One Night Stand Boutique have brick-and-mortar stores throughout Australia as well as offering online listings. For those in Perth and Melbourne, book an appointment at Something Borrowed the week of the event to find the ideal dress for your body.
Not only can you find some amazing vintage clothes in op shops, but who doesn’t love a clothes swap with a friend? Get your friends with kids together for a temporary clothes swap, letting them raid your usual closet in return for some free maternity garments!
For those planning on having more kids, pack them away for the next bub! And those who don’t, gift your clothes to a friend or second-hand store to ensure sustainability for the environment and your clothes.
Hey, if you’re lucky, you may navigate through wearing a lot of non-maternity clothes in your pregnancy. And if you’ve purchased wisely, your maternity garments will serve you well beyond your postpartum days and become wardrobe staples for the foreseeable future.
At Lenny Rose, we only use high-quality garments with fabulous stretch return, as well as nursing practicality so you will wear them well into early motherhood and beyond.
We also encourage you to send your used items back to us. In return, we’ll gift you with $25 store credit for you or a friend and find a new home for your preloved items!
