While pyjamas may seem like the obvious comfort zone during pregnancy, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t live in maternity gym leggings for much of the nine months I spent growing my first baby.
A staple for those who wish to continue working out during their pregnancy, gym leggings with extra stretch might not be what you envisaged buying for your maternity wardrobe (again… pyjamas…) but when you’re pregnant – even if you’re not planning on running a marathon – keeping active will most likely help you prepare for the big day, with numerous studies highlighting the benefits of exercise for both you and your baby, as well as for your recovery.
It is, however, a very personal decision whether or not you feel comfortable exerting yourself during what can be such a fragile time in your life, so follow your body and never push yourself too hard.
Regardless of your plans for exercise or otherwise, though, a pair of maternity gym leggings are one of the comfiest ways to help support your growing bump. So we say it’s time to stock up…
SKIP TO:
Sure, you might fit into your pre-pregnancy leggings during the first trimester, but by the time you reach the four or five month mark, it could be time to start thinking about investing in a new pair to wear for the rest of your pregnancy and beyond.
The first place to look when buying maternity gym leggings is your favourite sportswear brand, who will likely have specific maternity lines, designed by experts, with your safety in mind. Nike, Adidas and Reebok all have great options, often available in lots of fun colours, so you don’t need to sacrifice on style. The high street also offers loads of maternity gym leggings, particularly Next and ASOS.
And if you speak to any expectant or new mother you’ll almost certainly hear about Lululemon’s Align leggings, which come up time and time again among Glamour mums – and I too wore them throughout my pregnancy and beyond. If I’m totally honest, I still wear them now, almost 16 months postpartum.
Stylish and compact, they don’t look like they’ll stretch but trust me they do, and they never dig in or feel constricting. Crucially the stretch doesn’t hang around when your bump’s gone, either.
Why you can trust me
Freelance Fashion Editor, Charlie Teather, became a first time mum last year, and – alongside, you know, prepping for one of humankind’s toughest physical feats and the subsequent life-altering reality of a tiny new human to care for 24/7 – rediscovering how to dress a body that was changing every single day posed a real challenge.
Charlie didn’t want to lose her personal style identity, but wanted to celebrate and not just ‘disguise’ this incredible moment in her life. And if she was finding this balance hard to strike, after working her whole adult lives in the fashion and magazine industry, she figured others must be too. So Charlie made it something of a personal/professional mission to compile the ultimate guides. If for nothing more than for her to refer back to if/when she ever does this pregnancy thing again, because (spoiler alert) baby brain is no joke, people…
How I tested the best maternity gym leggings
Charlie used her own pregnancy as the perfect excuse to trial run the best maternity styles out there and compile this edit. She shopped for staples from independent, designer and high street maternity brands during her second and third trimesters (with varying success), and has also asked her well-dressed pregnant pals and new mums for their top tips to find high-quality maternity wear. Not to mention, she’s scoured Instagram for the ultimate inspiration too. For mums-to-be, Glamour‘s edit of the best maternity jeans of 2025 is essential reading…
Follow