Favorite maternity products

Several bloggy friends of mine have done posts detailing what baby products have proved most helpful. I love these posts, even though chances are I probably won't be able to find them when I really need them! And perhaps I'll even do a similar post, after Henry arrives.

But today, I wanted to list some maternity products that I couldn't live without during this pregnancy! I scoured online reviews, tested out different products, and these are my tried and true. Hopefully this might help someone who has been looking in to any of the following:

BEST MATERNITY CAMI EVER:

Let me preface this by saying that I'm quite particular when it comes to camisoles. I was really hoping to find a nice maternity cami with a shelf bra, but the ones I ordered (from Kohl's... don't do it, no matter how good the price) rode up and were too short. I'm not super tall (5'8"), but I think I have a long torso. And I don't want my bare back or belly to be visible to every passerby. That's not too much to ask, right? So give me a nice, long cami!

And I found one. I loved it so much, I ordered it in two colors. Wish I would have gotten more, actually, but it's a bit too late in the game for that.

The award goes to... Be Maternity Seamless Cami, which I purchased at Target. They sell them online, and in the stores. The sizes in the store are really hit or miss, so I ended up ordering both online.

Photo courtesy of Target.com

I probably purchased this cami when I was around 20 weeks. And they still fit. Forty some odd pounds later. The length is amazing. And since I can no longer wear full panel pants (crazy that something which was incredibly comfy in the beginning is so horrendously uncomfortable now), I wear these tanks under everything to make sure my belly is covered. I ordered the gray and white, but I would have gladly purchased the other two colors (nude and black) had I felt it necessary.

The runner-up in this category goes to Gap's Support Cami. I ordered this one at about 30 weeks pregnant, so I haven't gotten quite as much use out of it. However, it's great to not have to wear a bra, as it has a built-in shelf bra that is pretty darn supportive (I'm about average, bust-wise).

Photo courtesy of Gap.com

I ended up with the nude color, but I wish I would have gotten a different color. I can't remember why I ordered the nude, perhaps they were out of white or black. My issue with the color is that if whatever shirt I'm wearing underneath rides up, it looks like skin. So even though I'm not baring my bod, it looks that way to the average bystander. Oh well, it's still quite comfy and supportive. I think I might even be able to breastfeed in it, depending on how big my boobs get.

BEST MATERNITY UNDIES EVER:

Ok, I know many women don't ever buy special maternity underwear. I was thinking I wouldn't either... just buy some cheaper, larger ones from WalMart or Target and be done. But then, I had a coupon to use at the Gap, during a time they were having a big sale. I scored some of their maternity Stretch Cotton Hipsters for about $3 a pair, and HOLY SHIT how did I live without these?

I'm a hipster girl, so of course that's what I ordered, but they also come in bikini and thong.

Photo courtesy of Gap.com

The full retail price of these underwear are $10.95, which I would never pay. Both times I ordered some (yes, on two separate occasions... I think I have six pairs now!), they were on sale and I had a coupon. But they actually fit my ass! All of my Victoria's Secret undies were getting tight and allowing more of me to hang out than I cared for. I tried buying some cheap, size-up undies at WalMart, and they just weren't very comfortable.

Once I tried these, I couldn't go back. Lovely coverage. Nice and soft. So comfortable. I'm in love. Honestly.

If you see them on sale, and you are even remotely considering them, BUY THEM. You won't regret it. The first set of three I ordered was one size, and the next set was a size up from that. They both fit fine now, but I wanted to cover all bases, just in case!

BEST MATERNITY LEGGINGS

Granted, I've only tried two different brands of maternity legging: Gap and Old Navy. And the Gap Supersoft Maternity Leggings take the cake!

I ordered both pairs of leggings in black, and the Old Navy pair has really faded. The Gap pair, on the other hand, is still nice and rich black. For some stupid reason, I ordered the Old Navy pair in full panel... ugh. That was fine at 20 weeks. 30, not so much. 39? No freaking way. So uncomfortable. The Gap leggings fit nicely under my giant belly, and are so comfortable.

Photo courtesy of Gap.com

I wish I would have ordered two black pairs, or one in gray. I wore these so much with dresses and flats. Easy (and comfortable) work attire! Highly recommend!

FAVORITE MATERNITY T-SHIRT:

I know it seems like I'm being paid by the Gap, but I promise I'm not. I just found several items of that brand that have been amazing.

Including the Pure Body line of t-shirts.

Photo courtesy of Gap.com

Photo courtesy of Gap.com

Initially, I purchased the Pure Body short-sleeve t-shirt in a brown color. It was on sale for $4! How could I pass that up? And it has been, hands-down, my favorite t-shirt. It's the one that the majority of my belly photos have been taken in, as of late. It's super soft, super comfortable, and most importantly: nice and long! Eventually I ordered two more (a gray one that I seem to have misplaced, and a white one that I dribbled gravy on and stained).

I also ordered one Pure Body long-sleeved t-shirt. I wish I would have gotten a couple more long-sleeved shirts, since it is winter and all. But the one black one I ordered will suffice. The downside is that I am usually living in my yoga pants, which are black. So black on black... I kind of feel like a ninja. Next time, I would order a different color.

FAVORITE MATERNITY YOGA PANTS:

Ok, so yes, these are my favorite. But these are also the only ones I've tried. I read reviews on tons of maternity yoga pants prior to purchasing, and these had the best reviews: Old Navy's Maternity Roll-Panel Yoga Pants. I ordered the black pair (of course), and loved them so much (and wore them so much...) that I bought the gray pair as well.

Photo courtesy of OldNavy.com

Yes, the black pair has faded. But because they are yoga pants, I just can't be too concerned with that. Even though they are pretty much my uniform at this point. The gray pair is packed in my hospital bag, which resides in the car, so they have been out of commission for about a week or two. I wear the black pair whenever they are clean, and until they are so covered in blonde Kelsey hair that I need to re-wash.

FAVORITE MATERNITY JEANS:

Now, here is one category that I can say I've tried a varied selection of brands, including Old Navy, Gap, Target, and Motherhood Maternity.

I had a hard time finding Gap and Old Navy jeans that worked well for me. The cut was wrong, or the belly panel was wrong, or something. The most success I had was with some hand-me-downs from Motherhood Maternity, even though they were a tad on the short side. I could only wear them with flats. And once my belly started growing and growing, I had to stop wearing them completely (they could have passed for capris, practically).

My expensive (read: full-price... probably not expensive to some, but $70 is a lot to me!) Gap 1969 full panel sexy boot jeans started getting too snug around 32 weeks. So, way too late in the pregnancy game, I ordered a pair of jeans from Motherhood Maternity.

Photo courtesy of Motherhood.com

And they have quickly come to be my favorite! They are the Secret Fit Belly® Signature Pocket Boot Cut Maternity Jeans, and I wish I had gotten them sooner! And in both washes. You really can't beat the price on these jeans, honestly ($30, regular price?!).

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And there you have it! A rundown of my favorite maternity clothes from this pregnancy. I suppose soon enough these may be packed up in a box, but I really hope I get to use them again!