One thing really separates a maternity tight from a regular one: the stretch panel over the belly. Everything else, the sizing, the sheerness, the care, follows the same rules as any other pair. Here is what to look at.
What is different about maternity tights?
An ordinary tight is built for a waist that stays put. During pregnancy it does not, and it does not change in a straight line either.
A maternity tight solves that with a soft panel that comes up over the belly and follows its shape, instead of an elastic band that presses on it. That is what lets you wear the same pair for months without it rolling under the bump or squeezing where you do not want it to.
Our MAMA Durables are built on that principle: a comfortable, semi-sheer, durable and shaping formula, with a panel designed to move with your belly.
What size should I take during pregnancy?
This is the question we get most.
Go by your height and your pre-pregnancy hip measurement, not by your belly. The panel is made to stretch over the bump. It is your hips and legs that set the size, and they are what change the least.
| Size | Height | Hip measurement |
|---|---|---|
| S-M | 5'1 to 5'7 | 33 to 41 inches |
| L-XL | 5'5 to 5'10 | 41 to 50 inches |
As with all our tights: if you are between two sizes, take the larger one. And if your height puts you in one size and your hips in another, take the higher of the two.
Should you size up just because you are pregnant? Not automatically. If your hips have already changed, measure them again and trust the measurement. Otherwise your usual size is the right one. A tight that is too big loses its hold and rolls, which is exactly what you are trying to avoid during pregnancy.
When during pregnancy should I switch?
There is no rule. Some people move to maternity tights as soon as a regular pair starts to pinch at the waist, often around the second trimester. Others wait longer, and some never wear them at all.
The most reliable signal is comfort: the moment an ordinary tight leaves a mark at your waist or rolls under your belly, it is time.
What our maternity tights are not
They are not medical compression stockings. They are not graduated, they are not certified for that use, and they do not replace a prescribed garment.
If your doctor, midwife or pharmacist has recommended compression stockings during pregnancy, those are what you need, and they are bought at a pharmacy at the right compression level. Our MAMA tights are comfort tights, not a medical device, and we would rather say so plainly.
And after the pregnancy?
The stretch panel does not become useless the day you give birth. Many of our customers keep wearing them through the weeks that follow, simply because nothing else fits right yet. It is one of the reasons a pair that lasts is worth choosing.
How to make them last
The same rules as the rest of the range, and they count double on a pair you will wear often for months:
- Wash by hand, or on cold in a wash bag
- Air dry, never in the dryer
- Avoid velcro, stone-set rings and rough nails
- Roll the tight up the leg first, and bring the panel up last
On that last point: never pull the panel to yank the whole tight up. Leg first, belly last.
A note on durability
Our MAMA tights belong to the Durables range, not the Unbreakable range. They are built to last far longer than an ordinary pair, but the run-resistant formula belongs to the Deluxe Unbreakables.
It is a distinction we insist on, because a pregnancy is not the moment to discover that a product does not do what you thought it did.
