15 Chic Maternity Jeans Editors, Stylists, and Estheticians Wear Over and Over While Pregnant

As we know, not every pair of denim is made equal. It takes years to hunt down a great (not just good!) pair—which makes swapping them out for a pair of maternity jeans all the more painful when the time comes. Although maternity jeans are by and large much more comfortable than rigid denim while pregnant, it's hard to find a pair you can easily fall in love with thanks to their shape, color, wash, and style.

Nearly every mother or soon-to-be mother laid it out clearly: it's hard to find good maternity jeans. With the rise of cool girl maternity style (Thank you, Rihanna!), normalizing unzipped jeans and baggy silhouettes, fashion people are turning towards repurposing and restyling the jeans they already have, bump and all. That doesn't mean maternity jeans are incredibly passé, though: there's tons of extra comfortable, form-fitting styles that'll mold to your growing bump, week after week.

To get the scoop on the best maternity jeans (or, lack thereof), we consulted the cool mothers and mothers-to-be on the jeans they actually swear by, stretchy waistband or not. Whether they're beloved Acne jeans worn by celebrity aestheticians on their way to fashion shows or tried-and-true plus-size-friendly H&M jeans, scroll through to see the best maternity jeans working moms wear day in and day out. To be totally honest, every jean can be a maternity jean if you try hard enough!

Shop Our Favorite Maternity Jeans:

• Best Traditional Maternity Jean: Mango Maternity Wide Leg Jean ($90)
• Rihanna's Favorite Maternity Jean: Agolde Low Slung Baggy Boyfriend Jeans ($240)
• Best Affordable Maternity Jean: H&M Momma Before & After Straight Low Ankle Jean ($50)
• Best Trendy Maternity Jean: Paige Alexis Maternity Barrel Leg Jean ($259)
• Best Designer Maternity Jean: Acne Studios Loose Fit Jeans 1991 Toj ($480)

Best Drawstring Maternity Jean

WHO: Liana Satenstein, Fashion Writer and Host of "Never Worns"

"For a maternity pant, I do swear by the Still Here “Cool” jean, which isn’t even a maternity jean. They are button down and have a chic little draw string to secure the fly. I wear them constantly…typically with something sheer and stretchy on top!"

Shop Liana's pick:

Best Designer Maternity Jean

WHO: Raquel Medina-Cleghorn, celebrity esthetician and co-founder of Raquel NYC

"I really held off until the last possible minute before I caved and bought maternity jeans. I wore my Acne Loose Fit 1991 jeans half unbuttoned until the third trimester. My issue with maternity denim was either they had that high elastic waistband (which I don’t love in general but also I got big over the summer and that seemed way too hot) or if the jeans looked normal they were $200+! I thought that seemed way too expensive for a very temporary piece of clothing. I ended up getting H&M maternity denim—they were dark grey (I only wear black denim), baggy fit and $50!! Total score. The thing I didn’t anticipate was that I’d still need to wear them postpartum. When I went back to work 8 weeks later, I was still 2 sizes bigger than pre-pregnancy. Luckily, one of my fave creators @thepouf shared that her fave Madewell jeans were on sale and I got a pair in a bigger size.

I recommend to my pregnant friends to bite the bullet and get maternity jeans because they’re way more comfortable, and chances are they’ll still need them for a few months after. I’m eager to fit back into my Acne’s, but in the meantime I’m not worrying about losing the baby weight."

Shop Raquel's picks:

Best Affordable Maternity Jeans

WHO: Monikh Dale, Creator and Who What Wear UK Contributor

"I ended up buying my only ‘maternity’ branded piece when I was half way, as my jeans were becoming too uncomfortable, even when I sized up a few. I went for a pair by H&M, which had an elastic waist which sat under the waist. They were more like the denim jogger trend that’s happening right now. So comfortable, and that’s what I look for when dressing at any stage—comfort."

Shop Monikh's pick:

Best Plus-Size Maternity Jeans

WHO: Gia Sinatra, designer and founder of GIA IRL

"As if it’s not hard enough finding jeans that fit my plus-size body, cute plus-size maternity jeans are even harder to find. I had dreamed of finding the perfect pair to wear since I was pregnant during the fall and winter, but unfortunately, I never found the right fit. Instead, I rocked my favorite pairs from Old Navy, leaving them unbuttoned with my bump out."

Shop Gia's pick:

Best Black Maternity Jeans

WHO: Elizabeth Grace Hand, celebrity aesthetician and founder of Stalle Studios

"Okay so I will admit I had an aversion to maternity jeans for awhile - I was doing the hair tie in the belt button trick with my favorite pair of Acne jeans in order to fit into them but they were getting so so so uncomfortable so I recently took the plunge. I’m so picky with my jeans— I like a slight flare, no holes, and ideally 1 color with no obvious wash. The Hudson Nico Maternity Jeans in Black are the best I’ve found—in both fit and wash!"

Shop Elizabeth's pick:

Shop More Maternity Jeans

Are tight maternity jeans okay in early pregnancy?

Yes! You can wear your regular, non-maternity denim quite easily in the beginning stages of your pregnancy (or, in the case of some of the experts we spoke to, even up until the last few weeks of your pregnancy if you get creative!). As your pregnancy progresses, it's better to skip the ultra tight-fitting jeans, though, as to prioritize comfort and make sure you're not restricting any blood flow or circulation, in more rare and serious cases.

What month do you start wearing maternity jeans?

Most women start wearing maternity jeans throughout their second trimester, or about 12 to 16 weeks, depending on the size of your belly or how many children you're carrying. If you're carrying twins, more than likely your new maternity jeans will be a newer addition to your closet sooner rather than later.

What kind of maternity jeans are the best?

The best maternity jean is one that feels most comfortable to you. Most mothers-to-be find that maternity jeans with stretchy waistbands or loose, slouchy cuts are best in accommodating their growing bump, making their jeans last several weeks (or even a trimester or two!). Certainly, the more comfortable the maternity jean, the better.

This story was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.