Maternity jeans guide - 3 good options on the high street

There's something amazing about the first time you put on a pair of maternity jeans. I think I actually whispered "Where have you been all my life?" as I pulled mine on - full panel stretched practically all the way up to my bra strap - and my bump experienced the comfort of being encased in soft, stretchy fabric, with no waistband digging in and no buttons that could only be held closed using a ponytail band.

It made me wonder why we don't always just wear jeans with elasticated waistbands and although the baby is heading towards 9 months, I don't mind admitting that I did briefly consider pulling out the maternity jeans for Christmas day and its associated food-fest (though in the end I stuck with stretch jeggings).

Maternity jeans generally come in 3 variations: the ones with little elastic sections in an otherwise normal waistband, the demi-panel ones with a full piece of elastic across the waist which sits below the bump, and the full-panel ones with the stretchy fabric that covers the whole bump.

While the kind with elastic inserts in the waistband might be useful very early on, I preferred the demi or full panel styles. The demi panel were perfect for the stage when I was no longer comfortable in normal jeans, but not yet big enough for the full panel and they remained comfortable for most of my pregnancy (for the last month I resorted to leggings for comfort). The full panel jeans gave that extra bit of support to a growing bump and the extra layer of fabric was cosy in winter. Choosing one style over the other may come down to personal preference, but here are a few options currently available:

H&M MAMA jeans are well-priced at €39.99 and these full-panel skinnies in stretch denim are a great maternity wardrobe staple.

Topshop's Supersoft Skinny jeans (€55) were my favourites during my last pregnancy and come in an array of trendy shades. They have a comfy demi panel waistband and a nice amount of stretch in the fabric.

If skinnies aren't your thing, then try Gap's full panel sexy boot (€60). Looking past the name, this is a lovely leg-lengthening style and the dark indigo wash makes it a good dressy option.

If you have maternity jean favourites, let us know what they are!