How to Buy the Best Maternity Leggings - 11 Must Know Selection Facts

Approximate Reading Time: 6 minutes

Are SRC Maternity Leggings and Shorts really worth it? The answer to an often asked question about the cost of maternity leggings is as with most things - "it depends" on a number of factors.

While to us at SRC Health, the answer is an unequivocal YES because we make amazing quality maternity leggings and shorts - price can be an issue for some mothers. Let’s be honest, most of us live on a budget, especially with the baby on the way. So to spend $189/$199 AUD ($149/$159 USD) on a pair of maternity leggings or shorts is nothing short of a luxury some can not indulge in. This price is not cheap for any piece of clothing let alone “maternity clothing”, however many women don't blink when spending that on a pair of shoes.

For many of our customers this all disappears when they examine the cost; considering medical conditions the garments assist with - pregnancy pain relief and a faster recovery after delivery.

If you purchase from the SRC website then you are covered by a very generous 100% Money Back Guarantee that eliminates all risk associated with the purchase.

"Can you put a price on you on getting through the demands of work (and exercise) with less pain during pregnancy? Or the cost to move more freely after delivery and make lifting, feeding, bathing and caring for your baby easier?" For me this was priceless, which is why I invested so much blood sweat and tears into developing SRC (which is the acronym for Support Recovery Comfort) after my 3rd child says Sinead O'Donovan, the MD and founder of SRC Health.

A pair of $20 black cotton leggings from Target or online cannot be compared with a specialist medical garment. The women who choose to purchase SRC compression garments put a value on getting through the demands of work (and exercise) with less pain during their pregnancy. They value the improved ability to move more freely after delivery and make lifting, feeding, bathing and caring for their baby easier. This “value” is impossible to define as everybody is different, from their individual needs to their disposable income. However, we can put some monetary value on the garment, by examining 3 'opportunity costs':

1. What is the financial benefit of working an extra few weeks whilst pregnant? (relates to SRC Pregnancy garments)
2. What is the monetary benefit of coming back to work a few weeks earlier after having your baby? (relates to SRC Recovery garments)
3. We can also look at the cost of the garment over its life…unlike a special occasion outfit, the SRC compression garments represent value for the most precious of occasions – the birth of a child.

SRC Pregnancy leggings or shorts can be worn for 24 hours a day - for anywhere between 15-28 weeks based on our customer feedback, which equates to approximately between US$1.20 to US$0.66 per day which is not a large price to pay to be able to enjoy your pregnancy and get ready for the arrival of your little one. They can be used for work and exercise and for subsequent pregnancies. In the case of SRC Recovery Shorts and Leggings, they are used by many customers for exercise and for aesthetic reasons under fitted clothing for years after the initial 8-12 week recovery period.

We want our customers to love our products, so, if you are not blown away, we’ll refund your purchase. All customers purchasing through our website are covered by a 100% Money Back Guarantee that eliminates all risk associated with the purchase or they can alternatively purchase via amazon.com and be covered by their “no questions asked” refunds and exchanges policy.

On average, a pregnancy (using Australia’s data, which is similar to USA other than health insurance costs and structures) and the first 12 months of a baby’s life, on the tightest of budgets, without buying any brand names, even purchasing many items second hand, will end up costing around the $10,000. Many women see our Pregnancy and Recovery garments as being a tiny part of the total cost and something that is of value to them for their health and wellbeing.

Regardless of the brand of maternity leggings or shorts you decide to go with, make sure you are comparing “apples with apples”. Here are 11 facts to consider when making your selection:

1. Activewear or your average cotton leggings available from your department store, whether they are called maternity leggings / pregnancy leggings or not simply have NO (medical) benefits other than comfort and fashion. There are many large multinational brands that manufacture activewear (not compression) that cost between $70-$130 USD.
2. Sports compression does not address the needs and conditions of the post-natal mother and will simply not fit (read potentially dangerous to even try on whilst you are pregnant). And in the main they are in the same price bracket as SRC medical compression garments.
3. Many so-called maternity recovery (post-natal) garments are merely an extension of a sports garment or a hosiery brand, neither "specifically designed with the medical needs of the new mother in mind."
4. SRC Pregnancy and Recovery garments are recommended by some leading health care professionals and consumers through unsolicited testimonials and feedback but more importantly tested and loved by 100,000+ mothers worldwide.
1. Our studies show that 82% of women who wore SRC Pregnancy Shorts and Leggings experienced a reduction in their discomfort.¹
2. 97% of our customers would recommend this garment to other mothers.²
5. SRC garments are ‘fit for purpose’ – designed by women for women, in consultation with an obstetrician using a structured approach towards research and development. The fabrics and garment being tested multiple times over several months in the days and weeks after childbirth pre-launch into the market and it’s not surprising that SRC Pregnancy and Recovery garments have been endorsed by the Australian Physiotherapy Association.
6. The patented design features Anatomical Support Panels (ASP) within the garment that has been specially located for either pregnancy or recovery post-delivery to deliver targeted compression for assisting with multiple conditions such as:
1. Pregnancy: Low Back Pain, SI Joint Pain, Pelvic Girdle Pain, Mild Varicose Veins and Vulval Varicosities.
2. Recovery: Perineal wounds and stitches, C-Section and Abdominal muscle separation.
7. The anatomically targeted support panels provide consistent compression during movement. This is achieved utilising True Cross Compression where each fabric layer is cut on a different plane so that during activity no compression is lost at any time.
8. Unlike mainstream compression products, SRC fabrics have been specifically developed for this purpose, exclusively manufactured for SRC and then independently tested to provide you with the highest quality with maximum support and comfort including features like moisture wicking.
9. We took the SRC fabric and leading competitors through 100 wash cycles and then retested both fabric extension test. The results showed that the compression properties of our fabric, unlike those of the competition were sustained. After 50 washes, the results showed that the competitor fabric had not only shrunk significantly but was less resistant in the stretch. The SRC fabric had minimum shrinkage and retained its stretch resistance under higher force. The shrinkage of both fabrics stabilized after 100 wash cycles, but only the SRC fabric retained the same high level of compression at the conclusion of the testing.
10. Gentle medical grade compression avoids muscle deactivation and allows for SRC Recovery garments to be worn day and night, delivering 24-hour ‘wearability’ and pain relief.
11. The SRC Maternity Leggings and Shorts range is the world’s the largest maternity compression range of garments that is comprised of many different styles and sizes and SRC can proudly say we provide “Support For Life” for every shape and size. SRC pregnancy leggings and shorts and recovery leggings and shorts present a real multi-functional garments; in the case of pregnancy used for work and exercise and for subsequent pregnancies and in the case of recovery, they are also used by many customers for exercise and for aesthetic reasons under fitted clothing for years after.

We invest in clinical trials, research studies and focus groups to further understand how best to support women on their journey, be it pregnancy, postpartum, menopause or post-menopause.  Wishing you all the very best in your journey through motherhood.