Maternity Activewear and (Pre-)Pregnancy Fitness Test

Hey, guys! Hope you’re having a great Wednesday and doing all the things that make you happy.

I am in my blogging chair, with my Klean Kanteen full of fresh water, listening to the new AWESOME Blink-182 album and editing some photos from last week.

As I wrote in my last post about non-maternity maternity clothing, I have found a few maternity companies that made me think differently on the whole clothing situation during pregnancy. It’s easy to hate maternity clothes, exposed to the ordinary all-too-familiar brands when you’re used to buying clothes off of more obscure trendy online shops, so with some looking around I found a few places I liked.

So I want to start a series of posts, featuring certain maternity brands ( and maybe some giveaways) that I’ve tried out and approve of.  These will not be your run of the mill Gap, Old Navy, Target clothing. We all know about their maternity lines. It will be shops you might have never heard off that have either GREAT styles or offer unprecedented comfort. Because those are the only  two things that matter when it comes to maternity clothing.

When I got pregnant, I knew right away that when it came to exercising, I will have to get a whole new wardrobe. If boobs that grew two sizes weren’t enough to convince me of that, the ever expanding belly did. None of my stretchy tight sports bras fit anymore. My work out pants, while stretchy, pressed uncomfortably when I put them on mid-belly, and felt like they’d fall off if I roll them down.

It was very clear that if I wanted to continue exercising outside, I needed clothing designed specially for  pregnant bellies.

This brings me to THESE PANTS

3 in 1 Maternity Yoga pants by Oceanlily sold at MaternityActivewear.com

When I first put them on at home when they arrived, I refused to take them off. I spent hours wearing them around the house. The pants are made out of a thick and taut fabric, which made me think that I was going to die from Florida heat in them, but surprisingly enough, after about 30 minutes of taking pictures in the scorching sun, my upper body was wetter and hotter than my lower body. So apparently, they stay cool and dry better than my skin.

My favorite part, though, is that they are super versatile.

Everyone will tell you that the worst thing about buying maternity clothes is the understanding that you might never wear it again for the rest of your life, or if you do, it’ll be for a few months. So I’ve always LOVED the idea of maternity clothes that transitioned with you into mommyhood and beyond.

Not only can you wear them post-partum ( to hold that belly jiggle), but you can also position them 3 diffferent ways ( hence the 3 in 1) below the tummy, mid-tummy and over the tummy.

This  was my first pair of pants with the over-the-tummy option and it felt strangely comfortable and secure. When we went for a walk later that evening, I found myself pulling the band up over the tummy, even though it was still hot and humid. There’s something about the tautness of the material and the support that makes your belly feel secure. Do you, other preggos, ever find yourself holding onto your belly while walking, sort of to protect it for the movement? Well, I do and these pants totally do the job for me.

During the day though, I usually opt for the below the tummy option, especially if I am wearing a short top, which feels really good and firm too.

Another bonus is they come in 4 lengths: short, regular, tall and extra tall. Unfortunately, I got tall instead of extra tall, so they’re a bit short on me. But that’s a huge plus for tall girls like me, or shorter than average, since getting pants to fit right lengthwise is usually a big pain. You can get these yoga pants and other maternity activewear here

Maternity Activewear has quite a few retail locations in US and Canada, but if you’re an online shopper like me, feel free to check out their website: www.maternityactivewear.com for more maternity yoga pants, leggings, sport tanks, tees , shorts and more.

There’s no sales tax and free shipping over a certain amount.
And just for a limited time just for my readers,
you can use code 144698 to get 15% OFF at www.MaternityActivewear.com (valid till Sunday night, October 2nd)

And since we are on the fitness topic, I’d like to post something that I should have posted A LONG TIME AGO:
(Pre-) Pregnancy Fitness Test.
It’s a test I found in Pregnancy Fitness book and mentioned in one of my old pre-conception posts before I was even pregnant. I’ve had quite a few people ask me to publish that test, so here we go.

Basically, it’s a very simple, very basic flexibility and strength test to make sure that you’re at least in the minimal shape before getting pregnant. Or if you’re already pregnant, it might give you a clue as to what you should work on to prepare for future pregnancy challenges and labor. It really helped me identify my weak points ( ankles? lol) and motivated me to work on my Kegels more

CLICK TO VIEW THE FITNESS TEST HERE (PDF)

I’d also recommend buying the book. I’ve been doing their 1st trimester and 2nd trimester exercises and really enjoy them.