12 Women on the Best Postpartum Denim, AKA the True Mom Jean

The simple task of finding well-fitting postpartum clothes—beyond a comfy pair of high-waisted leggings—can be utterly monumental. You may be carrying extra weight around your midsection or be a new size altogether after giving birth (and that’s totally okay!), but having a pair of flattering, comfy postpartum jeans in your arsenal can actually help ease you into post-baby life.

Begin by proceeding with caution, Sarah Hoover, art historian, mother, and pro-inclusive parenthood writer suggests. “Most important advice: Do not try on your pre-pregnancy jeans for at least three months. Don’t set yourself up to be frustrated by your body, which did something miraculous and important. And don’t let the patriarchy’s pernicious messaging, prioritizing only the bodies it deems ‘good enough,’ bring you down when you just perpetuated the species.”

The task can feel daunting if you’ve never been there, so we asked twelve women who have. From the paper-thin jeans art history professor Meredith Greif said didn’t irritate her scar, to structured high-rises Hoover relied on to hold newly-loose zones in, we listed the ultimate mom jeans (for actual moms), here.