5 Reasons Why I'm Living in My After 9 Maternity and Postpartum Active Wear
Interested in trying out these products? Click here to explore them more. Use the code KATESISSONSDOULA FOR 15% off your order. Full disclosure - for every purchase you make, I will make a small amount of money, towards AFTER9 products. I 100% stand by this brand - as you’ll see below!
The last time I was pregnant was 8 years ago, with my twins. The maternity wear pickings were slim and I ended up primarily buying regular clothing, in a size up. It wasn’t ideal.
This pregnancy, I was excited to trial out some actual maternity clothes. I’ve loved (and am still loving) some and I’ve admittedly hated others.
When AFTER9 got in touch, Olivia (founder and owner) walked me through the brand’s goals and features of the product. After our chat, I was thrilled to try their clothing out and leave a genuine review. The moment my goods arrived (beautifully packaged and super fast shipping, I should add) and I’d tried them on, I knew I’d be trying to live in them for the rest of my pregnancy. All of Olivia’s claims proved 100% accurate.
Here are my 5 reasons why AFTER9 is my favourite maternity active wear - and will likely be my favourite postpartum wear too:
Comfort
“300 moms. 150 bumps. 600 boobs. That is how many new and expectant mothers we have tested our products on. Our built in firm back elastic paired with our soft panel waistband will change the trajectory of your pregnancy from uncomfortable to belly-happy.”
Early on in my current pregnancy, I began trying out maternity pants with waist bands. Like most people, I grew out of my jeans pretty quickly. I have to admit, that to start, I was not a fan. The full panel ones were just too large in the first, and even second trimester, and the more curved, u shaped ones just felt weird - it felt hard to find shirts with the right length to cover the dip in the band.
While they wouldn’t have been suitable for every situation (i.e. work) I wish I’d had AFTER9 earlier in my pregnancy! Their waistband is divine - truly. It covers my belly perfectly and also has amazing support at my back. I know they would’ve adapted well to my steady growth.
So far, my nursing bra feels incredible too, but of course I haven’t yet had the chance to use it with a baby. As a lactation consultant, I do see a lot of bras and I did use nursing bras while nursing my twins. So I can say, that the bra is comfortable and very supportive, in comparison to what I’ve seen and used. The clips are also easy and not finicky to use.
I’m very intrigued by the padding, that’s including with the bra. Olivia explained, “in the bra, we have a polyester liner that basically ensures breastmilk gets wicked or passes through to the foam layer, which absorbs milk. This ensures we reduce the risk of milk collecting on the nipple, while still keeping a foam layer that provides extra support and comfort for growing boobs.”
2. Ethically Sourced and Made in Canada
“We don't believe in waste & produce our clothes in small batches in a female-run factory in the Greater Toronto area. Manufacturing clothing is a human process & we like to know our workers are paid fair wages, as well as supervise the quality of their work.”
We NEED more Earth and Humanity conscious companies. As a parent and perinatal professional who works with new families, I am passionate about helping our planet in any way we can. Lowering any carbon output is huge. AFTER9 is made in Canada - for Toronto people you can feel even better knowing that the factory is based in Toronto. Of course, lowering our consumption levels is huge too - but we do need clothing and the fact that these are not fast fashion items, that will last from bump to baby, is incredible. Ensuring that everyone is paid a living wage and is working in ethical conditions, is also vital and AFTER9’s got that covered too. 👏
3. Style
I personally opted for all black items, to begin with. BUT I will definitely be back to purchase some of the other styles. The black, gold and white metallic marble and liquid snake detailing, on the shorts, pants and bras, are gorgeous. I also adore the mesh nursing tank and the nursing hoodie. The hoodie looks like it has appropriate openings for nursing, unlike so many other brands - seriously, who designs some maternity wear!
AFTER9 also sells hair elastics, which I have but admittedly have not tried mine out yet - my daughter snatched them from me as soon as they arrived. She adores them and has been wearing them every day - definitely a solid endorsement from picky, mini fashionista.
4. Packaging and Shipping
Of course, this isn’t a deal breaker when purchasing a product. However, you can really tell when someone has put some love into packaging your order - and I do think it does make a difference to your experience.
My AFTER9 clothes were all wrapped beautifully in tissue paper, and they were secured in an awesome laundry bag. Shipping was also incredibly speedy, which is awesome when you’re feeling eager to try something out. An extra bonus is that shipping is free!
5. Longevity
“Relax mama! We know your body is changing more in the next nine to 18 months, more than a man's body will ever change in a lifetime. We guarantee our clothes will fit perfectly from the 1st trimester to 1 year postpartum or we refund you your money back.”
One of my hesitancies with purchased maternity clothes, is their longevity. While I did buy a range of maternity clothes, during this pregnancy, I also did buy a few items either in a size up, or with a looser look, with the hopes that I could keep wearing them postpartum and hopefully ongoing.
With AFTER9 I know that they’ll adapt to the changes my body will once again go through during postpartum and I won’t have to buy more new things. Maternity and baby-hood is expensive enough and again, more sustainability is the future we should all strive for, for ourselves and our babies.
Interested in trying out these products? Click here to explore them more. Use the code KATESISSONSDOULA FOR 15% off your order.