Now that my childbearing years have spanned almost a decade, I've been around long enough to see the styles change more than once. In my first pregnancy, maternity jeans had a big, cotton knit tummy panel on the front and a drawstring to tighten them. The drawstring was a PITA because you had to tie it and get it just right so they wouldn't fall down but you could still pull them down to go to the bathroom.
In my second pregnancy, the only thing that changed was that the drawstring was replaced with buttonhole elastic, which was really just perfect...I had belly coverage and pants that would stay up w/o problems, but come down easily when I needed them to. I bought a couple of the "new" low waisted kind of pants, but always hated them because they either came right across the middle of my belly or they always fell down because I don't have broad enough hips to hold up a pair of pants all on their own.
In my third pregnancy, all of the styles had changed but I mostly wore jeans really early on in my pregnancy and either non maternity or mid-belly pants were okay. Then I switched to shorts and capris, which seem to be made with better panels. They don't come up to my bra, but they are 100% cotton, have wide elastic at the top that goes all the way around the waistband, and come above my navel, near the upper part of my belly.
This time, I'm going CRAZY because I really need PANTS, but I don't want nylon pantyhose tops on them (hello...no one wears pantyhose anymore because they are UNCOMFORTABLE AND HOT!), and I'm at that mid-pregnancy stage where my thighs, hips and butt get narrower and my belly takes over (okay, don't hate me...this always happens to me at around 20w...I'm just not one of those people who carries baby weight below the waist). This morning I put on a pair of pre-pregnancy jeans out of sheer desperation and guess what...they fit! For about half the day
. Now the waistband is literally cramping my belly and I had to unbutton them. I'm gonna have to hunt up some jeans or pants that will be comfortable, STAY UP, and fit. 
In my second pregnancy, the only thing that changed was that the drawstring was replaced with buttonhole elastic, which was really just perfect...I had belly coverage and pants that would stay up w/o problems, but come down easily when I needed them to. I bought a couple of the "new" low waisted kind of pants, but always hated them because they either came right across the middle of my belly or they always fell down because I don't have broad enough hips to hold up a pair of pants all on their own.
In my third pregnancy, all of the styles had changed but I mostly wore jeans really early on in my pregnancy and either non maternity or mid-belly pants were okay. Then I switched to shorts and capris, which seem to be made with better panels. They don't come up to my bra, but they are 100% cotton, have wide elastic at the top that goes all the way around the waistband, and come above my navel, near the upper part of my belly.
This time, I'm going CRAZY because I really need PANTS, but I don't want nylon pantyhose tops on them (hello...no one wears pantyhose anymore because they are UNCOMFORTABLE AND HOT!), and I'm at that mid-pregnancy stage where my thighs, hips and butt get narrower and my belly takes over (okay, don't hate me...this always happens to me at around 20w...I'm just not one of those people who carries baby weight below the waist). This morning I put on a pair of pre-pregnancy jeans out of sheer desperation and guess what...they fit! For about half the day
. Now the waistband is literally cramping my belly and I had to unbutton them. I'm gonna have to hunt up some jeans or pants that will be comfortable, STAY UP, and fit. 
I've been wearing some of my lower cut pants that i bought when I was postpartum. they're slightly too big, but they cut below my belly and I like them better than the darn maternity... the problem? they're older and they're corduroy... I don't know if you've ever seen what happens when cords wear down... but, uh, my pants are sorta balding. 
Apparently she's a goddess of knowing what's comfortable? 
but the secret fit like all but fall off my bum after I bend over enough times. THe butt droops down after a few hours 
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