Try out this bloom-tested Activewear for maternity & motherhood

For the active woman, choosing which pieces to move in can be a pretty big decision. Especially when you're expecting, your body is changing, you have new needs, and yet you still want to feel your best while moving with ease. That's why I decided to share my top picks with you. Whether you're currently expecting, starting your motherhood chapter, or simply a veteran mom looking for the best active wear in the biz, the items below have got you covered.

LEGGINGS

First, let's get to the leggings! Those pair of uber comfy pants that can be worn during a workout or out and about with girlfriends. My top pick and all-time favorite activewear staple goes to the ever amazing Align Pant by Lululemon.

Why am I obsessed with these leggings?

Well, if you've ever placed these buttery leggings on your body, you know exactly why. If you have yet to experience possibly the best piece of activewear Lululemon has ever designed, let me enlighten you.

The Align Pants are deemed "naked sensation pants" by many who love them. Not only do they feel like you're wearing next to nothing but they're 100% transitional in the way they fit before, during, and post pregnancy. That's because they are zero compression leggings that still provide optimal support during exercise, yoga, or even just moving throughout your day.

They have been a staple of mine for the past 2 years and have continued to be my go-to leggings throughout pregnancy.

No matter how my belly shifted, the zero compression high waist was still there to support its growth. I wore a size 4 pre-pregnancy, purchased 3 pairs of size 6 during pregnancy and was pleasantly surprised that both sizes still fit through my third trimester. They haven't stretched out, felt restrictive, or ever let me down. If I could write a love letter to these pants, I might because they are simply that great!

If you're looking for a nice and supportive Maternity specific legging, I wouldn't hesitate moving forward with the Sculpt & Support Leggings by Bao Bei Maternity. While my belly growth didn't require the support given by these leggings, I did find them super comfy.

I decided to try them out on some of our Bloom Mamas. Mamas who were looking for more belly support in their leggings. So, I picked 5 expecting women to try these leggings and provide feedback. Each woman was extremely surprised with how comfortable yet supportive these babies were. They immediately noticed a difference in the awareness around their growing belly and loved the way these pants moved with their bodies during a prenatal workout at The Bloom Method, on a run, and even during yoga.

There are a lot of maternity leggings out there and I love that Bao Bei's are backed by the knowledge of a physical therapist. These aren't just activewear leggings but leggings with a purpose. The purpose: to keep you feeling supportive, comfortable, and sexy during pregnancy, NOT cinched around your growing belly or leaving you feeling stuffed in leggings during a good sweat session. If maternity leggings are what you're looking for, look no further!

Keeping things simple is often times my middle name so keeping our top pick of leggings down to just two variations was easy for me. You have enough choices to rumble through and we wanted to make choosing the right pair of leggings easy. It's either transitional leggings that move with you no matter how your body changes or a little extra love and support with maternity specific leggings. We gave you the best of the best, now it's up to you to pick your ultimate maternity and motherhood leggings.

CROP & NURSING SPORTS BRA

Our nursing sports bra picks were narrowed down to two different bras based on style, functionality, ease of use, and innovative design. To push that edgy style and fashion-forward design we love the Aria Low Impact Bra by XOThree. The co-founder of this company is actually a Bloom mama and while based in Australia, they ship to the US, as well as various other countries. This duo of moms knew exactly how to create quite possibly the most innovative nursing bra on the market without losing that sense of fashion so many new moms crave.

This bra boasts a single magnetic clasp closure in the middle and concealed invisible zips along the bottom of your breasts to allow access to the breast so that you can discreetly feed your baby. Zip it back up and you're back to looking super fierce while having all the functionality you need.

While fashion isn't what every new mom is looking for, I know a lot of women are and this bra takes the cake when it comes to high-end design + functional nursing compatibility. They have a few different styles of nursing bras at XOThree and they are all incredibly fashion forward while providing exactly what you need as a nursing mom.

If you're looking for comfort, look no further than the Bamboobies Yoga Nursing Brahhh. This bra, while functional and extremely easy to use, stands out due to the amazing amount of comfort it provides. I think this will be my go-to bra in the immediate post-birth period. It's very much like a T-shirt bra in that it feels so good and soft against the skin but provides an adequate amount of support as you ease your way back into exercise.

The bra is also made by a local Boulder company and we love supporting our local entrepreneurs. They even have Bloom coach, Sam as their yoga brahhh model. Bonus points!!! If you're looking for comfort, ease of use, and a functional design that you can wear all day, every day, pop over to the Bamboobies site and purchase this bra. Check out their other great nursing products too. This company is a one-stop shop for breastfeeding mamas.

Okay, mamas, now that I've shared our favorite mama activewear picks, what are you tempted to wiggle your way into? If you're anything like me, variety is a must and owning all of these pieces gives you options as you move through pregnancy and navigate the newness of motherhood with. Regardless of what you wear during this time, I hope you're embracing your body, it's changes, and the power it holds while you give it and yourself all the love you deserve!