Updated August 2026. General information, not medical advice. If something does not feel right, speak to your midwife or GP. Competitor specifications checked against their own sites in August 2026.
What ours are: boxers for women in 95% bamboo viscose with 5% elastane, soft from the first wear. Wide flat waistband. 6 or 9 inch leg. UK 8 to 30. 60 Day guarantee and whole order replaced if the size isn't right.
Nobody tells you how much underwear matters when you are pregnant, and even less about what happens after. You need different things at 30 weeks than in week one, and different things again once you are walking properly.
We make bamboo boxer shorts. We do not make disposable knickers or compression garments, and for the first week you want those. They are recommended below anyway, because a guide that only points at its own product is not a guide.
What you need, and when
| When | What works | What to skip |
|---|---|---|
| Pregnancy | A size up, worn over or under the bump. The longer leg handles the chafing that comes with a changing shape | Anything with a narrow waistband cutting across the bump |
| Days 1 to 7 | Disposable maternity knickers for the bleeding, high-waisted | Anything you would be upset to ruin |
| Weeks 1 to 6 | Soft, wide-waisted reusables alongside a pad | Narrow elastic, anything that digs |
| Week 6 onward | Whatever is comfortable. Most people want their own clothes back by now | Rushing into pre-pregnancy knickers |
The most common mistake is buying one type and expecting it to cover the whole thing. Most people end up with two or three, and the disposables are only for the first stretch.
The brands, compared
Five options people actually weigh up, with what each publishes. We are one of them, so read the last row accordingly.
| What it is | Waistband | Best for | If you have worn them | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frida Mom | Disposable, microfibre and spandex, mesh-free and latex-free | High-waist, designed not to roll down over an incision | Days 1 to 7 | Disposable, so not applicable |
| Kindred Bravely | Reusable, ultra-stretchy, room for a pad | Wide lace band, sits above the hips or incision | Weeks 1 to 6 | No returns or exchanges on underwear at all |
| Bodily All-In | Reusable, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified | High-waisted, sits above the scar | C-section recovery | Check current policy |
| UpSpring C-Panty | Compression brief, some versions include a silicone scar panel | High-waisted | Targeted C-section support | Check current policy |
| Flissie | Bamboo viscose boxer shorts, 6 or 9 inch leg. No absorbency | Wide flat band, mid-rise, can be worn pulled up | Pregnancy, and week 6 onward | 60 days, free swap on your whole first order |
For the first week, buy Frida Mom or a supermarket equivalent. Disposables are the right answer while bleeding is heaviest and we do not make them.
Kindred Bravely and Bodily are the C-section picks, because both sit clearly above the incision. Worth knowing before you order: Kindred Bravely do not accept underwear back for return or exchange under any circumstances, which on a garment you cannot try on is a real risk.
Ours are for pregnancy and for afterwards, not for the first fortnight. No absorbency, so you still need a pad early on.
Maternity knickers during pregnancy
Somewhere around the second trimester, normal underwear stops working. The waistband either rolls under the bump or cuts across it, and neither is comfortable for long.
What to look for: a wide, soft waistband rather than a narrow band of elastic, room to size up, and enough length in the leg if chafing has started. Over-bump and under-bump are both fine and it is genuinely personal preference.
The chafing part surprises people. Weight gain and a changing shape mean thighs that never touched before might start to, often in the middle of summer. It has nothing to do with size and it is very common.
I am currently pregnant with my second child, and I wish I had come across these sooner. They are so soft and comfortable I wear them all day long, they have stopped my chafing completely. My belly has grown and they still fit.
Louise, UK, verified review
Disposable maternity knickers for the first week
For the first few days, disposables are the right answer and almost everyone underbuys them.
Lochia, the bleeding after birth, is heaviest in the first week and can continue for up to six weeks. In those first days you want something you can throw away, not something you are trying to rescue in a sink at 3am.
What to look for: high waisted, a wide gusset that holds a maternity pad without shifting, and a soft fabric rather than the mesh you get in hospital. Buy at least two packs.
Frida Mom's high-waist disposables are microfibre and spandex rather than mesh, and are cut high specifically so the band does not roll down over an incision. Supermarket own-brand disposable maternity knickers are considerably cheaper and largely fine.
Where boxer shorts fit
Most postpartum underwear is built for one job, absorbency, and gets retired the moment you stop needing it. Boxer shorts are the opposite. People buy them for pregnancy or recovery and then keep wearing them.
Through pregnancy. A size up, over or under the bump. The waistband is wide and soft rather than a cutting band of elastic, and the longer leg handles the chafing.
Through recovery. Wide flat waistband, no narrow elastic, soft bamboo viscose against skin that may still be sore, and a leg long enough that nothing bunches when you are moving carefully.
And afterwards, for a reason nobody warns you about: postpartum thigh chafing. Your shape changes, sometimes for a long time. Thighs that did not touch before might now. Add walking with a pram in summer and you have a friction problem you have never had to solve.
A 6 or 9 inch leg puts a smooth layer between your thighs so they glide rather than catch. We cover the mechanics on our anti-chafing shorts page.
What ours are: 95% bamboo viscose with 5% elastane, soft from the first wear. Wide flat waistband. 6 or 9 inch leg. UK 8 to 30, every size the same price. What they are not: absorbent, so in the first days you still need a pad.
I bought the black 9-inch leg in a large to accommodate my pregnancy bump. Really silky soft and breathable, exactly what I wanted to avoid chafing. I will be able to wear them throughout the pregnancy and post-partum.
A.P., UK, verified review
After a C-section
A caesarean incision sits low, usually along the bikini line. What makes underwear uncomfortable afterwards is almost always the waistband: a narrow band of elastic sitting directly on the scar, digging in every time you move or sit down.
The usual advice is to go high, well clear of the incision. That is why high-waisted knickers and C-section recovery briefs exist, and in the first week, when you are managing bleeding too, disposables are the practical answer.
Where ours fit. Our waistband is wide, flat and soft rather than a narrow band of elastic, and the boxers can be worn pulled up so the band sits above the scar rather than on it. Several customers have told us this is exactly why they work for them.
The band of my pre-pregnancy knickers would sit directly on top of my scar, making it uncomfortable. Flissie bands sit above my scar for extra comfort.
Customer feedback
The one thing they do not do: there is no built-in absorbency, so in the first days you still need a pad, and disposables are easier while bleeding is heaviest. That is about absorbency, not fit.
And fit varies. Where a scar sits differs from person to person, and only you know how yours feels. If they are not right, the first-order swap is free and the 60 day guarantee means you can try them properly rather than guessing.
Also worth looking at: UpSpring C-Panty for targeted scar support, Bodily All-In or Kindred Bravely for high-waisted recovery, and Frida Mom disposables for the first week.
Reusable postpartum knickers
From roughly week two, most people want to move off disposables.
What to look for: a soft wide waistband, a gusset wide enough for a maternity pad, and cheap enough that you do not mind if a pair gets ruined.
Absorbent postpartum pants have the absorbency built in, so you can skip pads on lighter days. Modibodi, Cheeky Wipes and WUKA all make them. They cost more up front and save money over six weeks.
Plain high-waisted cotton knickers are the unglamorous answer and they work. Buy a multipack one or two sizes up, in black, and do not think about it again.
How many pairs of each do you need?
- Disposables: two packs, roughly 20 pairs. You will use more than you expect in week one
- Reusables: five to seven pairs, so you are washing every two or three days rather than daily
- Normal underwear: do not buy any until week six. Your size and shape are still changing
What nobody tells you
Buy bigger than you think. Postpartum swelling is real and it takes weeks to settle.
Black, every time. For obvious reasons.
Keep a spare pair in the nappy bag. Accidents happen for longer than you expect.
Pre-treat stains with cold water, not hot. Hot water sets blood.
Check the returns policy before you order. Several postpartum brands do not accept underwear back at all, which matters when you are buying blind at 38 weeks.
You may need a bigger size than pre-pregnancy for a while, and that is completely normal.
When to speak to someone
Postpartum bleeding that suddenly gets heavier, passes large clots, or smells unpleasant, and any incision that becomes hot, red, swollen or starts weeping, all need checking. Speak to your midwife, GP or health visitor.
Questions
Can I wear these during pregnancy?
Yes, and a lot of customers do. Take a size up so there is room as your bump grows, and wear them over or under it depending on what feels better. The wide soft waistband does not cut across the bump the way narrow elastic does, and the longer leg deals with the chafing that often arrives when your shape changes.
What is the best postpartum underwear?
It depends on the week. Frida Mom disposables for days one to seven. Kindred Bravely or Bodily for high-waisted recovery through weeks one to six. UpSpring C-Panty for targeted C-section support. Longer-leg boxer shorts for pregnancy and from week six onward.
What underwear should I wear after giving birth?
Disposable high-waisted maternity knickers for the first few days, then soft wide-waisted reusables for the first few weeks, then whatever is comfortable from around week six. Most people use two or three types rather than one.
How many pairs of postpartum underwear do I need?
Around 20 disposables for the first week, and five to seven reusable pairs after that. Buy more disposables than feels sensible.
What is the best underwear after a C-section?
The thing that matters is the waistband. A narrow band of elastic sitting on the incision is what hurts, so you want something wide and soft, worn either well above the scar or well below it. High-waisted knickers and C-section recovery briefs are built for this, and disposables are easiest in the first week. Our boxers have a wide flat waistband and can be worn pulled up above the scar, which is what several customers have told us works for them.
Are disposable or reusable postpartum knickers better?
Both, at different stages. Disposables for the first week when bleeding is heaviest. Reusables from week two, when you would rather not be throwing something away every few hours.
How long will I bleed after giving birth?
Lochia typically lasts up to six weeks, heaviest in the first week and tapering after that. If it suddenly becomes heavier, or you pass large clots, speak to your midwife.
Can I wear normal knickers after birth?
Eventually, and there is no rush. Most people find pre-pregnancy underwear uncomfortable for several weeks. Buy a cheap multipack one or two sizes up rather than forcing the issue.
Why do my thighs chafe now when they never did before?
Because your shape has changed, and thighs that did not touch before now might. It is very common in pregnancy and after birth, it is not a sign of anything wrong, and a longer leg fixes it.
