The best maternity compression socks for pregnancy

I blogged my way through both of my pregnancies and the socks question came up constantly, usually somewhere around the point where bending down stopped being realistic.

I am not a clinician and I will not pretend otherwise - what follows is about comfort and fit. Anything to do with how you are actually feeling is a conversation for your midwife or GP.

The problem is bending, not the socks

Everybody talks about which sock to buy and nobody mentions the bit that actually decides it: by the third trimester, reaching your own feet is a project. A sock you cannot get on unaided is a sock that stays in the drawer, however good it is.

So the first question is not fabric or colour, it is whether you can put it on comfortably by yourself in month eight - the zip-up range covers this in detail.

Styles that are easier to manage

Zip-up. Opens flat, you step in, zip closes around the leg. No hauling, no bending double - the zip-up range covers these and it is what I would suggest first.

Open-toe. Easier to slide on because your toes are not fighting the fabric, and cooler if you are running warm - the open-toe knee-high is the straightforward one.

Footless calf sleeves go over whatever socks you are already wearing, which sidesteps the foot entirely.

Standard pull-on is fine early on and gets harder later - worth having but not the only pair you own.

Sizing that survives the whole nine months

Your calf may change over pregnancy and so may your shoe size. Two practical consequences.

Measure your calf now rather than using a number from last year, and re-measure if a pair starts feeling different. And when you are between sizes, go up. A top band that digs is the most common complaint, and it is entirely avoidable - the pregnancy comfort guide covers how this changes, and the wide-calf range is cut properly rather than just made longer.

The top band matters more than anything else

If one thing makes a pair unwearable it is the band at the top. Look for a wide, soft, flat-knit top rather than a narrow elasticated one, and check it sits without leaving a deep mark. A sock should feel snug and even, not like a tourniquet at the knee - if it does, it is the wrong width, not the wrong idea.

When people usually start

Most of the women I heard from started somewhere in the second trimester, when standing for any length of time began to feel like more of an effort. Some wore them from early on for long journeys only. There is no rule here, and it is worth saying that comfort is the only thing we are talking about - the pregnancy comfort guide covers the whole subject.

Practical things that helped me

• Put them on first thing, before you have been on your feet, sitting on the edge of the bed.
• Keep a pair by the bed so it happens before the day starts.
• Two or three pairs minimum, so there is always a clean one.
• Ask for help getting them on and do not feel odd about it. Everyone does by month eight.

What I actually wore

For what it is worth, since people ask.

Early on, ordinary pull-on knee-highs, because getting them on was still straightforward. From about month six, open-toe, because they slid on more easily and my feet ran hot. By the last stretch, zip-ups, because bending was no longer a realistic proposition.

That progression is common enough that it is worth buying in stages rather than buying six pairs of one style in month three.

The bit nobody mentions

Getting them off at the end of the day is its own small problem.

Do it sitting down, and work the sock down from the top in stages rather than pulling from the toe - pulling from the toe stretches the foot and does the elastane no favours. If bending is the issue, a zip makes taking them off as easy as putting them on.

And take them off before bed unless someone has specifically told you otherwise - the FAQs guide covers that question.

Travelling while pregnant

Long journeys are where most people first think about this. The same rules apply, plus put them on before you leave home rather than trying to manage it in a seat - the open-toe range covers journeys, and the travel guide covers the wider set of tips.

After the baby arrives

Plenty of people carry on wearing them, because the early months involve a great deal of standing, walking and being upright at odd hours - the maternity range covers that stretch, and the maternity range works for both.

This is comfort advice, not medical advice. Browse the pregnancy comfort guide, the maternity range or open-toe.

The short version

• The deciding factor is whether you can get them on unaided in month eight.
• Zip-up, open-toe and footless styles are all easier to manage than a standard pull-on.
• Measure your calf now, re-measure if a pair feels different, and size up when between.
• A wide soft flat-knit top band is what stops the digging people complain about.
• Keep a pair by the bed and put them on first thing, before you are on your feet.

Frequently asked questions

What should I look for in maternity compression socks?

Something you can put on without bending double, a wide soft top band that does not dig, and sizing with room to go up. Comfort is the whole point, so anything that is a struggle simply will not get worn.

Which style is easiest to put on during pregnancy?

Zip-up. It opens flat, you step in and the zip closes around the leg, so there is no hauling. Open-toe styles slide on more easily too, and footless calf sleeves skip the foot altogether.

Will my size change during pregnancy?

It can - both calf and shoe size may change. Measure your calf now rather than relying on an old number, re-measure if a pair starts feeling different, and size up whenever you fall between two.

When do people usually start wearing them?

Most commonly somewhere in the second trimester, when being on your feet starts to feel like more effort, though some wear them earlier for long journeys only. This is about comfort rather than anything else.

Why does the top of my sock dig in?

The calf width is wrong for you. Look for a wide, soft, flat-knit top band rather than a narrow elasticated one, and choose a genuine wide-calf cut, which is knitted wider rather than simply made longer.