Zensah Maternity Socks Will Make You Go “Aaahhh”

Mother Nature is a genius. She has a way of making you quickly forget about all of the discomforts of pregnancy and the pain of childbirth in the hopes that you’ll continue procreating. And if you don’t forget entirely, the memories seem dulled quite a bit. I have to think really hard to remember what it was like in that last month when my feet barely fit into my flip-flops, and I could only get comfortable at night with the help of my trusty Snoogle.

One of my dearest friends, Julie, is due with her second child in May, so she’s just now hitting the really uncomfortable I’m-ready-for-the-baby-to-arrive stage of pregnancy. When compression-apparel company Zensah emailed me about its Fresh Legs maternity compression sleeves that promised to ease pregnancy discomfort, I knew Julie would be willing to give them a test drive.

The footless compression sleeves, which come in 12 colors and retail for $39.99, help oxygen circulate in the blood, thereby preventing lower leg swelling, aching and general pregnancy discomfort. Did they live up to the task for Julie? She was a huge fan, giving them points for all-around comfort. She also gave them credit for helping her back and feet survive some strenuous times, like painting four rooms in her house (nothing like pregnancy nesting!) saying, and I quote: “There is no way I would have survived the hours of painting, bending, squatting, etc., without the socks.”

Julie has also worn them to bed several times and credits them with better sleep and decreased back pain. She even plans to take them to the hospital when the time comes to help circulation and reduce swelling after the baby arrives. All in all, a pretty stellar recommendation from a reviewer who is in the pregnancy trenches as we speak!

Have you ever tried maternity compression socks? How did you deal with swelling during pregnancy? —Erin