Pregnancy is the process of changes taking place in a woman’s organs and tissues because of a developing foetus. Styling with the appropriate clothing during pregnancy is critical because it can dramatically lessen the uneasiness and make the complete perception of pregnancy more bearable.

Every day 67,385 babies are born in India, that’s one sixth of the world’s births. Which means every day approximately 60,000 pregnant women are there in India, many of them suffering from their basic pregnancy problems without any proper solution to it. An exploratory study concluded that globally, 303,000 women died from complications during pregnancy and childbirth in 2015. Most of these deaths took place in developing countries especially in Africa, South Asia and India.

The choice of right clothes during pregnancy is very important because they can reduce the amount of discomfort a pregnant woman has to bear, and makes her overall experience of being pregnant easier. Pregnancy places a woman’s body in a continual physiological and psychological adaptive state, which influences her clothing preferences and wearing behaviours.

Researchers in India generally focus on medical clothing and have solution for patients suffering from the following:

1. Burns (pressure garments)

2. Lymphedema

3. Varicose veins

4. Skin cancer (protective clothing)

5. Hip fractures

But the field of research which lacks in India is pregnancy and its problems. Including normal vaginal births, any type of alteration can have an impact on the pregnant woman’s life expectancy and can also affect both the maternal and neonatal health. Apart from severe back pain problems there are many other things that are commonly neglected. The most widely recognised medical issues that a lady might experience during her pregnancy are:

• Urine that stinks or appears foggy or red in colour.

• A frequent need to use the restroom.

• Pain in abdominal area.

• Ache when using the restroom.

• Sickness, fatigue, or unsteadiness.

• Morning sickness or backache.

Approximately 50 per cent of pregnant women experience lower back pain (LBP) during their maternity phase, and this becomes a severe problem compromising their daily activities. The most common of all problems, back pain in pregnancy sometimes causes substantial distress as it disturbs body functions, changes sleep cycle, and decreases the capacity to carry out daily activities. In 25 per cent of pregnant women with LBP, the pain is very severe, while a further 8 per cent have severe disability. Hence, there is an urgent need to overcome this condition with a better solution like an ergonomic support garment which can help in reducing the LBP and also give support to the belly.

There are maternity belts available in India but most users complain that these are not convenient to put on and take off because their movement becomes inconvenient with the enlarging abdomen.

Maternity support garments (MSGs) or maternity wear are specifically designed for use during pregnancy stage of a woman’s life. These are widely available and commonly recommended and used for alleviation of LBP during pregnancy.

Maternity support underwear can make it easier, more pleasant, and comfortable for pregnant women to wear their daily clothes. There are also other undergarments that offer a complete package tailored from high quality, soft fabric textiles and provide support to the back muscles and abdomen area while reducing pressure on their postural regions. But what is required is a garment that can easily stretch to fit the growing belly during pregnancy, and can also be used post pregnancy, making it cost effective as well.

The primary intention behind the emergence of maternity wear was to enhance the comfort levels of pregnant women thus allowing them to perform their work at the highest comfort level. But this aim is not being achieved as these products are not widely purchased in India. One way is to assist the pregnant women in the selection of an appropriate and optimal maternity support undergarment. A better understanding of the desirable features that the users might need, and the problems associated with MSGs can help the users and also the product developers deal with the basic issues related to such garments.

But more importantly, new directions for future research on fabric mechanics, biomechanics and body image are necessary for a better product development for use in LBP during pregnancy.