I tried the SKIMS maternity sculpting short while 5 months pregnant, and the way it accentuated my baby bump made the struggle of putting it on worth it

Kardashian West announced the launch of the Maternity Solutionwear line via Instagram. In her caption, she said that the products would be available to purchase on the SKIMS website in nine colors and sizes ranging from XXS to 4X.

"We created this category in response to the tens of thousands of pregnant women and customers that wrote to us requesting maternity styles," Kardashian West said in a press release shared with Insider. "Designed to support and never to slim, the collection provides comfort and an added layer of support to a woman's silhouette during a time when we need it most, during and after pregnancy."

The line includes the Sculpting High-Waist Brief ($34), Sculpting Short Mid-Thigh ($34), Nursing Sculpting Bra ($42), Sculpting Bodysuit Mid-Thigh ($64), and Solutionwear Tight ($68).

Shortly after announcing the launch of the new maternity line, Kardashian West faced criticism over the shapewear.

Critics expressed on social media that the purpose of the SKIMS line appeared to be for pregnant people to change the shape of their bodies.

For example, one user tweeted in response to the SKIMS maternity line announcement: "Excuse my ignorance but who's trynna shape their pregnant bodies? Y'all don't like being comfy and free and loose when pregnant? It's pretty much the only time you can be as shapeless and free and comfy as you want!"

In an Instagram story, Chrissy Teigen, who was pregnant at the time, commented on the criticism toward SKIMS' new line. She noted that she was not being paid to talk about SKIMS and was a fan of wearing its solutionwear as a form of support.

"Most importantly, this is not about creating a body that we don't know we have," Teigen said in her Instagram story. "Like we're not trying to do anything to trick you — we're pregnant. We would just like to feel good about ourselves in a time where mentally, it can be really challenging."

"If you don't like it, don't wear it," Teigen added. "But trust me, we're not idiots. We don't think that we're giving you some magical, hot body now, okay? Thanks."

Kardashian West took to her Instagram story to address the backlash and clarify the purpose of the maternity products, saying the line is meant "not to slim, but to support."

The SKIMS founder addressed "anyone who has an issue with maternity solutionwear" on her Instagram story, writing: "If you haven't been pregnant before, you may not know the struggle of what it's like carrying all of this weight the way I did along with millions of strong women."

Kardashian West added that the sheer fabric on some of the maternity products is meant to support the body.

"It provides support to help with the uncomfortable weight being carried in your stomach, which affects your lower back — and the compression on the leggings helps with pain relief caused by swelling," Kardashian West wrote on her Instagram story.

As Insider's Amanda Krause reported, gynecologist Dr. Alyssa Dweck said it was perfectly safe for pregnant people to wear solutionwear and described Kardashian West's new release as "ingenious."

"I think that supportwear makes perfect sense, and there have been garments such as maternity belts and maternity underwear that have been available for years and years — I don't ever remember seeing any social controversy," Dweck said.

SKIMS couldn't have hinted at this launch at a more perfect time.

When the maternity collection was announced, I was about four months pregnant. At the time, I was searching for new shapewear pieces that I could wear underneath dresses and skirts that would support my baby bump without being too constricting.

I've reviewed various items from multiple SKIMS collections, so I've become a bit of an expert when it comes to shopping on the brand's site.

My biggest tip for shopping on the SKIMS website — especially for new items — is to sign up for the waitlist as soon as you can. People on the waitlist get an early access email about an hour before the collection goes live for everyone else.

After browsing through the offerings in the SKIMS maternity line, I knew I wanted to get my hands on the sculpting shorts in the color Onyx.

I was on the hunt for new shapewear that would be comfortable to wear with dresses and skirts while pregnant. As someone with big thighs, I know the struggle that is chafing, so I always wear shorts underneath dresses and skirts.

The SKIMS nursing bra is also the first one I've bought since finding out that I'm pregnant, so I'm looking forward to reviewing them in the future. I decided to get two of them in the colors Onyx and Sienna, which are my favorite colors from SKIMS since they are both neutrals.

Based on my past experiences reviewing SKIMS products, I know that sizing can vary by item, so I always like to look at the size guide before ordering.

I normally fall between the sizes 14 to 16, but I didn't want to get the L/XL because I wanted some extra wiggle room in the shorts to make room for my pregnant belly. When it comes to the nursing bras, I decided to get the L/XL because I wanted them to fit perfectly.

The maternity line product descriptions state: "Sizing is based on pre-pregnancy size. If you prefer more comfort for everyday wear, we recommend sizing up."

I've never ordered shapewear from SKIMS before, so I was expecting the maternity line to arrive in the reusable pouches other items — like loungewear and sleepwear — usually come in. Now I know that unlike other items, the SKIMS shapewear arrives in its own boxes.

Each of the boxes included an item description on the back, as well as a size guide.

The description seemed to further explain the SKIMS Maternity collection's purpose, as it read: "This lightweight shapewear provides support without sacrificing comfort or adding bulk. This seamless construction and supple feel make this an everyday layering staple for expecting mothers that smooths and holds."

When I took the shorts out of the box, I thought the pair looked oddly small, even though I knew from the product description that sizing is based on "pre-pregnancy size." I even double-checked that I ordered the right size because I was convinced I had received an L/XL and not the 2X/3X.

Based on my first impression, I wondered if the shorts would be too tight around my belly for me to wear them for long periods of time.

However, once I pulled at the waist and checked the product description, I realized the garment stretches a lot, as it contains 22% spandex.

Just like the front of the garment has a sheer, thinner layer of fabric around the belly, the back has a similar type of fabric around the butt area.

The Mid-Thigh Sculpting Short also has a silicone band on the back of the waist that is meant to prevent the garment from rolling down.

When I first ordered the SKIMS shorts, I was secretly hoping I could get away with wearing them around the house or out for a quick walk around the block as I do with my Everlane biker shorts — but the sheerness around the backside of the garment makes that impossible.

The SKIMS product description doesn't mention it, but this maternity garment was designed with a slit in the fabric so pregnant wearers don't have to take it off when it's time to use the restroom.

A year before launching the maternity products, Kardashian West hinted about designing SKIMS shapewear with a "pee hole."

During an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in September 2019, the founder revealed the last thing she had searched online was: "Is shapewear with a pee hole better?" and that she had been intrigued by incorporating the design into a SKIMS collection ever since.

When the product was announced on Instagram, SKIMS told users in the comments section that the maternity bottoms include the "pee hole" design.

"Yes! Our Maternity Sculpting Bodysuit Mid Thigh, Maternity Sculpting High Waist Brief, and Maternity Solutionwear Tight have open gussets — no need to pull down when using the restroom," the shapewear account commented on Instagram.

I have found that the "pee hole" design is convenient, but in my experience, it's not flawless. Without additional support, it doesn't open that wide — but it beats having to take off the shorts every time.

Personally, the width of the slit on its own didn't work the best for me, but that doesn't mean it won't work for other SKIMS wearers.

My first impression that the sculpting shorts looked small was correct. The shorts were so tight that after about 15 minutes of struggling on my own, I had to ask my partner to pull them up for me.

Other pregnant women have complained about the same issue on the SKIMS website.

"My only complaint and the reason I had to give it 3 stars is because they are just soooo hard to pull up, being pregnant and constantly have to go to the [restroom] it's just terrible how much the struggle is," one shopper wrote.

"I wasn't sure about the sizing and after reading reviews, I was a bit worried about the difficulty of putting it on. I must admit it was smaller than I anticipated when I opened it and took a bit of wriggle to get it up but when on it is rather comfortable. Personally I do prefer the brief option over this but I think it would be great postpartum as well," another shopper wrote.

In my experience, the Sculpting Short doesn't feel overly tight once it's pulled up, but there must be a way to make the process of putting it on easier. I'm five months pregnant, so I can only imagine how hard it's going to be for me to put these on when I'm further along in my pregnancy and my belly gets bigger.

What I enjoyed the most about wearing the SKIMS Maternity Sculpting Short was how much it accentuated my bump. Before wearing it, you couldn't really tell that I was pregnant, but while I had it on, people at my gender reveal kept commenting how smooth and round my belly looked.

I was also impressed by how it prevents pesky thigh-chafing while wearing dresses and skirts.

In my opinion, critics of this launch were wrong. The shorts don't slim the body at all. Instead, they provide additional support and give a much-needed smoothness.

I will admit that I'm nervous to see if I will continue to wear the short further into my pregnancy, but for now, I enjoy the fact that I can wear them for hours on end without them rolling down or feeling tight.

• Read more:
• Kim Kardashian says SKIMS' new maternity line is not meant to slim baby bumps after criticism
• Kim Kardashian is launching a new SKIMS maternity line, and people have mixed reactions to the pregnancy shapewear
• I tried 9 items from Kim Kardashian's SKIMS brand and ranked them from worst to best
• I wore Kim Kardashian's $118 pajama set to bed in the middle of summer and it kept me cool
• This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author(s).