Short answer: maternity leggings, dresses and most maternity pants have no usable pockets, and by the third trimester a phone will not stay in the ones you do have. The fix that works from the bump through the newborn months is a crossbody phone case: the phone hangs from an adjustable strap at your side, your ID and insurance card sit in the wallet on the back, and both hands stay free for the stroller, the car seat and the baby. A Keebos is $49.90 with the case, strap and wallet included, and the strap unclips in seconds when you want the phone in your hand on the couch.
Why maternity clothes have no pockets
Anyone who has shopped for maternity clothes knows the moment. The leggings are soft, the belly panel is comfortable, and there is nowhere to put your phone. Maternity pants swap the waistband for a stretch panel, and a pocket on a stretch panel does not hold anything. Maternity dresses are cut loose and long, and pockets add bulk right where you do not want it. So the pockets quietly disappear. Pregnancy forums are full of the same complaint, and "maternity clothes with pockets" is a search people run every day because the default is none.
Before the bump, you dealt with pocketless outfits by tucking the phone into a waistband or a bra strap or by carrying a bag. Pregnancy takes those options away one by one:
- Second trimester: the waistband is gone. Leggings and maternity jeans have the panel, and the phone slides out when you sit down.
- Third trimester: the phone has nowhere to rest. It falls off the bump, it falls out of the one shallow pocket you found, and bending down to pick it up off the floor is a whole production.
- The hospital: you are in a gown with no pockets at all, you want the phone for the nurse call, the contraction timer, the group chat and the first photos, and it keeps ending up on the far side of the bed.
- Fourth trimester: one arm is always holding a baby. The phone runs the feeding tracker, the white noise and the camera, and you need it reachable with the hand you have left.
A purse solves none of these. You cannot dig through a bag with a baby on your shoulder, and you will not want one more thing to carry. What works is wearing the phone.
The four ways pregnant women carry a phone, compared
| Maternity leggings with a side pocket | Belly band or waist pouch | Small bag or fanny pack | Keebos crossbody phone case | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works with every outfit | Only with those leggings | Under a top, not with a dress | Sits on the bump or above it | Yes, hangs at the side of the bump |
| Phone usable without taking it out | No | No | No | Yes, lift it and look |
| Still works after the baby | Only while you fit the leggings | No | Fights with a baby carrier | Yes, worn over the shoulder with a baby on your hip |
| Holds ID and insurance card | Barely | Sometimes | Yes | Yes, sealable wallet for up to 6 cards |
| Protects the phone when it drops | No | No | No | It does not drop. Shockproof case with a 4-corner bumper if it does |
| Price | Price of the leggings | Varies | Varies | $49.90, case, strap and wallet included |
How to wear a crossbody phone case over a bump
The strap on a Keebos is 54 inches long and adjustable, and it clips to two connector rings built into the case. That matters during pregnancy because your comfortable strap length changes every few weeks, and because you will want to take the strap off entirely more often than you expect.
- Crossbody, phone at the hip: the strap runs from one shoulder across to the opposite hip, so the phone sits beside the bump, not on it. Let the strap out as the bump grows. This is the all-day setting for errands, walks and appointments.
- Short, like a necklace: shorten the strap and the phone hangs at chest height, above the bump. Good for a dress, and for the hospital, where you can keep it on over the gown and never lose it in the sheets.
- Strap off: unclip it and the Keebos is a normal clear case with a wallet. Do this in the car and on the couch.
- Wrist strap: for feeds and contact naps, clip on a Keebos wristlet ($14.90) instead of the long strap. The phone stays on your wrist for one-handed scrolling and cannot slide off the armrest.
Behind the wallet there is also an elastic finger strap. Slide one finger through it and the phone stays put in one hand, which is the hand you will be using for the next year.
Hannah, who bought the Marine case, put it in one line in her verified review:
"The wallet is my favorite part! And the strap is perfect for busy mom life. 10/10!"
After the baby comes: one hand, a stroller and a diaper bag
This is where the crossbody case earns its place. With a newborn, you are holding a baby, a car seat or a stroller handle most of the time, and the diaper bag is already full. The phone is the one thing you reach for constantly: the feeding and sleep tracker, the pediatrician's portal, photos for the grandparents, the white noise app in the car. Worn over the shoulder, it is at your hip when you need it and out of the baby's reach when you do not.
The wallet on the back is the second half of the trick. It holds up to six cards and is sealed and sideways, so nothing falls out when you bend to the car seat. Most new moms keep three things in it: ID, insurance card and one credit card. That covers the pediatrician, the pharmacy and the coffee on the way home without opening the diaper bag. Cheryl B. described the same habit in her verified review of the clear wallet case:
"It truly gives me hands free when I go out without fear of dropping or leaving it when dining out. I can carry my license or credit cards and leave my purse behind."
If you wear a baby carrier or wrap, shorten the strap and wear the phone high on the side, outside the carrier, or switch to the wristlet. The long strap should never run under the carrier straps.
For the toddler years, when both hands are busy for different reasons, our post on carrying your phone while holding a baby and the best phone case for moms pick up where this one ends.
The hospital bag: the one phone accessory worth packing
Hospital bag lists cover the charger with the long cable, and they are right. The thing they miss is that a hospital gown has no pockets and a hospital bed has a lot of places for a phone to disappear. With the strap worn short, the phone stays on you through the walks down the hallway, the nurse visits and the first photos, and it is still on you when you are discharged into a car seat and a stroller. Pack the Keebos in the hospital bag with the charger and you will wear it home.
A baby shower or new-mom gift that gets used every day
If you are buying for an expecting friend, a crossbody phone case is one of the few baby shower gifts that is for her rather than for the baby, and one she will still be using when the baby is two. Pick her phone model from the dropdown on any case, choose a strap color, and add a second strap or a chain so she can dress it up later. Our gifts for new moms post has the rest of the list. If she already owns a case she loves, the Universal Crossbody Strap ($34.90) clips onto any phone case with no adapter.
Celebrities wearing Keebos
Keebos has been photographed on Eva Longoria, Scarlett Johansson, Tori Spelling and Gina Rodriguez, among others. Eva Longoria has been spotted with hers on walks around the city and while working out. Scarlett Johansson wears the Venice green case. Tori Spelling has posted about hers on Instagram, and Gina Rodriguez was seen showing off her case at the House of Intuition. The full list, with pictures, is in our celebrity phone case post.
A few more reasons moms pick Keebos
- The original crossbody phone case, since 2018. The case, the strap and the wallet were designed together from day one, assembled in Venice Beach, California.
- Free US shipping on every order, and a 30-day money-back guarantee if it is not right for you.
- Made for your phone. iPhone 7 through iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo, Samsung Galaxy S9 through S26 Ultra plus the Z Fold, and Google Pixel 6 Pro through Pixel 11 Pro XL.
- Straps you can change. Cord straps in black, navy, pink, pine green, camo green, desert yellow, red, lavender and blue and white ($22.90), gold or onyx chains and the pearl strap ($24.90), and wristlets ($14.90), all clipping to the same rings.
- One Keebos, one tree. For every Keebos purchased, a tree is planted through a designated 501(c)(3) like One Tree Planted, and the packaging is biodegradable.
Not pregnant but living in pocketless clothes anyway? Our post on where to put your phone when your outfit has no pockets covers dresses, leggings and no-bag days.
Pregnancy and New Mom Phone Carrying FAQ
Why don't maternity clothes have pockets?
Maternity pants and leggings replace the waistband with a stretch belly panel, and a pocket sewn into stretch fabric cannot hold a phone. Maternity dresses and tops are cut loose over the bump, and pockets add bulk there, so most brands leave them out. The result is that the outfits you wear most during pregnancy have no safe place for a phone.
Where do you put your phone when you are pregnant?
Wear it. A crossbody phone case hangs the phone from an adjustable strap at your hip, beside the bump rather than on it, and a sealable wallet on the back holds your ID and insurance card. The strap unclips when you want the phone in your hand. The Keebos crossbody phone case is $49.90 with the case, strap and wallet included.
How do you carry your phone with a newborn?
Over the shoulder, crossbody, so the phone is at your hip and both hands are free for the baby, the car seat and the stroller. For feeds and contact naps, swap the long strap for a wrist strap so the phone stays on your wrist for one-handed use.
Can you wear a crossbody phone strap with a baby carrier?
Yes, with the strap shortened so the phone sits high on your side, outside the carrier. Never run the long strap under the carrier straps. If the carrier covers your whole front, use the wrist strap instead.
Is a crossbody phone case comfortable over a bump?
Yes. The Keebos strap is 54 inches long and adjustable, so you let it out as the bump grows, and it is a soft woven cord rather than a stiff belt. The phone rests at your side where it does not press on the belly.
What should I pack in my hospital bag for my phone?
A charger with a long cable and a way to keep the phone on you. A hospital gown has no pockets and a hospital bed swallows phones, so a crossbody case worn short over the gown keeps it within reach for the nurse call, the contraction timer and the first photos.
Is a crossbody phone case a good baby shower gift?
Yes, because it is a gift for the mom rather than for the baby, and she will use it from the third trimester through the toddler years. Pick her phone model from the dropdown on any Keebos case. If she already has a case she loves, the Universal Crossbody Strap ($34.90) clips onto any phone case.
Does the wallet hold an insurance card and ID?
Yes. The sealable wallet on the back of every Keebos crossbody case holds up to six cards and some cash, and it is oriented sideways so cards do not slide out when you bend down. The foldable cases for the Samsung Z Fold and iPhone Duo do not include the wallet.
Can I take the strap off?
Yes. The strap clips to two connector rings built into the case and comes off in seconds, so the Keebos works as a normal phone case with a wallet in the car and at home.
What if it is not right for me?
Every Keebos ships free within the US and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Email hello@keebos.com within 30 days of delivery for return instructions and a full refund of the purchase price.
