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Pregnancy

What did you wear to give birth?

71 replies

Inwaiting · 17/01/2016 19:30

My DH asked me this today what I'm going to wear (I'm only 17 weeks so a long time to decide!)

I just thought everyone wears a nightie?!

OP posts:
Julieb85 · 17/01/2016 19:32

I thought a nightie was perfect as there was easy access! lol. As it turns out hospitals are ridiculously hot and I ended up naked. Funny as I used to slate the women on one born as I did t see the need for all the nakedness! Hah

MoreGilmoreGirls · 17/01/2016 19:33

I started out with water birth so just a bra top and baggy vest. If you wear a nightie make sure it's an old one as will prob get ruined. Just make sure you are comfy. Smile

grumpysquash2 · 17/01/2016 19:34

Good question!

Births 1 & 2 nothing (water births). Birth 3 I had my top half on (bra, Tshirt and cardigan) and socks. Attractive, yes I know!. It was all a bit quick and I only just managed to get my trousers and knickers off.

Long after the water births, I realised that some people choose to wear a bikini top or similar. It didn't occur to me at the time. Naked somehow seemed appropriate under the circumstances.

TwllBach · 17/01/2016 19:35

I am beginning to worry about this... I'm so intensely private that I'm concerned it will make me really stressed- the thought of being uncomfortable about being exposed!! A nightie sounds good though...

Autumn2014 · 17/01/2016 19:36

I had.a section so was given a hospital gown to wear. I've some cheap peacocks nighties this time round for either labour and delivery, or postnatal. I won't be precious about them if they are beyond washing

mrschatty · 17/01/2016 19:38

Just an old army tshirt given to me by my solder uncle...wanted something to keep my mindset focused...It worked!

TheCatsMeow · 17/01/2016 19:41

Hospital gown. It was a cesarean so obviously couldn't wear my own clothes.

Boogers · 17/01/2016 19:41

Hospital gown both times. Didn't have any say, it was just 'right, let's get this on you'.

Artandco · 17/01/2016 19:43

A maternity black dress. Was good actually as long enough to walk around in covered as just above knee length, easy to lift up when needed, and easy to feed baby in straight after.

I'm not sure why people need to bin everything, it's only blood. After I was changed I just put that dress in a plastic bag and Dh took home and washed, then wore loads again after fine in next pregnancy.

Took two extra dresses the same that I could wear after with leggings. Nicer than pjs as feel dressed but just as comfy. Added boots and could go straight home

Everythinggettingbigger · 17/01/2016 19:43

A cheap nightie until I ended up on a drop and an epidural then I ended up in a hospital gown. Will be getting a nightie again this time if I go as big if not I will be aiming for a mens large tshirts so it's an OK length! At 5 ft usually nighties are too long and I feel like I'm wearing an old ladies nightie

JuniorMint · 17/01/2016 19:43

Naked in the birth pool. I am private and not body confident at all and wondered how I feel but in the moment it was all about comfort and being naked in the pool was the most comfortable.

Artandco · 17/01/2016 19:44
mineofuselessinformation · 17/01/2016 19:48

First birth, I was starkers...
I felt like a furnace but had a drip so my nightie had to hang off one arm! Confused

ILoveMyMonkey · 17/01/2016 19:49

I wore a really cheap long vest top and threw it away afterwards.

SnuffleGruntSnorter · 17/01/2016 19:54

I was ripping my clothes off before they could explain that I was in the triage room not the delivery suite but I did not care one bit. I was so very very hot and I was pushing... Made it to the delivery suite just about, and gave birth naked with a cold wet towel around my shoulders to cool down

MaisieDotes · 17/01/2016 19:54

A nightie both times but the second time I had one of those Belvia bra-type things on too which was a massive mistake.

Baby was back to back and I needed an epidural and whatever tubes and whatnot I was connected to meant I couldn't take the bra thing off at all. The back pain was intense and radiated right up into my upper back and around my ribs- so well into the area not covered by the epidural. The elastic of the bra was so uncomfortable. I don't know why I didn't just ask to have it cut off Confused - I wasn't thinking straight!

I'm 38+4 now with no. 3 and I've got a cheap nightie from Primark which is stretchy enough to BF after.

I can't wait until I'm at that first BF stage. Starting to feel the fear a bit now!

Fluffy24 · 17/01/2016 19:58

I had a section so at the time was completely starkers!

Then wore hospital gown for 24 hours (good for skin to skin contact) and afterwards some nighties that had buttons part of way up the front (from Matalan for a fiver), great for BF. Still have them a year later. I cut the buttons off (paranoid about DS swallowing one when BF) so they are quite revealing!

Fluffy24 · 17/01/2016 20:04

Incidentally when I was planning a water birth I was a bit Blush about the thought of being naked but afraid of seeming prudish and asking what to wear.

However even though I had a caesarian, I couldn't have cared less in the end - I had my boobs out for most of the time I was in hospital trying to establish bf-ing and it seemed perfectly normal!

HoneyDragon · 17/01/2016 20:07

Naked in the birth pool, but up till getting in a large T shirt that said "shit happens when you party naked".... Which cheered up the midwives Grin

Oysterbabe · 17/01/2016 20:08

I started off in a nightie but they put a gown on me.

imwithspud · 17/01/2016 20:10

Ended up wearing a hospital gown with dd1 as I had an epidural, can't remember what I was wearing before that to be honest. Probably similar to what I was wearing during my second labour.

With dd2 I was wearing a vest top and comfy trousers, that was what I happened to be wearing when I went into labour at home and it never occurred to me to get changed. The trousers of course came off when my waters broke and they were drenched.

To be honest I didn't care what I was wearing with either labour.

Itsallaboutme3 · 17/01/2016 20:11

I had a water birth and i wore a nightie in the pool and then it got so hot i just had bra on but had a towel at the side to wrap up in as soon as i got out of pool
Good luck x

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bluefootedpenguin · 17/01/2016 20:13

With Dc1 I had a water birth, I too was concerned about being naked and bought a huge tshirt. However, when I was eventually told I could get in the pool, I had all my clothes off in about 3 seconds and didn't care!

Induced with dc2, just waters broken, delivered in the dress I went in. Got showered and went home.

Kraggle · 17/01/2016 20:16

I wore a Silence of the Lambs t-shirt, (It runs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again) it was a couple of sizes bigger than my normal size so nice and comfy. And I will be digging it out if again if I have another!

Mincedpie · 17/01/2016 20:17

My mum bought me a dreadful, really awful pink nightie to wear, thought it doesn't really matter, it's just for giving birth in. However I ended up having to stay in it for 48hrs, due to emcs and then drips, with my bra dangling down one arm Blush.

All my visitors and first pictures featured 'that' nightie, so now I always say to choose with a little care.

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