to wonder why some women give birth naked?

[sparklyknittedmacaroons]

Just seen a video of a woman doing this, and I know a couple of friends who have chosen to. Am about to give birth to my 4th and personally couldn't bear the thought of being naked in a room of strangers, also don't understand why there is the need...not criticising anyone who does it, just genuinely asking the question so no rudeness or flaming please!

i was being a little facetious ^^upthread, but really, what do you find so unreasonable about a naked body?

presumably you got naked to end up in the labour ward in the 1st place?

Because the feel of anything against my skin was making me crazy.

I had plenty of dignity thanks, I grew a whole person and gave them life, that is worthy of plenty of respect. I love my body, it is brilliant.

Anyone who was there could have left if they didn't like it, when I am pushing a baby out I am only concerned about how I feel everyone else is irrelevant.

As I do hypnobirthing I have ended up with a room full both times as midwives find it interesting. Don't mind at all but I am not adjusting how I do things to suit someone else's idea of dignity.

I did have a room full of strangers.

• the m/w;
• the student doctor who obeserving;
• the obstetrician who performed my forceps delivery;
• the peadiatrician who was paged for the baby before they got started with the forceps;
• a random German woman who turned out to be a junior Dr who'd heard there was going to be an episiotomy and fancied having a shot at stitching it;
• the three random medical staff who came to listen to the German lady performing a running commentary of my episiotomy;
• some bloke over behind me to my right whose face I never saw but who made an "oooh" noise and whistled when they stuck DD2 on the scales.

TBH, I wouldn't have been surprised if Lord Lucan had turned up in that room.

Still chose to be naked and I am the least body-confident/exhibitionist type person going.

I think I took my dress off to give skin to skin after DD was born, dunno was too high on gas and air in the moment to really remember what clothes I wore, when, once the event started. (I only remember about the dress because I changed into it before I knew labour was on it's way-- my tummy was just too sore for trousers)

I still don't feel I ever lost my dignity though, whatever that means. I find it sad that you feel all the women in this thread (and elsewhere, my me told me afterwards she was amazed I lasted with clothes as the majority don't) who have discussed very openly why they were more comfortable without clothes didn't 'hang onto' it.

Missorinoco - I rememeber snarling at the poor midwife when she suggested putting a gown on after I'd ripped the t shirt off It's intersting though - I couldn't bear es to touch me at all during that labour (and that wasn't just cos he's an arse )

Gosh, some really defensive posts here, I was simply interested, and have given my own personal reasons for wanting to keep my nightie on - I don't think I said at any point that people who don't are unreasonable, it just isn't for me.

Naked in front of someone I love and adore ie my husband is something I'll do willingly and often - naked in a room with a midwife I don't know, potentially other medical staff, is not something I personally would want to do, that's all!

Sparkly just go with the flow. Different people like different things. You like a room full of strangers, fair enough, most people would keep their clothes on in that situation.

I wore a long baggy t-shirt and ripped it off the second DD was born hoping for a beautiful skin to skin bonding moment in fact she screamed like a demented banshee for 10 minutes and DH was the only one who could calm her down.

I didn't actually have my baby naked (though it was pretty close, I was only wearing a rather stretched saggy old sports bra), but it wasn't a room full of strangers. It was in a hospital but it was me, my DH and the midwife. The midwife had already examined me vaginally and had been there throughout the time I was in hospital so I didn't really feel like she was a stranger as such. She was a professional, there to do her job and help me do mine. And she was bloody brilliant. If she hadn't been called Karen I might have named my baby after her.

Having said that, I don't think I'd have cared much who was in the room at the point of birth. I had more important things on my mind (such as it was at that particular moment).

Actually, I don't think you have had very defensive posts.

Especially given you said you "couldn't bear" to do it and "don't understand why there is a need".

I have never ever been one to have body confidence. However, when giving birth for all 3 DCs, I HAD to be completely naked. I don't know why. Clothes just felt wrong and annoying!!

I never even thought about it really, well until you did. Each to their own I say, although why would you get in a birthing pool with clothes on?

People are annoyed because you implied that giving birth naked was undignified.

It isn't, dignity has nothing to do with clothing.

Yes and other people have said they couldn't bear to be clothed - each to his own. I do get now that some people feel so uncomfortable clothed that they need to take their clothes off, after reading the replies.

The only one I have noticed being defensive is the OP.

Blimey, with ds2 I didn't even have time to get my huge M&S barrage balloons knickers off before he appeared .

I suppose my answer to your question OP would be that some people feel less inhibited with their bodies than others, especially in all the emotion and hormone-rush that is childbirth.

For me it is a bit undignified, for others obviously not - again, each to her own!

I think it all depends how body confident/not shy you are/how you are with nudity. My labia rpped off pretty badly after birth and through NHS mistake wasnt fixed. I sent a picture of it to my MIL on webcam as I was worried it and she lives far away so she would know what I was on about. Suppose a lot of people would think that was a bit bonkers but I was worried at the time

You just come across as judgemental, whether you mean to or not. References to hanging onto dignity, not understanding why others feel the need etc etc.

Birthing is such a personal thing, personally I don't understand why anyone would be bemused by what anyone does during it...such extreme circumstances!

Morloth, I'd be really interested in hearing more about your hypbobirthing experiences, I'm hoping to use it with dc2 in the Spring...

So, before you found out that people were uncomfortable, what did you think the reason was ?

I didn't intend to be naked but the first contraction hit as I was climbing out of a warm bath and as they came thick and fast after that (was induced) I didn't really get time to put anything on. I think a towel featured round my shoulders to start with but that was it. I'd not met the midwife before and my mother-in-law was there too.

THis has been a real eye opener for me. I knew that certain narrow minded people judged me for having drugs, and for having intervention. If only they'd known I gave birth naked - they could have passed judgement on that too.

I agree with Morloth.

But I am intrigued how anyone can give birth wearing skinny jeans? Did the baby slither down the inside leg?

Sparkly - there is nothing dignified in giving birth. I felt I needed to see my actual tummy and be completely in tune with my body, not my choice of clothes, or trimmed pubes (no I didn't do that either).

My partner never questioned why I was naked either, so I think you are asking a daft question!

once the midwife has scooped your poo out of the birthing pool with a fishing net, your dignity has already disappeared. Giving birth naked is surely the next logical step in losing it forever