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!

Room full of people? I was mostly on my own when I was in labour, with periodic visits from the midwife and just my mum there for company. It was the middle of June and I was contracting from 3cm to 10cm in just under an hour. The feeling of clothing on my skin irritated the hell out of me, as did the drip, so I removed it all mid-contraction. Made skin to skin when DD arrived about and hour and a bit after my first contraction.

I wore a babydoll and some fluffy mules

My eldest dds Mum gave birth to her 7th (yes 7th) baby in hospital into her leggings! It does happen....

She is Polish and could not explain what she felt as the Priest (!) who was interpreting for her had popped to the loo - she can laugh about it now!

kristina I have just snorted so loudly at "it was in her joggers" that I woke up dd2!! That is amazing!!

Funnily enough I am very much a naked in the changing room etc type of person, but was obsessed in both laboyrs with wearing a sort of tankini top in the birthing pool. Even with dd2 who almost arrived in my joggers! I was pulling on my top while pushing, god knows why!

I was naked with both DDs, and it's certainly not something I planned. If you'd asked me beforehand I would have told you that I'd stay as clothed as possible for as long as possible.

Both of mine were summer births though and I was very hot. The first time I got out of the birth pool, took a wet t-shirt off and didn't even really think about finding something else to wear.

The second time I walked in to the hospital from a long car ride, my trousers were sopping from my waters (sorry, tmi), my clothes were sweaty and I just needed to get them off. DD2 was born soon after I arrived or I might have got something else on.

I never at any point felt I had lost my dignity, even though I did have that 'roomful of strangers' the first time. For me, labour was such a completely different experience from normal life, so the 'normal' rules didn't apply.

DS was a straightforward VB. Obviously naked from waist down and took my top off near the end when I started to get hot and bothered in transition.

DD was a C section. That really was a room full of strangers (well apart from DH and the midwife who delivered DS - she kindly came in to be there for me even though the department was batshit mental busy). Stripped from the waist down and covered in a strange red paint. TBH the faux modesty of having my top half covered felt absurd. I would have felt less exposed completely naked. Six people I had never seen before in my life also present. Give a shit? Nope.

Thank you Jenski - that's the second time someone's agreed with me on here tonight. I'm feeling very dignified about it.

i know i have ishoos, there are more important things to worry about and i took this to extremems but:
pretty much my first thoughts when i got pregnant were - how can i give birth without flashing anything to anyone, how can i breastfeed without flashing anything to anyone. i planned it very, very carefully! it was honestly the main thought going through my mind through my labour and when i was getting cleaned up and changed after.

I took a nightie to give birth in, but when it came to being in the birthing pool I ripped it off, I was offered a gown, but refused and I really thought I would have felt self conscious but really didn't. At no point did I feel undignified.

What were your plans naturalbaby?

I don't remember whether I was naked or not! But I do have a picture of my holding her shortly after the birth and I have nothing on the top half - think I did when actually pushing, but God knows when I took it off... and I was also hypnobirthing, so can't even blame my lack of memory on drugs

I don't think it matters a jot whether you are naked or not - I personally don't understand why anyone would want pain relief involving a needle, but would never feel a need to comment on it... I expect many people think similarly of hypnobirthing!

That's OK naturalbaby I think when you are giving birth you should please yourself as much as possible.

If a woman wants to be fully clothed then that is her business, if she wants to be naked that is also her business.

I don't think wanting to be covered when you give birth is indicative of issues, but I do think not being about to get your head around why someone else would make a different choice and hence make a judgement about other women's dignity (like the OP) is.

davey - that reminds me of my emergency CS with DS1. I was completely unprepared, and it was quite traumatic to be able to feel someone rummaging inside my body without me being able to see.

It made me feel very vulnerable to be in a room full of people - it seemed there were about 9 of them, none of whom spoke to me or acknowledged me (for, I'm sure, good reason in the circs), except the anaesthetist. When he sprayed the water up from my legs to my chest to check how numb I was I tried to engage with them by cracking a joke ("I never expected to be laid out with a strange man spraying water on my tits", but no-one laughed, strangely)

I am not a let-it-all-hang-out person at swimming pools or changing rooms, and that's how I was giving birth, both times, even when my insides literally were hanging out.

I am very body shy in my regular life. (I joke that i wear a swimsuit in the shower).

I honestly cannot recall if I were naked or not. I have spent this thread trying to remember. Nothing.

I can't remember if I had clothes on or not when I gave birth to DD2. In the grand scheme of childbirth, it is a triviality really.

When i gave birth to my first, i was at home with DP and MIL. I desperately wanted to strip off but was mortified with MIL being there (didnt want her there, she came in uninvited, still makes my blood boil to this day) so i didnt.
When i gave birth to my second, my waters broke but i wasnt having any contractions so I thought maybe i had wet myself so drove myself to hospital to check. I took nothing with me but a bottle of diet pepsi.

20mins after arriving, I was sitting on the ward in some mild discomfort waiting to be examined. All of a sudden I felt an unbearable urge to strip off and push. In front of the entire ward. DS was born about 90secs later.
All. Dignity. Lost.

I've worn clothes with all 4 of mine and with 3 of them the room was full of strangers, although I couldn't of cared less who was in the room

naked for dd - waterbirth
top on for ds1
ds2 was born on a stretcher in A&E - like other people, i can't remember. i assume i wasn't naked, but i don't know.

When I was having dc2 the patronising midwife was trying to help me change into a hospital gown, I did try telling her a few times not to bother, I was fine and past caring and pushing out a baby, 30 secs later out came baby followed by a PPH off came said hospital gown due to PPH, midwife was not amused but I did try telling her she was wasting her time, nakedness would have suited me fine!!!

See, I have dreadful fashion sense when hugely pregnant, so I probably have more dignity when naked. At least my own skin is original and all my own style, whereas my rushing-to-hospital ensemble of elderly South Park tshirt and DH's sweatpants left a lot to be desired. At least I managed to take them off at some point.

And then they went and ruined it all by putting a lovely NHS gown and godawful surgical stockings on me. Back to square one. Again.

Any personal stylists out there who need a project?

I didnt intend to be starkers but I was boiling and it was the middle of winter.

Pregancy bump, pain, panting..it's hard work and you do get hot..well, I did anyway and didnt give a rats arse who was these as..I WAS IN PAIN and the only thing I wanted was the baby OUT and DP (at the time) dead.

I took everything off to get in the pool, then later needed to go down the corridor to the delivery room. For some reason I cheerfully popped my dress back on, walked down to that room, then whipped the dress off again!

For my second I had that same labour dress on, good vibes..., and ripped it off as soon as I was on the bed in the maternity unit.

I kept my glasses on and the tens machine, but they hardly count as clothing.

In normal life I cover up more than most people, but not when I'm all primal and doing what I need to do.

Great thread.

well, when your vagina, labia and vulva are the main focus of attention, and you've most likely shat on the bed anyway - a scrap of fabric draped over one's shoulder seems a tad..well, futile? - tooearlymustdache

Hahahahahahah quite!

I laboured very very quickly. After the first hour, I was in the zone, and i would not have cared if the entire cast of glee had been in the room. I was so hot and so focussed that I had to get my kit off. I dont remember doing it, only that I was so very hot. I had clearly left my dignity at the front desk on arrival. I collected it on the way out the door!

I think you gotta go with what your body is telling you in Labour.

Thanks Morloth, it is the Mongan method I'm looking at too. I'm crap at relaxing so the DIY cds for at home use really didn't work for me so am looking at a proper course this time!

I did loose all dignity when ds3 was born,as I had a cord prolapse on the ward so was on my hands and knees with the midwives had up my chuff, luckily it was half an hour before visiting which was good as I was rushed through the corridors for an emcs with the mw hand still firmly in place