What to wear in labour?

[Dozeyland]

What did you wear in childbirth?

Also if you are planning on using water pool, vest top, bra?

Had pool birth and wore nothing - couldn't see the point to be honest and can't bear wet clothes on! Last thing I cared about was my tits hanging out

If you are going for a pool birth and worried you might feel self-conscious ( because despite what everyone told me about your dignity flying out the window, I was conscious of it, right through my labour, even whilst I was being prepped for the EMCS so not true for everyone) then get yourself a bikini top and bottoms with ties on either side so that you can just whip them off for the birth and the bikini top will cover your breasts and not get in the way. Avoid anything billowy!

first time around I wore an old nightie. Second time around I stripped off naked - like others, I was just too hot.

This time I am keeping an open mind , though I have packed a button front nightie from Primark, my tankini top (for the pool if I get it), some really old jogging bottoms and a pair of PJ's for after.

As for pants, I have bought a pack of paper knickers and some cheapo black pants from Primark. I always prefer to wear the Paper ones underneath with the pad in, then the black ones on top - feels more secure and less likely to leak....

part of the reason i chose water birth was so i didn't have to have nether regions on show! wore my maternity swim top and got hubby to have plenty of towels and dressing gown at the ready to wrap round when i got out. apparantly cheap boob tubes are a good option.

have seen a labour wrap dress on an online store i'm thinking about for next labour, or whether a sleeveless breastfeeding nightie would do - i got a cheap primark one but the buttons are too fiddly and small so never used it.

I would have struggled to get anything to fit me up top to be honest though - that I would have been comofrtable in anyway. Mind you, I don't really care anyway, to me they were just breasts, no big deal!! I hadn't even thought of anything to wear or considered it - so I guess that shows what I already thought

I bought a really cheap white vest from Asda - it was a man's one and from a 2-pack costing about £4. That was with DS1 and it was perfect.

Had planned to wear the 2nd one from the 2-pack giving birth to DS2 but was induced and gave birth wearing a hospital gown. Didn't really care by that stage.

Might make a difference if you plan to take pictures immediately after the birth - the ones I've got of me and DS1 just born are lovely, not so the ones of me with DS2.

Took a big cheapo nightie with DD but waters went all over it so was given gown which I apparently stripped off at some point. Had nice PJs for afterwards and with big pads and big knickers I didn't leak any blood over them.

This time, am planning waterbirth so probably will be naked once I get into pool.

I packed an old (soft) shirt of my husband's which I'd had my eye on since first pregnant in 2005. It was destined never to accompany me right through childbirth, alas. First time I ended up in theatre in a hosp gown for a section, second time got sick on said shirt 10 seconds after putting it on), third time (March 2010) my waters went magnificently in the waiting room and I gave birth within 10 mins, clothes half on, half off... I did put the shirt on afterwards and have photo to prove it :)

I do still mourn the loss of my pants, which were past their best just after my daughter was born, and the midwife assumed I didn't want them back so binned them. They cost £14 and were a match with a maternity bra I have, which is a very rare treat in early months of breastfeeding. Ah well :)

one of those horrible nhs gowns with the gap at back so bum exposed left hospital bag in the car...
whatever is comfortable but if baby is coming I suspect you'll be so tired/exhausted/ excited/ etc to care.

I had some time in the birthing pool as naked as the day I was born and I was more embarrassed that i fell asleep in it due to the warmth and cosiness
Good Luck

old nightie with front buttoned placket - never had a chance to change out of it, delivered in the 'observation' room, didn't make it to a delivery suite.

It washed out very well, thanks to MIL taking it home and soaking it for me.

Big nighty with "pigs can fly" on the front for DS1. Kept it as my lucky nighty and wore it at DS2 birth 7 years later!

Had a nightie with DS1 which I changed for a hospital gown when I had my epidural, easy to pull off when he was born so he could be put straight into my chest.

Midwife was convinced ds2 was coming very soon after I got to hospital so I stripped off to have him delivered onto my chest, ended up being born 2 hours later so was naked for a while but was very hot and fan was broken in my room. Noticed after he was born that I was still wearing my socks, found that more embarassing than being naked for 2 hours!

Wanted water birth but both were induced, if I'd been in the water would have worn nothing.

socks. warm fluffy red socks to avoid foot cramps.

I wore a t-shirt with 'The Fonz' on it!! Didn't name our son after him though - hee hee.