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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

What to wear for a water birth

22 replies

MsChanandlerBong · 30/07/2011 18:46

I've just had my birth centre tour, where as part of it they showed us the water birth rooms. We were told to bring several loose/baggy t-shirts/nighties for the waterbirths. I was quite surprised as I had envisaged wearing a tankini top, or tighter vest top rather than something with material flapping around.

If you had a water birth, what did you wear?

TIA

OP posts:
Flisspaps · 30/07/2011 19:20

Wear what the hell you like - if you want to wear a tankini, bra or nothing at all - you can! You're the one giving birth :)

Honeydragon · 30/07/2011 19:22

Wore nothing at all Smile couldn't be faffed, I just wanted in the water

Supersunnyday · 30/07/2011 19:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EauRouge · 30/07/2011 19:24

Nothing at all. I was at home but I would have done the same in hospital. It would have been a faff to get a wet shirt off for skin-to-skin and I think it would have annoyed me during labour.

Choufleur · 30/07/2011 19:24

I got in with my bra on (to preserve a teeny tiny bit of dignity Blush) but quickly took it off so didn't have anything on.

ronx · 30/07/2011 19:27

It really won't matter what you wear. I think I wore a vest but I can't really remember.

FessaEst · 30/07/2011 19:28

Can't imagine anything worse than a soggy t-shirt floating about! I have worn a tankini top both times, with a halter neck, so when DDs born I have just untied the neck and got them onto my chest skin-to-skin. TBH, I could just as happily have worn nothing I think - the MW helped me get changed and handed it to me, so I put it on!

Zwitterion · 30/07/2011 19:29

I wore nothing in the pool. Couldn't give a monkeys. Every time I got out to go to the loo the mw kept putting a sheet round me. Bloody annoying. Could see their point though as the loo was down the corridor. Grin

tigercametotea · 30/07/2011 19:30

I wore nothing the first time I had a waterbirth. The second waterbirth I had, I wore a tank top in the pool. You can wear what you want, or go in naked. Completely up to you.

littlenuttree · 30/07/2011 19:32

I just wore a cheapie sports bra type top that I got in Tesco. A t-shirt would involve too much faffing and would be horrible to pull off over your head when it's soaking. And I don't know about your maternity unit, but taking my own sieve would have been a great idea! Grin

superjobee · 30/07/2011 19:39

my friend had a water birth and wore a t-shirt for about 20 mins then got naked, her mum was embarrassed but not half as much as when the midwife told my friends OH to tweak friends nipples!! Grin god love her mum she nearly fainted the poor dear!

alliwant · 30/07/2011 19:47

butt naked and loved the freedom of it. My inhibitions were right out the window Grin

FessaEst · 30/07/2011 19:48

zwitter Grin

Original poster
MsChanandlerBong · 30/07/2011 20:30

Thanks!!
I was a bit concerned that the baggy t-shirt suggested would make me feel like I was 15 years old and doing my bronze survival lifesaving award again (when you have to swim about in your pyjamas and dive down to the bottom to pick up a brick)!!

Think I'll take along vest & tankini top, but appreciate that realistically I'll probably end up naked after about 5 mins Smile

OP posts:
highheelsandequations · 02/08/2011 13:22

I wore nothing, couldn't care less about walking around naked by the time I got in the pool!

mousymouse · 02/08/2011 13:24

didn't have a waterbirth but still wore nothing as I couldn't stand having anything on me.

Conanchensee · 02/08/2011 23:12

I was all concerned about this and had a tankini packed as well as a baggy t shirt. When it came to getting in the pool the midwife just said 'right, take your clothes off then' and I just meekly obeyed. It would be insane to wear anything at all as the last thing you want it anything getting in the way. Good luck!

nannyl · 03/08/2011 08:11

Im planning a water birth at home.

Am planning to be naked

it hadnt crossed my mind to wear anything, and i dont intend to!

cardamomginger · 03/08/2011 08:15

Tankini top.

Scheherezadea · 04/08/2011 01:11

am going to pick up a £1 bikini top from primark.

PrettyCandles · 04/08/2011 01:32

I was so desperate eager to get into the pool that, as soon as I got through a contraction, still kneeling on the floor where I had dropped down to cope once the paramedics had let me off the ambulance gurney, I started ripping my clothes off, ignoring everything and everyone else. I knew I had only a couple of minutes between contractions. When I turned round to go to the pool, there were at least 5 people behind me - paramedics, midwives, I don't know who else. Frankly I couldn't have cared less! It could have been the News crew from ITN, cameras and all, and I would still have barged nude straight past them to get to that pool.

What did bother me, though, was my hair falling in my face. I spent the gaps between the next few contractions pinning it back.

Scheherezadea · 04/08/2011 23:52

prettycandles - that made me LOL Grin

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