Water birth... What do I need?

[preggersshock]

This might be a daft question but packing my hospital bag at the mo, what do I wear in the birthing pool & do I have to pack my own towels for me and baby?

You can wear whatever you want! I believe a lot of ladies wear nothing - I'm taking a vest top as I (at the moment) don't envisage wanting to be that exposed.

I would definitely take your own towels. Much nicer and softer.

Yes to your own towels

The water is warm but I wore a vest top too and nothing else

I am taking a tankini thing, but really just in case as I expect I'll be nekkid. I bet they'd give you towels but they'll be scratchy so I'm taking my own. Not taking one for baby though as they usually do a wipe down/ check thing anyway.

I'd also add flip flops. For shower mainly but they sound useful potentially poolside too where it might be wet for when you're on the lounger drinking a cocktail

I've had two waterbirths and both times wore nothing, and used the hospital towels which were lovely and fluffy and very white (I felt rather guilty getting blood on them but the kind midwives said that they have a very good laundry service.)

You can wear what you like in the pool, bra, bikini top, vest top etc... Or go nekkid it's a very intimate setting so you are not exposed to all and sundry, I will be just wearing a soft black bra.

Towels - we provide the white sunlight towels for both mums and babies which I will be using as otherwise you'll mess up your nice light coloured ones with blood and gubbins.

Thanks all can't imagine being nekkid but pretty sure I won't care by then... Tanki it is! No so bothered about having my boobs out, it's other bits I'm embarrassed by and going to have to get over that in a hurry!

Some hospitals ask you to bring your own sieve to scoop out anything that should get into the water that you'd rather not sit in.