Skin to Skin

[sbear22]

I am so sorry this will sound daft! I'm having my first and I really don't understand some things about giving birth. The question I'd like to ask today is what to wear when I give birth? If the baby is to be placed on my chest for immediate skin to skin contact after he is born, does this mean I shouldn't have a top on so that there is no barrier between us for the skin to skin contact? thanks!

Overseen pics of some mums with their tshirts just rolled up and baby laid on their tummy/at the breast.

I wore a knee length nightshirt - button through and brushed cotton. Honestly not as hideous as it sounds. I think it was open by the time DD was born and I'd taken my bra off at some point.

Some women have an urge to be naked during labour. I think I may have done with my first.

For dd I wore a pyjama shirt thing that was handy as it just unbuttoned down the front.

For ds I just had a big Tshirt on and I just put him up the inside of it and his little head poked out the top .

I don't think it matters too much , I certainly had no trouble with just a (giant) Tshirt

I have a white nightshirt with pink hearts over....will this end up showing blood etc if I give birth in it?

My vest was whipped off at the last min by various helpers for shin to shin while the cord was still attached, so any clothes would have been ruined. Therefore I think it's very common to be nude or wear something very baggy and not precious.

I wore a very very large T-shirt DS. Just pulled it up when he was born, so breasts/tummy all on display.

I wore a vest top and joggers when I was in labour. When my son was being born the midwife placed a cloth across my torso / nether regions so all was as dignified as could possibly be.
The vest top was two sizes too big so when my son was placed on me, skin to skin was easy :)
Plus by the time you give birth, you really don't give a damn what you're wearing - everyone told me this before I had my son and I didn't believe them but it's true!

Be prepared to bin whatever you wear during the birth and shortly afterwards MrsCK

thanks people! these have been really helpful!

I agree. Be prepared to chuck it all. I managed toVanish my nightie and wore it all last winter for night feeds, but it was a dark check pattern.

I was naked no way was I going to fart about with a bikini top in the birth pool! I the end I gave birth on a bed, they put him on my chest and covered us with blankets. it was so hot I couldn't have put anything more on. I had a nightie with buttons all the way up which was great for breastfeeding. definitely do skin to skin it's probably the most overwhelming emotional moment of my life and I will be thinking of it on my deathbed I reckon!

I became so hot at the end of labour that I threw all my clothes off! Made skin to skin easy I had a long black (almost tunic length) vest top on before that. baby was placed straight on my chest and they they wrapped us both in blankets so we were naked and cosy together. A very special time.

I was naked as in a pool and no time to find a t shirt! But there will be tome between the head emerging and baby being put on you to have a mw or partner roll up a top.

Sbear-buy the book 'first-time parent' by Lucy Atkins-it answers all of the questions you could possibly have about having your first baby and is very realistic about what to expect when you become a parent for the first time as well as the lead up to the birth/labour/coming home from the hospital etc! A very useful book IMO!

With DS I was wearing one of DH's old t-shirts in a water birth. In too much pain to get dressed to go to hospital and just wanted to get straight into the pool!

With DD I managed to get dressed a bit better for the trip to hospital and had a bra and maternity t-shirt which got covered in blood/gunk/meconium so that got binned after I'd given birth.

I think both times I had skin to t-shirt straight away and then tried breastfeeding and then ended up wearing a hospital gown.

I wore a knee length pink nightie that I rolled up for skin to skin, there was no blood on it either despite having an episiotomy. Have packed the same nightie for dd2

Navy nightie for me. Pulled up so baby was laid on me.

Using it again this time (I couldn't bare to throw it away but haven't used it since DS was born)

When I got admitted to labour room I was in so much pain already, the midwife just said "will I help take your bra off" so she did and automatically just helped me into a hospital gown. I think they just pulled it down when DD was born so I had skin to skin. I showered a wee while later and changed into my own night dress after with buttons and she slept on my chest underneath it for the night. I loved that first night with her on my chest. Good luck! Xx

I had a hospital gown on...and they just pulled it up.

I wore socks only to give birth.

I wore a swim top for my water birth. Really wish I hasn't as it was a pain for DH and the midwife to take off at the crucial moment! I was stuck in it so I had skin to swim suit :-/ wish I'd worn a lose vest like the midwife suggested but I was more go dented about my dignity. Ha! To be fair the birth was very dignified and private compared to other storied I've heard and read,

Go dented?!? Should say Concerned

Both times I gave birth I was in just a nursing bra for the event. It's hot in hospital. This meant that I could have skin to skin immediately with DD and almost immediately (different position) with DS. I expect I'll end up the same way with DD2 when she's born.

I started off with a v large mans shirt but got so hot both times i was naked.