What did you wear during a water birth?

[Gingernut81]

Hi, I'm expecting my first child in about 5 weeks so trying to get my bag sorted. I just wondered what people wore during a water birth? I'd been thinking t-shirt/nightie but then someone pointed out that might be impractical for skin to skin contact straight after. Would a tankini top be any good or alternatively I wondered about a large mans shirt?

I just wore my bra (a stretchy nursing bra).

Over sized vest top. Wasn't too floaty and covered my boobs.

I wore a "secret support" maternity vest. I don't think you would want anything that's not close fitting tbh. A tankini top would also work. You cane pull them up/down to get skin to sing and to breastfeed.

I did not want to be naked.

Nothing that you have to take off over your head.

One of the worst moments of my birth was when I had to take my top off when I was only comfortable curled up.

I'm sure you can work out the typos in my post!

Nuffink. I had a big t-shirt but wanted to be naked. Most people will tell you the same! Definitely don't think a shirt is a good idea - you need something tightish which won't waterlog and drag you down! Long vest sounds like a great idea - h&m do tons of them very cheaply!

I bought a tankini especially but ended up wearing nothing at all. All dignity definitely left at the door there...

I took my top off when I got out of the pool and wrapped myself in a dark dressing gown instead.

I've not had mine yet but have one planned. I was planning to be naked. Is that not a good idea then?

I wore my maternity tankini top for a bit. Then look it off and was just naked. Most of me was underwater so I didn't feel exposed.

nothing.

One friend wore an old t-shirt.

Another, wasn't expecting a water birth and wore just a bra as she didn't want to be undressed in front of the midwife.

I was desperate to get in the pool I would have jumped in naked however I had packed and did pop on an old bikini top. Good for skin to skin after as didn't matter that is got a bit gunky. I wouldn't buy anything especially for the occasion - the last thing you'll remember about labour is what you wore!

Didn't have one myself but on One Born I've seen people wearing string tie or snap fastening bikini tops. With one of those you could undo the tie/neck fastener for bfing if required and you wouldn't have to pull anything over your head.

Nothing. I couldn't have coped with getting changed at that point, I could barely get undressed. Being naked was just fine for me.

Nothing - both times.

I've bought a crop top for it, just £4 cheepo from Matalan.

I didn't actually have a water birth but I was in the pool for a bit - naked.

In the event, I wanted to be naked for the whole thing. I had to transfer by ambulance at one point and was cross the midwife made me wear clothes for it.

Weird, labour brain.

Ha ha, loving the naked posts! I have some maternity vests a friend gave me so I guess I'll just pop one of those in just in case rather than buying anything. Thanks for all the feedback x

I bought a cheap maternity tankini, but when the time came I just wanted to get the pool so much I went in in just my bra. I had read numerous mumnet/net mums threads about what to wear too and most concluded that when it came to it, all carefully planned outfits went out of the window!

Nothing! I packed a tankini top but by the time it came to getting in the pool I just wanted to get DS out and didn't care about being naked. However I only got to the hospital 2 hours before he arrived and was in the pool only for the pushing stage. Had I been there earlier in labour I might have been a bit more modest!

Nothing.

Nothing, and I didn't care!

Vest top not for any particular reasons just what I was wearing when I went in to labour.

Nothing.