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Childbirth

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

Original poster

What were you wearing (if anything) when giving birth?

182 replies

Pannacotta · 07/05/2007 23:23

I didn't want to be stark naked last time, made me feel quite exposed/vulnerable and I ended up giving birth in an old dressing gown which I had to hold up around me.
Am hoping for a water birth but in case not does anyone have any suggestions of what to wear which gives a bit of privacy but won't get in the way?
Are eg old, big T shirts any good?

OP posts:
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QueenEagle · 07/05/2007 23:52

A smile. Well, a sort of grimace really. Arse tits and fanny out all over the place and I didn't give a toss

dionnelorraine · 07/05/2007 23:56

A bought a couple of 'giving birth' T shirts. They are just big T shirts with poppers down the front for breast feeding. I have them at the back of my wardrobe waiting to used for the next one!

dionnelorraine · 07/05/2007 23:56

BHS do them

AitchTwoOh · 07/05/2007 23:58

hospital gown. it was fine. i wasn't caring much...

oranges · 08/05/2007 00:00

a short pink maternity nightgown. I didn't notice till I looked at the pictures later.

essbee · 08/05/2007 00:00

Message withdrawn

expatinscotland · 08/05/2007 00:01

A cheap nightshirt for both.

fuzzywuzzy · 08/05/2007 00:02

I wore hospital night dress type thing, a biggish t-shirt for a water birth should be ok.

Califrau · 08/05/2007 00:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nappyaddict · 08/05/2007 02:39

my tshirt. never got the chance to change it to my nightie i dont think.

kittylette · 08/05/2007 02:50

the same nursing bra & nothing else both times

kittylette · 08/05/2007 02:50

the same nursing bra & nothing else both times

elkiedee · 08/05/2007 04:05

An old short pink nightshirt with a purple "Bang on the Door" cat on it, came from Next about 4 years ago and it was comfy, although of course I had more people looking at my body than probably since I was born myself in 1969! I have another identical one and I have actually back in the same freshly washed nightie today/ yesterday, with an old skirt. Unfortunately no buttons so have had to take it off every time I attempted to feed the sprog.

I bought two lovely long nighties from Blooming Marvellous for what turned out to be the days following the birth, they're almost elegant enough to look like very loose fitting summer dresses and cover my legs and everything else without looking like tents, restoring my modesty when I'm not breastfeeding. I thought I'd better get something which wouldn't look too scuzzy on days when I don't need to dress to leave the house. They weren't that cheap but they make me feel so comfortable I'm probably going to buy more (£30+ inc postage for a pair together).

PrettyCandles · 08/05/2007 06:05

A Winnie the Pooh nightshirt for the ds1. It came with me to each of the next births, but was never used - I nearly gave birth to dd in my jeans, but dh stripped them (and my knickers) off me as I scrambled up from the floor, where I'd been labouring, onto the bed to push her out. So unmemorable T-shirt and bra for her birth. Ds2 was born in the birthing pool, so naked for his birth.

glittercaz · 08/05/2007 09:15

do you HAVE to wear a nightie or tshirt type thing? I'm due in july and sort of pictured a loose summer dress that i don't care about. quite shy about my body so not sure i'd ant to go butt naked!

skirmish · 08/05/2007 09:15

you can wear anything you like!!

Nbg · 08/05/2007 09:18

I wore a maternity nightie first time.
With ds I went in, in shorts and tshirt. I took the shorts off when they examined me and left on pants and tshirt.
When the contractions started getting good I stripped right off to just bra and then thought sod it as I wanted to put ds straight to breast when he was born.

I get past caring at a certain point lol.

chilledmama · 08/05/2007 09:23

Started off with just a huge nightshirt but then when I got in the bath that got stripped off and I did the rest in my birthday suit...didn't feel odd as I was at home and in the bath...you know...you don't wear anything in your own bath do you, IYSWIM.

mears · 08/05/2007 09:25

For waterbirth, tanktini tops are better than T shirts which tend to get wtarelogged and make you feel chilled.

Basically though, you can wera what ever you want.

Indith · 08/05/2007 09:28

When the MW arrived I was starkers having got out of the bath. Then I got chilly and put a t-shirt on. Then got more cold so dp put my dressing gown over me. Then got really really frozen so they all lumped a duvet over me! And they say you get hot in labour!

mamatres · 08/05/2007 09:30

i wore a short maternity nightdress. still ogt it. cant bear to throw it out!

burstingbug · 08/05/2007 09:30

First time I wore a short night shirt, was snug fitting, but I liked it. Wasn't the best choice in the end especially when I had to take it off to breast feed and had numerous drips in my hands.
Second time I was wearing their gown. I went in to be examined as my waters had gone and I was overdue. They didn't believe I was going to give birth that night and wanted to send me home. I ended up staying in and giving birth a few hrs later

SpawnChorus · 08/05/2007 09:39

First time I puked over everything and ended up wearing DH's t-shirt. And he wore my jumper. The post-birth photos are quite amusing.

Second time round I wore a vintage t-shirt with the slogan, 'Annual Swimsuit Contest 1984'. DH did mention that it looked a little incongruous with my she-ra style standing birth position.

Twinmummyx2 · 08/05/2007 10:06

A mothercare nighty and socks-can't stand cotton sheets on my feet...[shiver]

Charleesunnysunsun · 08/05/2007 10:10

I had the smae t-shirt with both my boys, it has sylevester the cat on it, it is huge and oh yes it was dp's!