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Childbirth

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

Original poster

Naked in Childbirth????

80 replies

PinkArjuna · 27/10/2004 17:15

I know this seems really trite considering all that you will got through to actually get to the labour. However to me it is more abhorrant than the thought of all the pain blood and gore. I heard it is commen for the midwives to encourage you to take your clothes off. I can't think of anything worse or more humiliating than this. I have little of issue about bringing a baby into the world but find this modesty to be truly alarming and down right disgusting. Each to there own of course - no insult intended. but some people I have spoken to in my area say here they try to force you to be naked when you give birth. Also my understanding is most people do. Though I have never heard of this before. Of course I realise water birth would mean nakedness and that is why I am just not interested. I think anything that would make the mother distressed is bad for birth and if I have a midwife trying to rid me of my clothes as seems to be commen around here I am sorry but I count this as a total invasion of boundaries and would be deeply troubled. This is my number one concern. I understand the bottom half has to be free but I feel Nakedness too much. Way too much. I hate being touched and think it alarming that someone will physically try to remove my clothes in labour

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hana · 27/10/2004 17:18

I'm sure that no one will force you to take off any clothes you don't want too.....I wore a hospital gown only - was v v hot. I haven't heard of this?? Has your midwife or GP backed this up at all?

midden · 27/10/2004 17:19

Let your midwives know, put it in your birth plan to be safe and make sure whoever is with you knows this so that they can communicate this for you when you are beyond the point of speech. There is no need to be naked you can wear a long baggy t-shirt, no-one will remove your clothes against your will. Take it you will not be using a birth pool then?

Shimmy21 · 27/10/2004 17:21

Oh please don't worry -nobody has to be naked if they don't want to be! A long loose T-shirt is fine and you can pull it down anytime except the final critical moments. However you may not give a flying whatsit what you're wearing at that stage. I had dh2 at home , spent a lot of time in the bath and didn't even remember clothes until i had to be taken to hospital in an ambulance due to complications and one of the midwives gently reminded me that I might want to put something on to go outside in the street! And I am a shy person!

bonniej · 27/10/2004 17:21

never heard of this either, unless it's by choice. I wore a nightshirt but would have felt far more liberated being naked. It's your choice how you wish to be clothed during labour.

Kayleigh · 27/10/2004 17:21

I wouldn't have been comfortable starkers either. Euuuggghh - my dh had enough to contend with
I wore a big t-shirt nightie thing both times and found that was fine as it didn't cling anywhere and make me uncomfortable.

It was also red in colour which I didn't choose on purpose but in hindsight was a good choice.

AuntyQuated · 27/10/2004 17:22

if it concerns you put it in your birth plan and ask your birthing partner to remind them of it at the time if it is mentioned.
i took along a big old t-shirt that could go in the bin afterwards

KateandtheGirls · 27/10/2004 17:24

I've also never heard of this. I was wearing a hospital gown the whole time. And if you wanted a water birth couldn't you wear a sports bra?

colinsmommy · 27/10/2004 17:25

I was in a hospital gown, and somehow it ended up on the floor. I, too, was very, very hot during labor, and they wouldn't turn the temperature down any more because they didn't want it too cold for the baby. My husband says that I took it off while screaming I'm too hot. Nobody tried to force me to be naked, and I'm sure I would have been mortified if told I was going to be naked for the birth. However, while in labor, I didn't care one bit, I didn't even notice until after it was all over. And I really don't care now, because the dr or midwife sees most of you naked anyway, and it was so nice when they put the baby on my chest to have skin-to-skin contact.

aloha · 27/10/2004 17:26

I had a section so wore a hospital gown. However, I have also never heard of anyone being even encouraged to be naked, let alone coerced. I think you may have got hold of the wrong end of the stick a bit as it is clearly a sensitive subject for you. Even in the pool you could wear a bikini top or a t-shirt if you liked. I don't know anyone personally who was naked for the birth. One of my friends borrowed one of my maternity tops and never returned it - she subsequently admitted she wore it for the birth and didn't dare after what it had been through

lavender2 · 27/10/2004 17:27

have never heard of this....like has been said mention this in your birth plan (they stuck to mine in everything)...if it is still bothering you why not give the labour ward at your hospital that you plan to go into labour in a ring and ask if one of the midwives could clarify this for you as you're a little concerned about what people have been saying...

paolosgirl · 27/10/2004 17:27

Don't worry, no-one will force you to take off your clothes. You can wear what you like, really. If you want to, pack a couple of loose, baggy t-shirts and wear them - bear in mind they will be consigned to the bin afterwards for obvious reasons. Can I just add though - you will be well past caring at the time, believe me! They could insist on you wearing roller skates and a balaclava and you would! Good luck, and best wishes for when the big moment arrives.

MrsBigD · 27/10/2004 17:27

as I had 2 c-sections (1 emergency 1 elective) I can't really say what they would have done if I had experienced 2 normal births, but I believe it's up to you what you want to wear. When I was labouring with dd I wore one of my old baggy nighties and there was no issue with that at all. Just make sure you make everybody aware of your wishes and you should be fine. All the best!

Clayhead · 27/10/2004 17:32

WHen I had ds I was lightly encouraged to remove my t-shirt just before delivery so he could be put straight on my skin but that was the only time nakedness was mentioned. I think I just said yes and let them take it off as I wasn't really focussed on that at the time! They did put him straight on me but then wrapped us both round with a sheet and we sat like that for ages.

I have never heard of anyone being coerced into being naked though.

Good luck.

midden · 27/10/2004 17:32

Debating whether or not to mention the skin to skin thing, I will now somebody else has! It is a very important part of your bonding with baby and most hospitals and midwives now actively promote it, also you may well be encouraged to feed your baby soon after birth. You may need to explore ways of letting go of some of your inhibitions about clothing to enable these things to happen. One thing is for sure, childbirth is not a dignified process. You may well feel after you have pooed, vomited and birthed your baby you just don't care!

acnebride · 27/10/2004 17:41

Without knowing anything about any hospital policy I would just mention that except for the last hour of my (quick) labour I was wearing a maternity twinset, long black skirt and sandals. The midwife never suggested I should remove any of this - not her business IMO, although I did remove all clothes before getting in the pool and by that time I really, really wanted to be naked the way you do when you're ill, not feeling great and get into the bath. Please try not to worry about this, although it's a pointless thing to say as I worried about all sorts of things before the labour that were not a problem. I hope the responses you are getting reassure you.

If you would like skin to skin contact after the birth, then why not ask anybody in the room to leave you to it and knock if they need to come back. The delivery room is 'yours' for the duration. I wonder if home birth is an option for you?

LipstickMum · 27/10/2004 17:49

I wore an old tshirt to give birth.
I can't imagine that anyone would force you to be naked during labour, especially if you make this clear on your birth plan, for example.

Good luck!

jenkel · 27/10/2004 18:00

Dont panic....
Both times I used one of dh's old work shirts, so huge on me. I would not feel comfortable either. In fact that part of it was very dignified, when they examined me they covered me up like when you have a smear.

I didnt have a bra on and as soon as dd was born I just undid some buttons and she lay on me for the skin to skin contact which is very important. But by that stage I didnt care what I looked like.

sweetkitty · 27/10/2004 18:25

Due to the quickness of my labour I ended up wearing a new DKNY t-shirt, I literally pulled down my jeans and pants. I took t-shirt off afterwards for skin to skin contact. I still wear it now and it always brings a smile to my face when I put it on I will keep it forever. I had bought a cheap button down the front nightie for the occasion but didn't use it. To be honest I couldn't have cared less what I was/wasn't wearing.

Good luck with the birth

wellsie · 27/10/2004 18:31

Have to say it used to freak me out whenever I looked in the pregnancy books and saw all these naked ladies, I used to ask DH, "Where's the nightie?" But when it came to it I really couldn't care less who saw me naked. At one point I was in the bath and was told to get out and had both the midwife and DH towelling me down.

However, being made to be naked is totally unreasonable and I'd fight them all the way!!

Angeliz · 27/10/2004 18:34

OOOH NO, not for me at all!!

I wore a t.shirt type nightie and it preserved a wee bit of my dignity. I also had a sheet over me till quite near the end as it had been a big thing for me not to be laid bare for hours for all to see

PinkArjuna, don't worry, i really couldn't imagine why a midwife would encourage you to be naked!

nikcola · 27/10/2004 18:34

i wore a bra top thiggy like a sports bra and big granny knickers but when i wanted to get up and walk around (i could in the begining before eppidural ) but the midwife did ask me twice if i wanted to take my bra top off and i told dp to tell her to leave me alone , whenever the male doc came in dp kept covering my legs up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!lol

misdee · 27/10/2004 19:07

with dd1 i had an old nightie on. with dd2 during labour i had my top on, but towards the end just befoer she was born, i stripped off so she could be delivered straight to me. the midwives gave me a blanket to keep me warm (i get the shivers during labour), and dd2 was delivered onto my belly for skin to skin contact and they put a blanket over both of us.

prettycandles · 27/10/2004 20:29

If you're not labouring in a pool, I very much doubt that anyone would even try to persuade you to labour naked, let alone remove your clothes from you, because you can actually get quite chilly while labouring. I recall that whenever the hospital bag was discussed, the midwife would always check that I had packed a pair of thick socks to keep my feet warm!

I laboured fully dressed each time. The first time I changed to a baggy nightshirt (I still wear it and shall keep it for ever ) when I had the epidural and dh hoicked it up to my neck for me as ds came out because he remembered how important skin-to-skin contact was for me.

The second time I was kneeling on the floor at the foot of the bed, fully dressed, when I started needing to push. dh got my trousers and knickers off me as I scrambled onto the bed, and I delivered with just top half dressed. This time I ended up totally naked in my frenzy to get ready for skin-to-skin as soon as dd was born!

Both times, once the baby was in my arms we were both immediately covered up with blankets by the midwife.

Angeliz · 27/10/2004 20:32

prettycandles, that sounds lovely.
I remember thinking about how will i do skin to skin last time but i like the thought of putting that in my birthnotes. (To pull up nightie at crucial moment then have a blanket chucked on).
I actually remember shaking from head to toe after giving birth with cold-shock and the midwives assuring dp it was normal!

motherinferior · 27/10/2004 20:34

And actually (MI adds provocatively) even if you don't get skin to skin immediately it's NOT the end of the world. DD1 was plonked gelatinously on my belly after vile hospital ventouse and tbh I just wasn't bothered; dd2 ended up being cuddled by her dad for ages while I delivered the placenta and got stitched up (home waterbirth, for which I was incidentally naked). Both of them fed perfectly and I honestly don't think it affected bonding AT ALL.

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