Not being naked during labour

[Ashchall95]

Hi everyone FTM here!
I know everyone says once your in labour you won't care or notice i but I know and my only birth wish or plan is that I won't be naked at any point, I have bought some button up nighties and oversized T-shirts, I know they are going to get ruined and thrown away I am more than happy with that, I just want to ask was you forced or put in any situation that you had to take everything off? Or are the midwives happy for you to remain with a nightie on? Obviously my bottom half will be bare which I'm fine with I just don't want everything out at once! If I let the midwives know I would like to remain covered were possible are they happy to make sure this happens? Then once baby is born I will just undo my buttons for skin to skin and then shower later and put fresh pyjamas or clothes on?

No, I made the decision to take off my oversized t shirt when I got into the birthing pool. I could have kept it on but it was annoying once it was wet. The midwives made no comment either way at any point.

My midwife was the opposite. I was desperate to be naked and kept trying to remove my clothing, whilst the midwife was busy covering me back up.

You’ll have no problem asking to be covered

I was told to wear a hospital gown once in active labour, and at the point my baby started to get into trouble on syntocinin, they removed it so they could work. The room was full of people, including med students. There were three things in red capitals in my birth preferences sheet - no students, no nakedness, no syntocinin. No one read the notes, no one asked about the notes either, so I think you need to make your preferences really clear with every member of staff involved.

Don't worry op. You can wear whatever you like. I've had a nightie/PJ top on with both of mine. Like you say just make sure it's nothing that you don't mind getting a bit messy.

I ended up naked except for a bra with my first because I was sweating but I had a blanket covering from the top of my legs up to my stomach.

I don't remember what happened with my second. I think I kept a top on. It was only 4 months ago but it was crazy.

You’ll be fine with that.

I had a water birth with my daughter last year and had a sports bra on and a T-shirt. Took the T-shirt off just as I got in the pool.

Clothed is the default as far as I'm aware.

I think fully naked is personal choice and I only know of one person who chose that as she found clothing intolerable. She was as surprised as anyone by this!

I had a water birth for DD2 and kept a t-shirt of for most of it if I recall. For DD1 I wore a hospital gown

@RedCandyApple

God no I’ve had 4 kids and would never labour naked, I’ve only read people doing it on here not something I’ve known anyone to do irl!

How would you know, unless you're a midwife or obstetrician? Do you poll your friends after they give birth?

OP you can be naked or not as you want. People who birth naked have chosen to do so. The hospital will be more than happy to bung you a gown if you end up needing something.

Don’t worry OP, they won’t make you get naked or anything. I was, even though at the start of labour I didn’t want to be, but that was because I was in so much pain and couldn’t stand any clothing touching my skin, ended up in theatre in the end and had a hospital gown whacked on me.

Just make sure you let MW know and they will help preserve any dignity, cause none of them read any of my notes 😁

Just wore a big t-shirt nightie - genuinely no memory of how long it stayed on for! It was the last thing on my mind. Was labouring at home in my bedroom, if that makes a difference maybe. But still had husband and three midwives there by the end...

...no-one will make you get naked, but you won’t be thinking about it, I guess is my point, so don’t worry too much.

I was fully nude when I had DD. Just happened in the heat of the moment. I was under the impression this was fairly unusual though!

I was naked, didn’t even think about it. But no-one forced me! It’s totally your call.

Never been naked in labour. I had nightshirt on both times. Took spares as well

Nope, never asked to be naked. Even in the bath, I kept bottoms off because they were monitoring every 15 minutes and just easier for VE, I kept a bra on. Then was gowned for my epidural and subsequent c section.

Lord no!

I've had four children and each time I wore a night dress, covering my modesty, apart from when (you know) but I still had my nightie on.

No one has ever suggested such like.
Thank the lord.

God no I’ve had 4 kids and would never labour naked, I’ve only read people doing it on here not something I’ve known anyone to do irl!

How would you know? No one has ever asked me what I wore during labour, and it’s not something I’ve ever brought up because it’s not really information I think anyone else would care about so it would be an odd thing for me to announce my clothing at various stages of labour - because actually it varied quite a bit over the whole 24 hour period from first contraction to birth.

Wore maxi dress in pool. Then changed onto dry hospital gown for actual birth. Handy. None of my stuff got actually dirty

Wore maxi dress in pool.

Didn't that drive you mad?! I started off with a vest on in the pool and quickly decided that that would not be staying on!

Have you considered a home birth or at least in midwife led unit? Things can be much more relaxed and private that way.

I've given birth twice and at no point was I naked. This was over 30 years ago, but there was no expectation or pressure to take my clothes off at any point.

I'd recommend wearing something like a breast-feeding nightie (I got mine from Mothercare back in the days). Essentially, a nightie shaped for a pregnant woman (goes down to your knees, plenty of room to accommodate your belly), with easy pop-up buttons at the top to liberate access to your breasts.
That second part is important for skin-to-skin right after the birth, when you'll be encouraged to breast-feed as well (good for baby, for the colustrum, but also good for you, as this will kick-start some womb contractions which will eject the placenta if it's not out already, and close up the raw wound left by the placenta afterwards, reducing further bleeding)

Another option is a nice comfy dressing gown or bath robe: something that covers your back and arms and keeps you warm, but can be fully or partially opened at the front as required.
You may want one of these to wear on top of your nightie, for when you leave the hospital (along with some comfy slippers). Wouldn't bother with "normal" clothes, giving birth is a lounge-wear affair...

No one will make you be naked! I promise. I was in varying degrees of clothedliness with all my (3) births and boiling hot throughout but never wanted to get naked and no one suggested me getting naked.

(And you don't necessarily have to throw your oversized tshirts and nighties (or even your knickers) away. All mine have been kept and are not stained)

It’s exactly what I gave birth in. One of those long button front primark nighties so that I was covered but didn’t have anything under so easy for examinations etc. When baby was born just unbuttoned the front for skin to skin. Once showered later just changed into other comfies.

I wore a massive Primark cotton night shirt and kept it on the whole time. Had buttons which I undid for skin to skin and feeding.

Second time in a birthing pool, I just wore a bra as I was enclosed and underwater so didn't feel so exposed.

You'll be fine, OP.