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Childbirth

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

Original poster

Do you give birth nudey?

120 replies

walkingwomb · 06/03/2008 15:42

I know you can do what you want, but i am interested in what happens in reality. I am assuming that I will be starkers when giving birth but a lot of the videos I have seen have had people wearing clothes. Is this just coz they are being filmed?

Do I have to plan my giving birth outfit?

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gemmummy · 06/03/2008 20:05

i can't even remember getting changed but in the pictures i'm wearing a hospital gown. i'm sure i didnt start off wearing it...must have lost a few hours somewhere!

IndigoMoon · 06/03/2008 20:08

with dd i wearing a hospital gown

ds was a homebirth and i was wearing a bra and this long white shirt thing which i called my mu mu. i wore it for most of my pregnancy and loved it so much it is now in ds baby box with other memorable things!!

oh it had a huge rip in as well.

ara · 06/03/2008 20:08

my dd came so chaotically that i gave birth in a vest and bra - not tres chic but it didn't really matter!!

frumpygrumpy · 06/03/2008 20:13

Y'know I can't remember......I think I had a short strappy nightie thing with my DTs which was good because I could wheek it up and down as the need arose but I have no idea what I had on when I had DD1 (t'was a fast birth and Paolo Nutini could have been my birth partner swearing to marry me and dribble maple syrup on my tummy and I wouldn't have noticed).

Have something ready but it won't be the most important thing on the day

nigglewiggle · 06/03/2008 20:15

All a bit of a rushed delivery! Had my bra and socks left on until DD was nearly delivered. Then exclaimed that I wanted skin-to-skin contact immediately after delivery. Midwife just calmly asked hubby to remove my bra then!

Couldn't really feel self-conscious with my nether-regions hanging out! Can remember berating my husband for leaving my socks on though! Think that was the gas and air!

NomDePlume · 06/03/2008 20:17

rofl @ bra and socks

spugs · 06/03/2008 20:22

with dd1 i stripped off because i was hot, didnt feel bothered in the slightest though i had thought i would do. was lovely as as soon as she was born we could have skin to skin.

with dd2 i wore a nightie which i took off as soon as she was delivered so i could put her on my chest. have same nightie for when im in labour with this one but if i end up naked then so be it

Nappyzone · 06/03/2008 20:23

For my first i wore a pooh bear nightshirt tee shirt and ocnstantly coveredmysefl up with blankets as got the shivers, i have kept this charming garment as a momento. For ds i had water birth and wore a vest t shirt of my dh and then afterwards i was to knackered to remove it so demanded it was cut off me lol so never kept that ha ha!

ChasingSquirrels · 06/03/2008 20:25

t-shirt I was wearing and socks - I was COLD! That was with ds1 in hospital.
ds2 was probably the same, although I don't recall the socks but I probably wouldn't have had time to take them off.

Thomcat · 06/03/2008 20:27

As the day I was born, yes.

MuffinMclay · 06/03/2008 20:27

With ds1 I wore a hideous button-down nightdress bought specialy for the occasion.

With ds2 it all happened rather quickly and unexpectedly, and before dh could get in with my hospital bag. I gave birth wearing a maternity top and a hospital sheet wrapped around my bottom half like a sarong. Whipped them all off afterwards for the skin-to-skin thing.

TheDevilWearsPrimark · 06/03/2008 20:28

I had a short baggy dress on both times.

But by the end it was around my shoulders so I may aswell have been naked.

JamInMyWellies · 06/03/2008 20:31

Absoloutely starkers was boiling hot, when it came to pushing all I remember is flinging my nighty off. Couldnt have given a flying F at that point as to who saw what.

BroccoliSpears · 06/03/2008 20:36

I was too hot in the tshirt I'd taken but just right in a hospital gown. I know everyone says you don't give a stuff, but I gave birth to a cast of thousands and it was just nice not to have my boobs and belly flapping around in the breeze as well as my fanjo.

Imawurzel · 06/03/2008 20:38

i had a button up nighty most of the way, then m/w took it off me and put a scratchy hospital gown on me. one that did up the back.

AnnainNZ · 07/03/2008 00:46

Cheap black nightie for most of it - had read MN and seen threads advising something dark coloured and that you don't mind if it gets ruined.

Then had hospital gown put on me when I went for emer c/s. Huge blue gown with big puffy sleeves and "Property of Auckland Hospital" printed all over it. To stop people nicking them as they're sooooo gorgeous

BearMama · 07/03/2008 01:06

OMG someone tell me I can just request midwife and and DP for what I would like to be a waterbirth? DO NOT want a cast of thousands!

BearMama · 07/03/2008 01:06

OMG someone tell me I can just request midwife and and DP for what I would like to be a waterbirth? DO NOT want a cast of thousands!

callan · 07/03/2008 06:24

i wore a loose button thru cotton nightie as donated by my mother!!!! (so it was lovely) as i'm a strictly pyjama girl. can't remember being boiling hot or freezing cold but sure i was both at some point. can remember the midwives telling me to go to sleep when i complained of pain, sending my husband home saying "we'll have a baby in the morning" as they'd just onto the night shift, they sat and ate chocs at the reception area of the ward, i eventually pursuaded them to call my husband back from home 12 miles away and that something was happening, consequently husband re arrived with 2 mins to spare and missed the whole bloody thing - bitches! sorry, yes where was i? cotton nighty, feel better with that little lot off my chest!

upsyandiggle · 07/03/2008 08:45

I preparation i went out and bought a cotton nightie with buttons as i bf (this was quite expensive as i couldnt find any anywhere) In the end i didnt use it as everything happened so fast. I ended up giving birth in a skin coloured vest top. still not used the nightie (maybe next time).

littleducks · 07/03/2008 08:54

ankle lenght blavk maternity skirt and black top, that i had been the only outfit to fit the last month of my pregnancy, midwife did ask if i wanted to take my knickers off and i said no...she must have ignored me!

my husband wanted me to chuck the outfit, but i just washed it alot then used it this pregnancy and intend to wear this time for labour

mumofk · 07/03/2008 09:17

Naked!
Was roasting afterwards and remember being asked if I wanted to put some clothes on when I wanted to go to the loo ( ensuite) and saying no! OMG can't believe it now, but in my defense even the midwives said I was a bit out of it!
PLanning HB this time and will definately remind DH that i want SOCKS on- cold feet is something I remember early on in labour last time-though by the time I give birth I probably won't care.

artichokes · 07/03/2008 09:25

I have just realised that I have no idea whether I was wearing anything. I was a little distracted and I honestly can't picture what I was or wasn't wearing .

It is possible that a backless hospital gown was involved, but that is pure conjecture.

Lizzer · 07/03/2008 09:27

When i gave birth to ds i stripped off as soon as i was in the labour room and I distinctly remember the midwife telling me TWICE that 'some women like to keep a nightie on, would i like to?' and I actually thought, during a particularly strong contraction, "Is my arse offending her or what?!"

Caz10 · 07/03/2008 09:40

waterbirth - and for some reason couldn't stand the thought of my boobs being out?! - so tankini top thing and nowt else - god knows why the top was so important but it was!

Then BIIIIIG fluffy dressing gown afterwards as I was so cold and shivery!