Do you give birth nudey?

[walkingwomb]

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?

I wore a Winnie the Pooh nightie with matching socks (which were removed by the mw after a bit in case they got spoilt)

I didn't like the idea of being nude but if it had come to it, about 10 people were probably able to see my tonsils from the wrong end .

YEp,...I was naked too after about 5 cm dilated when the serious work started for me.

Was not a choice thing really, it just seemed to be the most comfortable andnatural thing to do.

I got a big XXXL man's T shirt from a cheap shop. It was ideal as it was short enough for, ahem, people to see what was going on at the other end of me easily but long enough for me to cover up when I wanted to. It was truly huge. And I washed it a couple of times before so it was soft and smelt of home.

I know I was wearing a matching necklace and earring set. But quite honestly I can't tell you what else because I had other things on my mind at the time. Mind you, they had to remind me to take my shoes off as they whizzed me to the operating room too

Nudey for me.
The whole experience was so primeval that it seemed right. And I wouldn't have missed the skin-on-skin part for the world! Holding both of my slippery, hot little babies on my chest is the most precious memory I'll ever have.

Had all sorts of plans, but only made it through 3 contractions before insisting on being naked. Couldn't stand the feel of clothes on my skin & kept sweating through my nightie. Had to be persuaded to dress to get in the ambulance (tried to have a home birth as this kind of weirdness is typical of me!), only managed to keep on hospital gown after epidural. You can't plan it, just do whatever feels right.

i had 2 nighties one for birth and other for after, but ended using the hospital gown draped over me as had cs, also found it easy to shove out of the way for bf and skin on skin. nightie was crap for me in the end, I was bf, so had to lift the whole thing up to bf which wasn't practical (too much on show, what with pants, scar, visitors the front didn;t undo enough to be useful. had no idea that i needed to have breasts free to manhandle for bf (!) and easy to put pads on so needed a sleep bra as well- nighties ended up in bin.

would hav been better to have had BIG pj bottoms and some really big strappy t-shirts. its so HOT in the wards also found flips flops for the shower and walking about v good.

First time, wore what i thought was a big nightie but it wasn't quite long enough to cover my bum when I was leaning over the bed - dh said he decided that teasing me wasn't a good idea - good choice that man! Then naked in birthing pool, and thereafter (ended up with section) but bizarrely, woke up dressed in hospital gown!
Second time, wore much longer nightie (and went for a wander out in the corridors, so just as well), pushed up to shoulders for delivery then whipped it off to do skin-to-skin. Wish I'd thought to remove it before delivert TBH.
Was absolutely boiling hot both times, including after the birth - with dd2, they went and got me a fan after she was born as I couldn't bear it. It was February!
You really won't care - both my labours were long, and there was a bit of a problem with a 'lip' of my cervix not moving away properly - dh and I counted it up afterwards and what with mws/docs/shift changes, 10 people has given me internal examinations by the end of it . Do you know, I have just remembered about the wonderful doc, who came to see me when I was begging for a c-section second time round (I was VBAC), and she calmly persuaded me to try an epidural first. DD2 was thereafter a vaginal birth! The doctor came to see me the next day as she had gone off shift before I gave birth, and she wanted to see how I had got on. I think she was as pleased as me that I had succeeded in the birth I wanted. Oh, that's made me all teary now. Sorry for hijack!

PS Both times (and planned for this time too) have had my legs waxed before delivery - makes me feel much better.

What a funny thread! I'm glad I'm not the only one! I'm quite shy normally about being naked etc, but with all 3 of mine, I have used the pool, and couldn't bear to have clothes touching me! Even though I got out to actually deliver, and midwives kept offering to cover me up (!!) I just couldn't bear it!! With dd1, they refused to believe I was ready to deliver (I was only in labour 4h, start to finish!) and when I demanded a number between 1 and 10, and they realised I was actually at 10, the young MW panicked, threw me naked in a wheelchair, threw a sheet over me and wheeled me to a delivery room! It was very like a carry on film, and I didn't even care! Despite this, I have religiously packed a big T-shirt to give birth in for all 3, and never yet worn it! If someone had ever told me I'd be on my knees, starkers, with my arse in the air, mooing like a cow, I would have died of shame at the thought!!

I could crochet you a birthing outfit! i am thinking floor length beige hemp with lotus bag attachment.

Thanks Goat, might take you up on that...

i thought crochet would be good cos i could leave holes for the nipple stimulation.

Whomoved my choc...the matching jewellry made me laugh out lout. You are a classy bird!!!

Goatie..corchet is good...also lets the tens machine wires through without spoiling the hang of the frock!

Satine,..agree with you totally. It gets a bit animal and it it totally instinctive to be naked.

Just a tip though Walking Womb, afterwards I had a PJ top which had a hidden elasticated bra thing inside. I was very achey around my chest unnder my boobs straight after and it hurt to wear it. Take something loose in case you are similarly uncomfortable.

Both mine were born with me wearing the same loose maternity button up nighty. Very comfy and I will be tryign to make sure No3 is born with me wearing that one too if pos - for some sentimental value really.

You can be naked if you want. In all honesty, when the time comes it will be very low on your priority list. Have some plans, but just do what feels right at the time

With Ds I wore my favourite Madonna nightee
I was only 16 at the time!

With Dd I was in a hospital gown, but as she was being born it was literally ripped off my front by a midwife for skin to skin.
Lovely

For some bizzare reason I ended up just wearing a vest top with no bra, so my boobs were unsupported and boucing everywhere & I was naked from enormous bump down... but truly I could not have cared less. Even when there were 5 medical professionals in the room administering the epidural and my top was rolled up even further, the fact I was bleeding everywhere & my fat arse & unruly pubic hair was on full display was the last thing on my mind. It helped the medical professionals that I had no modesty as they kept having to do internal examinations so at least they had easy access!

i wore a hospital gown, i woz in that much pain that i couldnt even open my case to get my nightie so they jus quickly shoved that hospitl one on me. i had it all planned out what i would wear an stuff b4 i went into laubor, but all of that is irrelevant once he pain starts lol

I wore a short nightie for DS, one cheap enough to bin afterwards but comfier than a hospital gown. By the end I don't suppose I would have cared what I was wearing tho...

Nice wrap around dress, full face of makeup, hair straightend, and lady garden tended to nicely.

Wore a large t-shirt (dh's) but felt really uncomfortable when nearing the pushing stage so tore it off. It didn't feel at all weird to be doing it in the nudey.