What should I wear for labour?

[Tess321]

I've seen suggestions of big long t-shirts but where could I buy one?

just wear a nightie

or something to cover your boobs

A cheap nightshirt from Primark or Peacocks would do.

I wouldn't bother to be honest.

I bought a men's XXL from tesco for a couple of quid but ended up in a hosp gown both times

take a pair of socks though, sounds ridiclious but feet can be cold

I just wore a vest and took undies and pj bottoms off when I needed to. Long tops get too hot and I didn't like all that material everywhere. Think I might have had gown on at some stage as well

I had a strappy nightie ready for my labour, strappy so I could get immediate skin-to-skin and BF just by pulling them down.

oohh VS hark at you in your 'strappy' nighties

(I think they were just primarks summer version of t-shirt nighties tbh)

now now, don't be ruining my image of you in your nightdress and matching cardi with your lippy on and hair done waiting to meet him

I actually used summer sun moisturiser for a week before the birth so I didn't look pale after surgery

Thank you all

pmsl - I couldn't afford the VAT of the stuff I'd need

Hello tess,

My advice would be not to wear white. I wore a big white T shirt which was a big mistake. On all the early photos it looks like I'd been involved in a stabbing incident.

Hello Hashim, Thanks for the advice I will be avoiding white hides the posh Mothercare nighty under the bed

Nothing!

don't wear anything you might want to wear again would be my advice..socks good tip though (and flip flops for visits to toilet)...

I took off my nightie in the middle of labour - I was feeling very hot, so gave birth in the nude!

Lol at your summer sun moisturiser VS. I just wore an ordinary nightshirt, but I did soooo wish that I done my toenails before I went in. With my legs up in stirrups for a ventouse, and all dignity gone, I found myself gazing at chipped nailvarnish and wished they weren't so tatty!

Go and buy a really cheap nightdress (strappy!) that you will chuck away at end of it all. Great as someone said for immediate skin-to-skin and breastfeed. Def second flip-flops and NO white!!!

I wore vile purple bed socks for two of mine (not the same pair). Get the ones with rubber bits on the bottom so you can pad around the ward during labour.

Dizzydixes is right, during the transition phase the blood leaves your extremities and you get cold feet.

And totally agree with having a bit of a tanning moisturiser and toenails painted. It just makes you feel a bit better somehow.

I wore my PJ's until I got into the birhting pool. then I wore my birthday suit

I've worn an old shirt of my dad's for all 4 labours - I converted it into a nightshirt ages ago and it's the only thing I have of his so it's tatty but special. Don't forget the socks , your feet can come over all nippy even when you're red hot in labour, and also one of the few acceptable reasons for a grownup to wear crocs is in the usually minging hospital showers

I was ridiculously cold through the whole first stage of labour. Ended up sending DH out to the car for the post-labour bag with my dressing gown in so might be worth taking that too. DH also used it as a blanket for himself whilst I napped during transition .

Other than that a nightie and make sure you have a clean spare just in case of being sick or anything on it. And take some massive granny pants in case your waters go early on so that you can hold a wacking great hospital maternity pad in and still move around comfortably during contractions. Socks and slippers/flip flops also good for the not entirely spotless floors, and for if things slow down and you want to walk around a bit.

And then take another clean batch of everything for after the delivery.

I wore a black t-shirt that dh had got free, i did lots of pacing up and down and dh has recently told me that it didn't actually cover my bottom. Now i know why they wouldn't let me have the curtains open!

I bought a huge mens tshirt from Tesco for like £4 as mentioned before NOT WHITE!
Also had huge granny knickers and those socks with the grips on.

All of which was discarded after 6 hours because I needed an emergency section and had to wear hospital gown