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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Stupid question but what to wear in birth pool?!!

21 replies

shoesies · 31/10/2009 15:06

I'm due in a couple of weeks now and hoping to go in pool at hospital. Just realised I don't have any kind of bikini top to go over my ridiculously big boobs!!

Can someone reassure me that its ok to go in naked?!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

carriedababi · 31/10/2009 15:08

i was naked
i didn't care i was naked either

carriedababi · 31/10/2009 15:09

you could take a vest top just incase though

notasausage · 31/10/2009 15:12

It's totally fine to go in naked. I did. Alternative is a bra, tightish top (baggy top will float around in the pool) or bikini as you say. I'd say if you're naked from the waist down anyway why bother covering your boobs - and it's nice to have the skin to skin with your baby without fighting your way out of a wet top!!

Mimi1977 · 31/10/2009 20:47

Fine to go in naked - one of my friends did but I wore my bikini top which we laugh about now as on a beach you are more worried about your girlie bits being covered but they were out for all to see and my boobs were covered. Not sure why I bothered really!

OmicronPersei8yourbrain · 31/10/2009 21:02

I went naked. The day before DD was born I went for my post due-date appointment and I was coy about getting undressed (bottom half) for my sweep. The doctor laughed at me - in a nice way - and told me that very soon I really wouldn't care. She was so right. I had to go to another room to get in the birth pool, the midwife had to hold a sheet up round me as I was quite happy to run down the corridor naked. I am also well provisioned in the norks department, and would normally shudder at the thought of everything hanging out.

TrickOrTreatersDragOnYourNoose · 31/10/2009 21:03

I wore a maternity vest with hidden support. It made me feel comfortable which is, after all, what matters the most .

Restrainedrabbit · 31/10/2009 21:06

I was naked as the day I was born

LadyOfTheFlowers · 31/10/2009 21:08

I have had 2 pool births and wore nothing either time - didn't make sense to wear anything to me - spent most of my time under water up to my neck or over boobs anyway.

BertieBotts · 31/10/2009 21:12

I was naked. I meant to take in a strappy vest top but forgot to take it - so the midwife offered me a hospital gown, I tried it but it was too swishy and annoying and I didn't like that it stayed wet higher than the water level because it felt cold (all these things mattered hugely at the time) so I ripped it off within about 30 seconds and was much happier.

So something tight-fitting and quick drying, or nothing.

crankytwanky · 02/11/2009 18:57

I wore my birth-day suit!

mathanxiety · 02/11/2009 19:03

Tis true, you really don't care at all about the silly little details when push comes to shove.

Mellin · 02/11/2009 19:03

Naked.
Trust me, you won't care what you are wearing by the stage you get in the pool!

BetaMummy · 02/11/2009 19:20

I wore a tight black vest top (about £5 from M&S) and a pair of massive black pants. I felt comfortable and I think I might have been a bit self-conscious with my norks hanging out the whole time - especially when a random woman from the hospital management came in for a bit of a chat about water births not long after I'd got in the pool! It somehow seems different someone in a suit seeing you in all your glory compared to a medical professional. The pants ended up being cut off me as ds2 made a hasty exit and I didn't have time to faff about taking them off!

mololoko · 02/11/2009 19:55

for no apparent reason i kept my bra on. it was a pia when i wanted to feed dd after she was born as i couldn't work out how to get it off without letting go of the baby
! so wear a nursing bra or get nekkid

(btw, i have some lovely photos of the birth, and i'm glad i've got my bra on in those as my norks are not high quality)

Littlefish · 02/11/2009 20:11

Naked, naked, naked.

I have massive norks but just couldn't bear to wear anything. The water felt so lovely on my skin that I didn't actually feel naked IYSWIM.

happyjules · 02/11/2009 20:19

Just a smile both times. I felt comfortable enough not to consider anything else. Both times were at midwife led units. The pool was bliss. Good luck.

GunpowderTreasonAndDragons · 03/11/2009 10:10

"Trust me, you won't care what you are wearing by the stage you get in the pool"

That simply isn't true. Some people do care, some people don't. If you want to go naked, go naked, if you don't, find something that feels right.

Original poster

shoesies · 03/11/2009 13:07

Thanks everyone! I might take a vest top just in case...

BetaMummy - outraged at the idea of a "random woman from the hospital management" coming in while I'm trying to give birth!!! . Are they allowed to do that?

OP posts:

mathanxiety · 03/11/2009 16:36

A random man from the phlebotomy department walked in to take my routine blood sample when I was just about to push DC #3 out. We had got to the hosp just in time and all the usual admission protocols had to be bypassed. No-one in the room but me had the presence of mind to scream "GET OUT". Or words to that effect. Which he did, with a look of the utmost horror on his face. He looked about 18, poor kid.

BetaMummy · 03/11/2009 19:41

I was a bit of a novelty because they'd not had a water birth at the hospital for some time - the pool was leaky and they couldn't afford to get a new one. They started telling people that if they wanted to bring in their own pond liner they would be able to use the pool! I did this, not knowing that I was the first person to take them up on their offer! The be-suited lady came in for a chat about where I'd bought the liner, how much it had cost etc - she didn't seem too concerned that I kept having to break off from the chat to breath through a contraction....
At the time, I thought it was a bit cheeky of her to come in unannounced but I've no idea whether she was "allowed" according to hospital policy.

mmrred · 03/11/2009 19:49

OK - I know you'll think this is a wind-up but I swear this happened to me (albeit 15 years ago) naked, in the birth pool - a bloke in overalls wandered in with a strip light tube!

They told me later that the electricians have 'special training' so they can go into operating theatres if something happens to the lights during surgery.

Apparently I was extraordinarily rude to him. I don't remember that bit!

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