What kind of clothes are we packing for labour / hospital?

[MrsHuxtable]

I've gotten the baby stuff together and I know what other bits to take for myself but am really confused about clothes.

At my hospital, you stay in the labour suite after baby's born and go home after 6 hours unless you need a c-section or have serious complications.

I'm hoping for a water birth. I know they're not a certainty as things can go wrong medically but all the midwives I've asked so far have said they have never had a woman want a pool and not get one because they we're busy as the new hospital has enough pools. So I just need to fullfil the medical criteria.

So what clothes do people pack? Something to wear in the pool. Do I need a proper "going home outfit" like the lists say? Can I not just take a taxi in my comfy joggers?

Do I really need a bathrobe? I only have a really thick cotton one and I read that the labour ward wold be too warm for that anyway.

And do I have to wear night dresses? I know it makes access for the midwives easier but could I not just have pyjama bottoms and vest tops? If I needed a C-section, would they not give me a hospital gown afterwards?

I'm taking a couple of cheapy nighties to labour in, a towel for shower, vest top and joggers for when i'm waiting about, not bothering with a bathrobe. To go home in just some baggy jeans and a tshirt. Can you guess I'm hoping not to be there that long!

If I do need anything else I can send DH home as hospital is only 10 mins away.

I take it it's sinking in now then!! (re your thread yesterday!)

Re going home - just remember there may well be a 'welcoming party' (all my family decided to turn up!) and you might like a photo of you bringing the new arrival home. May just be my family of course, but i now have a photo of me in awful (but comfy!) clothes!

Haha, yes saladcream, it's sinking in. I frantically started packing the baby's things yesterday and now realise, I will be there as well! I feel it's really urgent for some reason. Maybe it's a gut feeling DD will be a little early?

Not expecting a welcoming party as I have literally NOONE here, apart from DH, so that's fine. He can bake me a cake though, so I can have my own party!

Hmmm I was planning on showering in early labour and changing as soon as I got to hospital so I could wear those (clean) clothes home again. I realise they will likely be maternity jeans/leggings but I'm working on the basis that I'll still have a slight pot belly/swelling and they will be loose enough if I have to have EMCS. otherwise I have one nightie and one pair of PJs and figure DP can get me more if needed. I don't want to be taking a whole blooming suitcase to hospital with me...

joggers are fine you wont care what you look like at all youll just want to be comfy!!
if they let you a bath/shower may help before you leave so they can help you?
xx

My baby's going home outfit looks tiny (its a standard newborn Next one) I'm sure it's going to be too small (DH says "but babies are small!") I'm gonna take one in a bigger size as I'm not convinced!!

I won't get a welcome home party either (thankfully) hence going home in jeans and t-shirt....I'm not taking my make up either....maybe my tinted moisturiser so I don't look like death warmed up for the photos!

I have plain white baby vests in a newborn and up to 1month size from M&S. The newborn ones look soooooo teany tiny. I'm taking both sizes. Same with Next babygros, 2 different sizes. I'm hoping DD will arrive perfectly fitting the newborn size though...

They don't let everyone shower before going home? Think I'd really want a shower tbh.

Don't forget to pack a nursing bra and a nursing top...a regular tshirt and maternity bra were not ideal...I speak from experience .

Also, remember that you will still have a belly like you are about 6 months pregnant so going home in your skinny jeans won't be feasible!

I took neeborn though they looked very tiny my dd was 6lb 11oz and they were to big had to get tiny baby so youll be suprised!x

I'm taking a couple of cheap nighties, one for labour and one for afterwards. I hate nighties and was adament I would have pj's but honestly it's so much easier going to the loo etc in a nightie. Also taking joggers and a vest top for going home in, comfort is key! I wouldn't bother with a dressing gown, post natal wards are like ovens but maybe take a cardigan if you think you'll want something to cover your arms. Also a couple of maternity bras and knickers - I just bought a couple of cheap packs from primark that could be thrown away, much more comfortable than paper ones.

For me: nightie (in case I don't have a water birth)
PJs with vest top (easily hoiked down for BF) and a LIGHT dressing gown (it is bloody mentally hot on maternity).
Nothing for water birth (in that one is planned, I will be nakked). Can't be bothered with the faff. Plus, I don't think my nakked body will be that much of a shock to MWs or DH.
Big pants, currently wearing the same style, so should be accomodating for pads/potential scarage etc.
Nursing bra.

I have flung some non-pjs in a bag for going home, but it's a separate bag that will be staying in the car 'til it's needed. LO's "going home" babygro etc is in there too.

Take one of your prettier maternity tops to wear on the ward post labour as your head & top half will feature in a lot of photos but your bottom half won't so just go for comfort. I'd take a couple of spare pairs of PJs/nighties as, during a pad swap, I managed to get a load of blood over pne nightie which I'd only put on about an hour before hand.

Although its generally really hot on maternity/ante-natal wards, I got really cold during labour itself (just the way my body reacted to it all) so was cosied up under my fluffy dressing gown and a blanket and I had thick socks on.
If you're being really organised, I recommend packing the different size baby clothes into different labelled bags (freezer bags) are ideal and then, when they announce the size of the baby, your DP/DH or the MW can grab the appropriate size clothes. This means you have to know what weight the clothes are supposed to go up to.

Where I intend to go your discharged after 6 hours unless major complications. I've packed

A nursing bra and vest top to give birth in (intend on water birth and think I want me
Top half covered if not I can whip um off)

Dressing gown (pool room is down a corridor!)

2 vest tops
Loose fitting pj bottoms for after babies born
Big granny pants
Pair of trainer socks, Yoga/track pants & zip hoodie to go home in

If you have stitches or a c-section you might find trousers of any kind mightily uncomfortable. I had a 2nd degree tear and stitches and I was so grateful a friend had advised me to take a skirt to come home in.

I took far too much into hospital first time round. Definitely prefer nightie to PJs as you won't want the hassle of pulling trousers bottoms down if you are sore and even worse if you end up with C section. Just had leggings and top which I ended up wearing in hospital and then going home in as couldn't be arsed to get changed again. You really won't be bothered about putting on your best outfit for photos etc. I did forget to take my dressing gown though which was really annoying!

Well I'm 41+1 today, had a sweep yesterday and nothing's happening!

Booked in for induction on Tuesday, so might need to pack a bigger case after all....here's hoping the first pessary works so I'm not in there for longer than necessary!

Don't give up hope of labouring naturally saladcream! I went into labour and my waters broke spontaneously whilst waiting for the prostin gel

Oh and btw - my waters broke whilst wearing my nice clean clothes that I was planning on wearing home!!!! I ended up coming home in PJs... not tat I cared by that point!!!

I hope that's my experience (not having to be induced i mean, not bursting over my clean clothes haha)!!

I went to the hospital wearing some Tesco £4 tracksuit bottoms (best thing ever- I bought one pair for labouring me, and then two more pairs in a size down for slightly deflated post-birth me) and a vest top.

Once I got to the delivery suite I changed into a hospital gown which was lovely and loose and cool, and also useful as I had an epidural and it made the access easier.

I was in for 3 days so I just padded around in vests and more pairs of my tesco trackie-bs.

There was definitely not a going home outfit

From my first time - you will need an old t-shirt or nightie to labour in providing 'full access'. They get covered in blood. It's preferable to a hospital gown. Chuck it after.

Despite hospital being warm it's good to have a dressing gown for after. I was a bit in shock after labour process and needed it. It may well get dirty as post birth bleed can be heavy.I was so wobbly after labour and was focusing on just trying to walk/stand not worrying about clothes being mucky.

I can't believe any hospital would deny you a shower after labour. You'll be covered in blood and yuck.

As prev poster mentioned, most women still have 6 month 'bump' (extrenely wobbly) immediately post labour. It does not go down instantly unless you are very lucky.

After natural birth and few minor stiches I was incredibly sore and wobbly and could not have managed the phaff of pyjama bottoms. Bending over is hard.

Baby came out mid evening, so by time showered and back on ward I was requested to stay the night and actually due to wait to get baby to see the doctor for health check, didn"t actually get discharged unntil 6pm next day. Yet my labour was normal and baby had no problems. Seemed like forever. Typical london hospital.

Pulled on stretchy maternity trousers to get home. My feet were very swollen and I couldn't get my shoes on. Thus is not unusual!!! It didn't go down for several days.

Another prev poster commented on baby sizes. My girl was 7lb 7 (3.4kg) so not small but new born size was massive and had to send hubby out for pack if tiny baby gros which she wore for several weeks! The average size is bigger now and if your baby is less than 8lbs new born might actually be too big!!!