Water birth - what do you wear?

[Craftycakey15]

Has anyone has a water birth before? I'm wondering if I need to get a cheap tankini top or bikini top to wear? My own don't fit now like most of my clothing.

Great, nothing it is I think!

I wore only a look of intense concentration

Vest top for me....don't know why not particularly shy just couldn't relax.

Had 2 and half (had to get out for delivery of baby no 1) water births with no pain relief they are the best.

With my youngest two I actually put my hands down & delivered them myself the midwife talked me through it the first time if you can plan to do this is the most lovely thing to be the first person to touch/hold your baby it just adds an even more special touch.

Don't get in the pool to soon it can relax you too much & slow everything down but it can also do the opposite as soon as I got in everytime I started to push.

Good luck

I thought I'd be too self conscious to be naked but couldn't have cared less in the end! I didn't even take anything with me to wear in the water with my second, just stripped off!

I was naked both times, but got into the pool quite late in the labour both times too so I wasn't sitting there for hours. It felt natural to be naked, like I was in a bath.

I wore a pregnancy tankini, my boobs were huge so I hated not having a bit of support.
I did only arrive at the birthing centre with enough time for the midwife to fill the pool though

I wore an old crop top style sports bra as didn't want to ruin anything and wanted to be comfy. It got pulled off in between pushes as really wanted skin to skin with baby in the water.

I wore a really cheap sports bra. My boobs are huge and would have really annoyed me and got in the way. I was in the pool about an hour or so and gave birth in the water. I'm hoping to don't he same again this time.

I took everything off, and yes it was very relaxing and I didn't care who saw what...

Yep nothing!

I just had the vest top I went in the hospital with.

Planned ahead and had loads of options. When it came to it, I was in such pain (back-to-back) I just jumped straight in with nothing on!

I bought a cheap stretchy vest dress from primark. I wore it under tops and over leggings when I was pregnant and then wore it in the birthing pool. It was fairly low cut so just pulled it down a bit for skin to skin contact with baby. Was comfortable, practical and so cheap you don't mind throwing it away afterwards

I wore a nightie, the same one I wore to give birth to DD1

I never got to a point where I didn't care what I was dressed in or who saw me naked so I was glad for the nightie I had on (not water birth) so I think the vest idea is a good one. Having it as an option doesn't mean you have to wear it so may as well have a plan!

I didn't wear anything. I was so far past giving a fuck. I also shit everywhere in the tub and dh had to get out the millions of teeny turds with the wine sediment sieve.

Amazon does these

Agree with everyone above who said wear nothing. It's far less restrictive and the midwives will not care at all.

I wore a tshirt crop-top bra (you know those "the one" type things sometimes called a sleep bra, and often cheap in hight street shops) mainly as I couldn't wait to get into the water and had it on anyway.
Pack a clean nursing bra for afterwards - dh had to go grab one from home.

It wasn't a nightmare and I didn't tear it off as some know it all posters who have clearly experienced everyone else's birth have declared.

If I'd had a normal length first phase I'd probably have used a primark bikini top.

Bummy I did that too. He still moans like this was HIM suffering labour! It's a turd ffs.

what about a sleep bra ? thts what i wear in labour, not the type that has straps u do up at th back, but a soft material one u can yank over ur head and whip off when baby is born for more skin to skin contact :)

I had planned a swimming top (tankini type) but the labour was quick so I ended up just stripping off and going in the water.
Tbh, whether I was naked or not was the last thing in mind!

Bummy me too. The MW tried to 'clean it all' but soon gave up

I wore just a bikini top but ended up hating the pool so had to give birth in a stupid string bikini top....so I would go with nothing or if you are feeling a bit shy, maybe a vest top! But in the end you don't give a shit what you look like

I was naked and loved it. It was just like being in a deep bath. With the low lighting and the midwife not being too intrusive, it didn't bother me. It was lovely just lifting up my baby onto my naked skin. Do whatever you feel comfortable with

I forgot to pack anything so I went in in a hospital gown, horrible, terrible decision! It dragged in the water and irritated me so I threw it off and just stayed naked.

Definitely if you choose to wear something, make it skintight, designed for water, and not floaty.