What tops to wear immediately post partum?

[Catlady2202]

I’m trying to pack my hospital bag but also buy a few cheap purchases for the immediate weeks after birth. I’m thinking leggings and a T shirt (baby born early march). I haven’t felt my usual ‘fashionable’ self in 9 months and I’m so huge that I’m really just rotating and washing one pair of leggings and two jumpers at the mo. But I want to feel a little more ‘put together’ PP with a few fresh tops - even just plain but so I can feel ‘fresh’.

I was a size 6/8 pre pregnancy… I dread to think what I’ll be PP but some of these nursing tops I see from H&M or Seraphine or Vinted definitely look like they’d fit my pre pregnancy size but that means I’d doubt they’d fit post partum.

so should I just buy a load of baggy tops - maybe a size 12 for the first few weeks and then see where I land?

in regards to birth outfits - I’d imagine I’d want to give birth in a hospital gown so not to ruin anything but I’m wondering whether I should get maternity pyjamas OR just oversized pyjamas? I currently have neither because I’m so hot in the night I just sleep naked (which I don’t think I’ll want to do in the hospital!)

thanks so much

Re hospital pjs: I brought 2 cheap button down nightgowns. I didn't see anyone in a hospital gown... unless you know you're having a c-section?

I used one for labour and one after I got washed up. They didn't get destroyed at all tbh and I had a petty tough labour. You'll hopefully be doing a lot of walking around and bouncing on balls etc so I'm not sure a hospital gown would be overly comfortable?

Post partum I breastfed and bought a few nursing tshirts from Shein in my normal size (but I didn't have a lot of extra weight during that pregnancy so maybe size up if you want). I bought cheap ones in a few different colours and wore them with lounge pants, leggings or tracksuits. After about 2 weeks I was able to wear stretch jeans again too.

Just a few cardigans then to layer up when needed... bug again I was breastfeeding so wanted quick access. If not feeding normal jumpers / tips should be relatively OK.

Hello,

I would say just baggy cotton airy tops that are useful so that you can wear in the house but can also layer with a jumper for outside. For the hospital I laboured in a very casual cotton dress (like a long oversized tshirt) and used a button nightie after given birth (just a size bigger than my usual not maternity).

I hope this helps.

I bought multiple pairs of black button down pjs from primark. I reccomend black or a dark colour as you can will mostly likely be bleeding afterwards so black is more forgiving. You don’t mention if you’re formula feeding or planning to breastfeed but as I breastfed I just brought lots of flowy button down tops. It saved me having to pull tops up every hour or so! Good luck

Thank you! Yes breastfeeding so definitely considering button down / nursing tops x

Things won’t get ruined giving birth, blood etc wash out really easily in cold water, it’s hot water that makes it stain.

Vest tops and string tops a size or two up from normal might be a good idea when you’re too warm for a T-shirt or are breastfeeding and want to do the one top up one top down method for accessing boobs.

For hospital I bought a few large primark nighties (hospital gowns are not dignified if you want to walk up and down). I actually had one cut off me (due to itu stay) but it didn't matter because they were big and cheap. I also found that a button up front nightie was good when I had IV lines in. I was in maternity wear for about a week after dc1 and 2 weeks after dt, after that loose fitting tshirts, a cardigan that has wings (good for discreet breastfeeding), loose cotton trousers or leggings (I had spring/summer babies). With colours remember at times you may have leaky breasts or vomiting baby so white and black i found were the worst. Dark bottoms as bleeding may be an issue. Also you may sweat alot (its normal) but basically your body will be getting rid of a lot of excess fluid so something thats breathable.

I naively thought I'd be able to go back into old tshirts and was very caught out by just how big my breasts got once my milk came in!

A good tip I was given was to stay in PJs at home for the first couple of weeks. People look after you better if you're in PJs. I had a couple of "nice" sets on rotation, I didn't stay in my sleep wear all day.

For hospital, you need a night dress or night shirt. I had a catheter bag and couldn't wear the PJ bottoms I'd taken. Walking around in a PJ top and knickers with huge post partum sanitary towel was not nice.

On that front, how ever much bleeding you think there'll be in the first few day, there'll be more. Dark clothes and plenty of towels!

I wouldn't plan to give birth in a hospital gown, they're huge and sweaty! You'd likely be much more comfortable in your own clothes. I gave birth in a sports bra, absolutely didn't want any more clothes than needed as you get so hot, and you need to be able to move freely. Earlier in labour I wore a baggy t shirt and pants over the top