Robes, towels and nightwear for hospital?

[superbean]

What will I need for a likely c-section (having twins?). Some of the advice under the hospital bag section talks about taking in your nice stuff so you have a bit of luxury, others talk about taking in the oldest/darkest colours you can find because of leaks etc. Not really that keen on buying new robes and towels in dark colours just for the birth but neither do I want my existing stuff (all white) covered in grim stuff. Also presumably with a c-section they will give me a hospital robe? Sorry if this sounds like over planning but really just want to have everything I need ready to go...

For the section they will put you in hospital gown, but when I was in recovery, they wanted me to have a top they could put on me. The ideal item is a button down top that is waist length, ideally in cotton and not long sleeved.

Cotton and short sleeved because you may be baking after delivering the bubs. Waist length because there will be lochia etc and it is easier for the nurses to look after you if you are naked waist down. And button down so easy to do skin to skin and bfeeding.

IMO - everything you take in should be loose, natural fibres, short sleeved.
And I wouldnt take any of my 'luxury' stuff in. I bought a pack of these for the first few days last time. And have bought a pack again.

nightdresses

Once you are mobile and feel a little more settled, then maybe switch to your nicer stuff, but I wouldnt straightaway.

HTH

Oh, and it possible to do luxury - take some nice toiletries in (just make sure they arent heavily scented).

MistletoeK- you get all over th place with your advice! LOL xx

I would also not o for white and also go for easy access and very loose, go for a dark colour just in case of accidents spills or leaks!
nightdresses are ideal they are long and cover everything very mumsy but that the look your goin for so hey alls well!

Oh dont do what i did. I bought two black towels and even tho i did wash them before i went in when i got out the bath and dried myself i was covered from head to toe in black fluff. I had to shout a midwife who looked a little shocked at the black fluffy woman asking if they had any spare towels.

This time i have taken luxury products and a really old towel to throw in the incinerator bin (they have them in your room) for after the bath.

i think you can wear the hospital robes after your section if u dont have ur own stuff but they are open at the back and not the most comfortable of things.

you will need some big comfy nickers that come up to somewhere near your armpits haha, well as long as they come up above ur scar.

i got a pack of 2 nighties from asda that are like big tshirts one is brown and one is light blue, they arent that bad. i have seen some more recently that are black with little pink flowers on and have buttons on the front. dont take your white stuff in but u dont need to spend a fortune if its only for the hospital. you could take ur dressing gown and slippers and ur fave shampoo and soap etc.

in my hospital bag ive got pink pjamas and ive put pink nighties in a bag for my mum to bring in incase of an emergency section, you dont have to have the dark colours all the time im only wearing the brown one for the labour. good luck to you xx

I didn't have a section but I did take my own dressing gown for at least numbers 2 and 3. I was often freezing after giving birth and it was nice to be cosy. I have dark red towels so took those but don't worry about buying specially. My dressing gown was cream and it survived!

If I was expecting another section I would take maternity PJs with dark-ish bottoms for afterwards. That way you can just wear the top for some bits, but have nice comfy bottoms (with a high waist) to put on later and not too much worry about leaks etc. Ones that open at the front/top for feeding are good.

Last time I had a nightie with a button front, but after the CS had to wear horrible compression stocking things, and (TMI sorry) they got all yucky and I wasn't allowed to take them off or get a new pair, so wished I could hide them somehow, especially when visitors came in! But I happened to have some dark red towels so it was handy to be able to use those rather than white ones.

don't forget slippers (I forgot slippers, twice -you'd think I'd have remembered second time round)

I bought a nightie from Primark with buttons down the front in a larger size than usual - that was just fine.

I didn't take slippers but my Crocs (hospital showers - yeuch) which worked nicely.

I have some old towels which are conveniently brown and I used - they first shower is a bit, erm, messy I found as you are bleeding plus you can't bend over. So there was blood before and during, then while I spent 10 minutes trying to hook my pants up off the floor and get them on there was more blood - my towel had to go on the floor to mop it all up after it had dried me!! Did I do something wrong there?

I had an emergency c-section and hadn't (obviously) expected it so the pants I had packed for post-birth were nowhere near big enough - despite being pretty big. To remedy that I bought some M&S granny pants - stupidly comfortable and I admit to wearing them for longer than I really needed to

The only pair of slippers I have are my expensive ugg slippers - will they get trashed if I take them in??

What do people put on their feet when they are in labout. I don't fancy walking around in bare feet on hospital floors.

I'd buy some cheap flipflop type slippers from the supermarket, rather than take anything nice - the first time you get up after having the baby, you can' flood' a bit, and slippers will get it!

And for anyone having a c-section, get some cotton granny pants. Much nicer than the paper ones, and you need them to come up high so that they don;t cut into your scar.