What to wear

[Cranky Kitten]

I wore a hospital gown for DD - and was glad it was their stuff being covered in blood and muck not mine. Mind you, this was in a hospital that didn't really do skin to skin (and was 9 years ago) and I was a naive 21 year old.

This time I don't really care, I am suspecting it won't be that long before I'm starkers anyway.

[Traveller]

I wore a big baggy t-shirt, which was great for the bath as it got cold really fast and was like having a cool flannel on my shoulders and chest

However when I moved around the room to go to the loo it was uncomfortable so in the end I went with the naked look. My modest was gone by the time I stripped off anyway although I had a couple of spare t-shirts to change into if I had chosen not to be naked. I think a bikini top would be good for labouring in the bath too as it gives access for baby to be born, and doesn't get uncomfortable out of the water.

[~Hestia~]

I went in wearing one of those breastfeeding singlets that I lived in, one of my husband's tshirts, trackie pants. I went to hospital about 5am wintertime

I think the pants came off fairly quickly and I lost the undies when my waters broke which was about 15 hours into it I kept the tops on until DS was crowning, then the midwife took them off so I birthed him naked and had skin to skin straight away.

[Nelle]

As the others have said - you really won't care at the time, it'll be whatever works. I'm a pretty modest person, but clothes + me in labour do not seem to be compatible and I couldn't have cared less. I was focussed, eyes on the prize, and clothes were in the way. Definitely pack stuff or change in early labour - into things you think you'll labour comfortably in, and are easy to remove - a loose singlet top and loose elastic skirt for example - but you may find you ditch them pretty early on and don't think twice about it.

[Tegam]

i went to best and less i think and got one of those horrid HUGE size 20 or somthing nighties.... you know the ones with those dumb arse slogans on them? for DD1 i think it said, hug me! for DD2 it said, drama queen .........they didnt stay on for long!


you just would be shy! i promise!

[Khaleesi]

With M i planned on wearing a daggy t-shirt & pants, but i ended up wearing nothing as clothes just annoyed me & i was in the shower/bath most of the time.
With K i wore nothing but i did labour in the bath the entire time.

[Taryn]

This is a great thread! I have just been wondering about this lately!!

Oh the pink sparkly dress! I loved that story!! xox

[forshelby]

I packed a plethora of various nighties etc to wear whilst in labour. Unfortunately for me, my nasty MW insisted I wear the hospital gown. I wasn't given any choice. After about half an hour fumbling around and getting tangled up in the stupid thing I decided I might as well ditch it altogether as my whole booty was exposed anyway. Dignified, no?

I too am pretty shy about my body, and distinctly remember having a quick shower before they hooked me up to all the contraptions. (I was induced). The MW came in to let me know the Dr was there to see me (I can't remember why, what for, or who the heck he was.... lol) so I hopped out of the shower and there was the Dr, standing in the doorway. I said hello, and then realised I was naked. It actually wasn't as mortifying as I thought it would be.

I would think wearing your knickers until the crucial moment is kind of difficult to do though, with all the VE's etc going on. (if you allow it) I ended up with an epidural and a catheter though, so my undies were gone almost immediately anyway. During the first VE the MW broke my waters and I figured pants were pretty pointless by then. As were socks.

Immediately after the epidural kicked in, I felt instantly relieved, then suddenly realised I'd been naked the whole time. I proudly announced that this was the most number of people I'd ever been naked in front of. From what I can gather, a lot of ladies labour naked. Personally, I found it very liberating. After giving birth I'm a lot more comfortable with my body, and have no problem being seen naked.

So to summarize, take whatever you feel you might need- but be prepared for those needs to be totally different than what you expected. It can't hurt to have comfy clothes available, afterall.

[SammyRo]

With DD, I was in daggy trackies and one of DH's baggy tops when we arrived at the BC, but once the bath was full, I jumped in there, and with hopping between the bath, shower, toilet and bed, I stayed naked for the rest. I'm normally really body conscious, even stripping down to my bathers at the beach and pool is done at the last possible second, but I was comfy and in the zone, plus it was a dark room lol!
With DS, I think I was in pj's or maybe trackies but stripped off for the shower. As I was on an antenatal ward when my labour got going, I had to get out of the shower, DH managed to throw on the summer dress that I had been wearing when I was admitted and got my knickers on too so I had some dignity for the walk down to labour. By the time i got into the labour room, I barely had time to take my knickers off for a quick exam before I was pushing, but I did take the dress off once I was in bed and DS had been born for skin to skin.

Think about what you feel most comfortable in - do you prefer to wear something loose when you exercise or something more fitted. For me personally, I prefered to labour in something loose whilst we were at home and for the trip to hospy.

[Kirley64]

prior to labour and very start of labour i was in flanny pj' pants and a long sleeve pj shirt. then i went into the shower and was obviously starkers. put clothes back on to get tranfered to the birth suite (a dress i think with a crop top and undies underneath).
i was hooked up to a ctg so dress & undies came off and i was covered with a sheet for below and a blanket for up top however i got really hot and the blanket came off. just before bub was born my support person suggested and helped me take my bra thingy off.
I barely remember being conscious of what i was or wasn't wearing though. i had also packed a tog top cuz i did want a water birth. pack for everything then you have a choice i suppose. but you will probably be naked.

[kristi14]

I wore a maternity shirt and yoga pants in to hospital when i had #7, i spent most of my time in the shower (all 42mins of it lol) just wearing my bra as i was directing the shower head on my lower belly so my bra never got wet. After i had baby and went and had a shower i got dressed back into the clothes i had worn in there, they were so comfy.

I had been shopping and got myself some new pj's, shirts, undies and pants, so thats what i packed. Make sure the clothes you pack are comfy and you should be right

[trishalishous]

I was SO hot I ended up stripping nekkid. I was also in the bath and the water was the BEST pain relief!!

Id suggest a loose tshirt nighty and old knickers. You can leave them on for as long as you like, they will ask you to remove the knickers if you feel 'pushy'

Also write into your birth plan for limited examinations, as they might 'tell' you to keep your knickers off so they can 'just check' but anything is up to YOU!
Have a wonderful birth.

[SunnyRain]

My birth suite had a glorious eastern view of the pacific ocean, but the morning sun streaming in turned it into an oven. I also had mec-stained fluid gushing everywhere so I ended up in nothing but a bra. Labour is far from glamorous, but by that stage I didn't care any more.

I would definitely recommend a very light, loose, short granny nightie.

Sent from my Desire HD

[Taurean]

Like most of the girls, I started out clothed but ended up naked in no time!

I was wearing trackies and a long sleeved maternity top when I arrived at the hospital. I was in the shower, naked, within 30 minutes. My sister and DH did help me get dressed after the shower as I was a bit cool (rainy, cold day) but I only wore my top and knickers - inside out according to the photos

I went back in the shower at some stage so I was nude again then had an epi and ended up in a hossi gown without knickers this time. It was light weight and more comfy than I was expecting. When I started pushing, I stripped off yet again and stayed that way until DD arrived

What Tashy said is so true, you do tend to leave your modesty at the door when you're about to give birth. I'm no prude but it still amazes me how much more comfy I was, and how natural it felt to be nude in labour.

[nickle730]

Like Tegam, I wore one of those nighties that are like an oversized t-shirt in an large size so it was loose and comfy. Mine came from Big W and the dodgy slogan says 'Monkey's stole my underwear...'. Appropriate, as there was no point wearing knickers with the crowds wanting access to my 'gina. I wasn't comfortable nude though, I felt self-conscious and was pleased for my nightie, then just hitched it up to push and for skin on skin and BF'ing after delivery. I have worn the same nightie for all three of my deliveries and I treasure it.

[SunnyRain]

the dodgy slogan says 'Monkey's stole my underwear...'. Appropriate, as there was no point wearing knickers with the crowds wanting access to my 'gina.

Oh my god, that's gold!



Sent from my Desire HD

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

DD1 at home I had trackies on until my waters broke, they came off then I'm pretty sure I was just in a singlet or naked until the ambo's arrived.

DD2 I wore a flowy hippy dress and leggings, I cracked it when I couldn't get my leggings on after the shower, my waters broke, knickers came off and I birthed in my dress, was button ip so great for the first feed


Sent from my iPhone, more than likely while I should be doing something else!

[Arimeh]

DS and dd1 were c-sections so obviously I didn't get a say in what I was wearing there.

Dd2 I was in trackies I think? Trackies and a type o negative shirt. Got in the bath at the birth centre, the top started to swim around me so I chucked it off. Then I needed to poo so off went the undies, so I laboured mostly in my bra.

Dd3 I wore a nirvana tshirt and some teh pants - very comfy! Then I needed to poo so just kept my tshirt and bra on.

I would have felt too exposed being totally naked.