What to wear in labour?

izzlesnizzle · Apr 1st, 2012, 14:27 PM

Having never been in labour before and avoiding watching OBEM, what do you wear to labour in and how many changes of clothes, assuming its going to be a long ish labour?

Is it better to have a buttoned down nightie/top so baby can easily get skin to skin once born?

v2007 · Apr 1st, 2012, 14:34 PM

I wore a long nightie and I was fine.

Even after my waters went it was still dry.

V xxx

embojet · Apr 1st, 2012, 14:51 PM

Iwould say a nightie would be the best bet, but I was wearing a tshirt and jogging bottoms as I turned up to hospital at 10cm and started pushing before I had a chance to get my bag form the car to change!

holly2234 · Apr 1st, 2012, 15:52 PM

I got to hospital at 10cm too so i basically took off what i was wearing and had a top and bra on. But i took the top off because i was too hot. Then the bra got covered in blood when LO was handed to me so i was naked at some point before going for a shower.

You should be ok with a nightie or possibly shorts and t-shirt and just take off the shorts when its time to push. Hospitals are hot! Its even worse in labour.

Bats11 · Apr 1st, 2012, 20:16 PM

When going to the hospital with my first two it was summer so I had a wrap around dress on nice and easy, once I was in the actual birthing room, I went straight into the bath so I was completely naked anyway, this time its going to be winter so Im really not sure, havent thought about it, any suggestions??

Laucu · Apr 2nd, 2012, 03:14 AM

I had a water birth with my first and was nude - didn't even occur to me to wear something, I was just so glad to get my clothes off!!

If I don't get the pool this time round then I may go nude again, but I have packed a cheap t-shirt just in case. Not sure how that is going to work for skin-to-skin though.... may also pack a cheap vest!

Tacey · Apr 2nd, 2012, 05:26 AM

I like to wear comfy day clothes rather than a nightie. if I wore a nightie, I think I'd be psychologically more inclined to get in bed, and I'll be avoiding that like the plague!

If I'm out of the pool, probably yoga trousers and a loose top. In the pool, I doubt I'll wear anything.

stardust599 · Apr 2nd, 2012, 06:03 AM

Well I was induced so turned up in my normal outfits (maternity jeans and a plain t-shirt and cardigan) but once I got into early active labour I was REALLY uncomfortable in my jeans and sent OH out to buy me jogging bottoms and a vest as I wasn't ready to put my nightie on.

I put a nightie once my waters had broken and took it off as soon as LO was born as it was soaked and bloody!

I had packed 2 spare nighties for afterwards but I hated wandering around half naked in a nightie and my Mum had to buy me 2 nice pairs of pyjamas (with buttons for breastfeeding) so I felt a bit more comfortable and up to visitors xx

cupcakemomma · Apr 2nd, 2012, 15:04 PM

IDK if you're planning on giving birth at a hospital or not, but I just wore the hospital gown. Last thing I wanted was to take home dirty laundry! I got so messy, and had to change the gown 4 times during my less-than-48-hour stay. The ones at my hospital had slits that could open in the front, for nursing and skin to skin contact.

princess2406 · Apr 4th, 2012, 06:48 AM

I was in my pyjamas when I went into labour (I was already at the hospital and waiting to be induced but naturally went into labour myself before they had chance!) Like jogging bottom style and a vest top, my bottoms came off as soon as I got onto labour ward when I was 4cm so I was just in my pants and vest top. I left my vest top on whilst giving birth and this was fine still managed skin to skin he just slid under my top x

Apr 1st, 2012, 14:27 PM	#1
izzlesnizzle Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: UK Posts: 1,410	What to wear in labour? Having never been in labour before and avoiding watching OBEM, what do you wear to labour in and how many changes of clothes, assuming its going to be a long ish labour? Is it better to have a buttoned down nightie/top so baby can easily get skin to skin once born?

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Apr 1st, 2012, 14:34 PM	#2
v2007 Mum (Mom) BnB Spammer Elite Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 29,371	I wore a long nightie and I was fine. Even after my waters went it was still dry. V xxx

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Apr 1st, 2012, 14:51 PM	#3
embojet Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Portsmouth Posts: 4,536	Iwould say a nightie would be the best bet, but I was wearing a tshirt and jogging bottoms as I turned up to hospital at 10cm and started pushing before I had a chance to get my bag form the car to change!

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Apr 1st, 2012, 15:52 PM	#4
holly2234 Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: New York Posts: 5,604	I got to hospital at 10cm too so i basically took off what i was wearing and had a top and bra on. But i took the top off because i was too hot. Then the bra got covered in blood when LO was handed to me so i was naked at some point before going for a shower. You should be ok with a nightie or possibly shorts and t-shirt and just take off the shorts when its time to push. Hospitals are hot! Its even worse in labour.

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Apr 1st, 2012, 20:16 PM	#5
Bats11 Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 920	When going to the hospital with my first two it was summer so I had a wrap around dress on nice and easy, once I was in the actual birthing room, I went straight into the bath so I was completely naked anyway, this time its going to be winter so Im really not sure, havent thought about it, any suggestions??

Status: Offline

Apr 2nd, 2012, 03:14 AM	#6
Laucu Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: UK Posts: 1,089	I had a water birth with my first and was nude - didn't even occur to me to wear something, I was just so glad to get my clothes off!! If I don't get the pool this time round then I may go nude again, but I have packed a cheap t-shirt just in case. Not sure how that is going to work for skin-to-skin though.... may also pack a cheap vest!

Status: Offline

Apr 2nd, 2012, 05:26 AM	#7
Tacey Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: May 2008 Location: Warwickshire Posts: 5,963	I like to wear comfy day clothes rather than a nightie. if I wore a nightie, I think I'd be psychologically more inclined to get in bed, and I'll be avoiding that like the plague! If I'm out of the pool, probably yoga trousers and a loose top. In the pool, I doubt I'll wear anything.

Status: Offline

Apr 2nd, 2012, 06:03 AM	#8
stardust599 Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: UK Posts: 6,200	Well I was induced so turned up in my normal outfits (maternity jeans and a plain t-shirt and cardigan) but once I got into early active labour I was REALLY uncomfortable in my jeans and sent OH out to buy me jogging bottoms and a vest as I wasn't ready to put my nightie on. I put a nightie once my waters had broken and took it off as soon as LO was born as it was soaked and bloody! I had packed 2 spare nighties for afterwards but I hated wandering around half naked in a nightie and my Mum had to buy me 2 nice pairs of pyjamas (with buttons for breastfeeding) so I felt a bit more comfortable and up to visitors xx

Status: Offline

Apr 2nd, 2012, 15:04 PM	#9
cupcakemomma Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 789	IDK if you're planning on giving birth at a hospital or not, but I just wore the hospital gown. Last thing I wanted was to take home dirty laundry! I got so messy, and had to change the gown 4 times during my less-than-48-hour stay. The ones at my hospital had slits that could open in the front, for nursing and skin to skin contact.

Status: Offline

Apr 4th, 2012, 06:48 AM	#10
princess2406 Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South Yorkshire Posts: 2,031	I was in my pyjamas when I went into labour (I was already at the hospital and waiting to be induced but naturally went into labour myself before they had chance!) Like jogging bottom style and a vest top, my bottoms came off as soon as I got onto labour ward when I was 4cm so I was just in my pants and vest top. I left my vest top on whilst giving birth and this was fine still managed skin to skin he just slid under my top x

Status: Offline

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