Birthing clothes

[stumpyjoe]

I have thought long and hard about what I'm going to wear when I'm in the throws of labour. I find it very frustrating when people say to me 'when your in labour you'll not care what your wearing'. This is not a fashion problem. This os my first pregnancy and i know that all of my dignity will go out of the window but i can't help the niggling feelings and worries that i have. Anyway, I've got some simple requirements that i want for my birthing outfit and they are:
- ideally I'd like it to be dark so that any blood or other bodily fluids that get on it won't stand out as much and freak me out and hopefully won't stain so that if I get pregnant again I can wear it again,
- I'd like it to be quite long so that it covers my hips/bum prior to the big push and just after(the poor docs/midwife don't need to see that for any longer than necessary ha ha),
- it needs to be able to be opened down the front in some way so that I can have skin to skin contact with the baby without being completely naked - I just don't like the idea of being completely naked for that bit

Now I think these are perfectly normal requirement buts I have spent weeks looking in shops and on line and I've only managed to find two things which are suitable
And they are both quite pricey
(£45 and about).
I'm thinking of getting the black womama birthing wrap as it looks perfect. But I just can't believe that this is the only real suitable birthing outfit. It makes me wanna set up my own business selling a range of shirts and button up nighties for women to give birth in.
Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[kellylou]

I just bought a red nightie from matalan for £5 it has buttons down the front and falls just above the knee so perfect and can go in the bin if it gets ruined! I have another one tho that I plan to wear for labour which is just a long nightshirt no buttons on it tho

 

[Lacey's Mummy]

I brought a nightie but ended up giving birth naked! Lol

 

[megsmeadow]

yup I bought a matalan nighty too and gave birth in a t-shirt i had been wearing all day, and just had pj bottoms on prior to the big push. My top came off when bubs arrived for skin to skin and I had a hospital sheet for a bit of dignity.

 

[amyjayne77]

Yea, I ended up wearing PJ's to the hospital and just took off the bottoms to give birth, then I could get them on again afterwards. Also maternity pj's have an opening at the top for feeding, so I popped baby in there for skin to skin.

I also wanted the womama wrap, but just wouldn't get something so nice to bleed all over. Shame it's so expensive, though it does look pretty ideal.

 

[JJ Mum]

I'm not having a natural birth , but got a long dark blue nightie from Primark for a few quid for after my section when op robe comes off , as wanted black or navy as wanted to not worry about sitting in bed that day and ending up bleeding on it and getting paranoid checking!

I know what you mean tho, if it makes you feel nice, you feel more prepared etc

 

[Mervs Mum]

I dont think it's fair for people to poo poo you wanting to plan what you want to wear - you need to feel relaxed and comfortable and this is a particular issue for you. Your dignity DOES NOT have to go out of the window when you give birth and anyone who feels they've had their dignity stripped from them should be very angry! I'd NEVER allow that to happen to me OR a client.....makes my blood boil!!

That said, I dont think there would be that much call for specific labour attire. Primark do lovely cheap button nighties. When you are giving birth, if you have your outfit on at the time the baby is born they can just lift it up further to put the baby on to you - you're unlikely to think about or want to be unbuttoning your shirt just at that special moment. The buttons will be helpful for feeding and there really isnt always this huge blood bath people imagine. I have the nightie I gave birth in and it's white with coloured dots on it and I still sleep in it now - there's nothing on there xx

 

[shootingstar22]

I have thought long and hard about what I'm going to wear when I'm in the throws of labour. I find it very frustrating when people say to me 'when your in labour you'll not care what your wearing'. This is not a fashion problem. This os my first pregnancy and i know that all of my dignity will go out of the window but i can't help the niggling feelings and worries that i have. Anyway, I've got some simple requirements that i want for my birthing outfit and they are:
- ideally I'd like it to be dark so that any blood or other bodily fluids that get on it won't stand out as much and freak me out and hopefully won't stain so that if I get pregnant again I can wear it again,
- I'd like it to be quite long so that it covers my hips/bum prior to the big push and just after(the poor docs/midwife don't need to see that for any longer than necessary ha ha),
- it needs to be able to be opened down the front in some way so that I can have skin to skin contact with the baby without being completely naked - I just don't like the idea of being completely naked for that bit

Now I think these are perfectly normal requirement buts I have spent weeks looking in shops and on line and I've only managed to find two things which are suitable
And they are both quite pricey
(£45 and about).

I'm thinking of getting the black womama birthing wrap as it looks perfect. But I just can't
believe that this is the only real suitable birthing outfit. It makes me wanna set up my own business selling a range of shirts and button up nighties for women to give birth in.
Has anyone else had this problem?

I got a long lumberjack type shirt from tesco for £10. It's a nightshirt/nightie and they have it in loads if colours. It's long enough that it covers my bum and thighs plus it buttons all the way down.

 

[x.Lilly.x]

with my son I had the same thoughts.
But honestly when it comes to it you dont care lol
I ended up in trackie bottoms and a really baggy t shirt up until the last few stages, when I had him. not sure how tbh as I was so high on drugs but I think i just pulled my top down to my waste to have skin to skin contct and wrapped the hospital sheet over both of us
xx

 

[xxbeckyxx]

I've got a really old big t-shirt to wear and I think I might cut the top with scissors to make a V that I can rip bigger for skin to skin if I want to. I don't like the idea of sitting there naked...I know I probs won't care at the time but knowing my luck OH will be standing by with the camera!

 

[stumpyjoe]

Im gonna have a look in matalan. I honestly have no old t shirts and certainly no t shirts that will be big enough. We don't have a lot of storage space so we have to constantly throw out old stuff that we don't wear to make room for any new I'm kicking myself a little bit because I threw out some perfect tops just before I got pregnant. I've had another look at the wrap and I think it'll be ok to wear at other times too like with jeans and as a nighty so I've bought it. I hope it's ok!

 

[AugustMum]

I ended up in a sports bra and a normal tshirt with the biggest pants on you could imagine to waddle round in. I didnt expect labour to be so quick so was taken offgaurd. It was amusing watching the midwives try and work out how to get them off for skin to skin after my section lol.

I cant even remember what I wanted to wear during labour. :S But I know it wasnt what I ended up in lol. I think best thing to do, is when you start getting those first contractions, shove on the top you want to wear, dont wait until your in full labour as you wont care at that point.

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

i wore some dark jogging bottoms into the hospital (i'm wearing them right now actually!) and a big white t-shirt, i think they were about £1.50 for 2 in tesco - they were mens value ones! i planned on wearing a big nighty, like the old granny style ones from m&s but ended up completely naked, i also got a big tshirt style one and a strappy one xx

 

[Annie050408]

Asda do some fab dresses which are strappy, stretchy and sinch in just under the bust like a sundress and I wore one of those-sooo comfortable - there is a pic of isobel84 in a black version in the 3rd tri bumpy pics although can't remember what page.

 

[flexilexi394]

I bought 2 nighties from primark that will do, buttons down the middle and knee length. Ideally I want a water birth so will just keep my bra on, I wear nursing bras anyway, so when I'm in the pool it will be skin to skin then at some point I'd locket try and feed her so I can just unclip the bra to feed! Whether this will actually happen, I do not know. Lol. X

 

[megsmeadow]

I think the womama wrap looks lush. I think Rosie's mummy got one too. It's obviously something we've all thought about when packing our hospital bags and writing our birthing plans even if that's not what we ended up wearing. Even if you decide not to wear it during the birth I think it'll be lovely for afterwards for comfort and access.

 

[rainbow dancer]

im gonna go and buy some cheap nighties with buttons down the front cheap and cheerfull and can be thrown away afterwards if it needs to be xx

 

[Countrybumpkin]

I have just brought a cheap mens large polo shirt, never thought about buttons, but what about mens shirt from a super store where they will be a cheaper, try it on and make sure it comes long enough for you. Might go and do the same now i have thought about it .

 

[rbryan0205]

ive got 2 pairs of pjs leggings for the bottoms and a strapppy top that i can slip my arm out of for skin to skin and also a really big shirt tha comes down over my bum but has buttons all they way down depeneds on circumstances to wha i will wear xx

 

[x-misspinkuk-x]

im gonna go and buy some cheap nighties with buttons down the front cheap and cheerfull and can be thrown away afterwards if it needs to be xx

same as me hun. i will properly end up naked like last time any way lol xx