What to wear during labor?

[rachel65655]

I have not posted in this particular forum but am planning a homebirth for our twins this Dec/Jan. We will have a birth tub present from the middle of December and I want to have a water birth.

I have no idea what I should wear. I want to stay modest and mostly covered but I also want to nurse baby A right away while we wait for baby B. I really don't want to just have a bikini top or something like that on and my bottom completely bare, although obviously I know I can't wear pants/shorts, etc...

I think I remember seeing a site that sold tankini type birthing outfits and I have some swimsuit material and can sew; but I have no idea how to go about making something like that.

[moonglowmama]

You could sew a simple short skirt, maybe with a slit on one leg that will sit under your belly. And maybe for the top something like a bandeau top that has elastic both over and under the boobs, so you could pull it up/down to nurse, but would still feel covered. it could even have fabric that went down past the lower elastic to cover your belly if you want (though it would probably float in the water, which I can't stand, but may not bother others).

If it were me, I'd probably opt for a long tank top without any elastic and really soft fabric. That was my favorite thing for laboring, though when I was in the water I preferred to be nude.

[Youngfrankenstein]

Great question! I, like you, am very modest/shy and will be wearing a top for sure. I am thinking a nursing tank might be good. I don't plan on a birth tub but I may be in and out of the shower. I wonder if we should just have several things to wear for wet and dry. So maybe a nursing tank top or nursing sports bra?

[babymonster]

I will probably wear a thin stretchy tank in the water, and PJs over it the rest of the time (until crunch time obviously)

[Belle]

I am normally pretty modest too, but when in labor that all goes out the window. For both my daughters births I had planned some sort of laboring clothing and I was in the Buff both times. When it came time to labor I just felt more comfortable in my birthday suit.

[ErinsJuneBug]

I wore a string bikini top. It was pretty spur of the moment but worked out great.

[berrymama]

Originally Posted by Belle

I am normally pretty modest too, but when in labor that all goes out the window. For both my daughters births I had planned some sort of laboring clothing and I was in the Buff both times. When it came time to labor I just felt more comfortable in my birthday suit.

Me too. I am modest, but ended up being naked in the tub for labor and delivery, in front of my co-workers no less! (I work at the birthing center where I birthed). Sometimes I offer women in the tub a towel to lay over their chest for some privacy. The belly usually shields their bottom, unless they are on hands and knees of course...and then again, a towel can just be draped over their lower half and easily changed out if it gets soaked.

[rachel65655]

In addition to my hired midwife and her apprentice (who is her daughter) there are two other people who will be there; one a midwife friend and another a good friend from church who has home birthed 5 children and I think would be a great support person seeing this is my first home birth; that I see socially and I don't really want to be nude. I think it would make me so uncomfortable that it would hinder my labor.

I think that I am going to modify a swim suit pattern that I have and leave off the brief portion and just have the skirt part. A man's tank top would probably work well for nursing because of the bigger neck openings- I plan on staying in the tub until both babies are born - if possible.

[prancie]

you should prep some clothes to wear but don't be surprised if the last thing you care about in the world is someone seeing you naked. seriously, when the time comes i think the instincts lead us to being nude!

[gentlestrengths]

The only time I wasn't feeling modest was when the only people there were my husband and I.

I wore a bikini, top and bottom otherwise. I have never given birth IN the water. Even if I had, it would have been very simple to get the bottoms off when I wanted them off. I am more comfortable in the water with something on if there are people around. Anything that bothers me, really bothers me. And while I am not shy during an exam, or during birth....I am not really modest otherwise.

I am a student midwife, and I have been to plenty of births where the moms are completely naked for most of their labor and their birth. That is just not me. And I know that, so I don't try to be anyone different, and I wear the bikini, because it's easy to take off!

[onyxravnos]

my plan is to have a black bra and a tank top (two covering options) and then i think a sarong - easy to take on and off for the tub and of course easy to birth in just hike it up.

[fruitfulmomma]

You might have been thinking about these...

http://www.birthinbinsi.com/index.htm

They look really cool, but I never want clothes on by the time I would need them.

[joyousbirther]

I'll be wearing something called a Shower Hug to cover my chest during labor/delivery. It is made to go in the water, and also for wearing in place of a bra. It's for use during pregnancy and after, and I'm looking forward to having it for use in place of a bra (while at home) since it's so much softer and can catch milky leaks too.

I'm getting mine from mom4life.com (I've order from them before and they are always really nice and easy to work with, and offer free shipping on everything too!). I am getting this item custom made to fit me too, so they are willing to work with you on that.

Here's a link to this item incase anyone is interested. http://www.mom4life.com/catalog.php?item=806

[Vespertina]

I'm really wanting to have a waterbirth. I'm going to get a swim suit shirt if I do. I'd likely wear it anyway even if I didn't end up having a waterbirth. I'm going to wear a nursing tank. I'm on the fluffy side and tend to be pretty modest, so I do want to wear something.