Comfortable clothing during labor/birth

[rachie]

I'm guessing the most comfortable outfit to be worn by many laboring/birthing women would be their own skin and nothing else. However - some ladies are more "shy" in the presence of even a midwife, doula, family or friend present during the process and prefer to wear something on some part(s) of them. For example: pictures I pull up of water births often the mother is wearing a bathing suit top or workout bra. Others wear these skirt type things to birth in. Those in the hospital are often required to wear a hospital gown.

With my last birth I did the bikini top during the water birth. It wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be but I'll tell you it was WAY better than wearing a gown (I couldn't stand that!) in the hospital with the previous birth.

What's your experience?

[Belle]

I thought I would be modest during my births. Boy was I surprised when I got to the hospital with my first and jumped into the tub nude. I got out when I was 9.5cm and my dh offered me something to wear and I declined it. I was much more comfortable in the buff. I think I made some hospital staff uncomfortable by my nuditiy. (Good, they made me miserable by trying to ask my questions during transition contractions)

For my second birth (at home) I knew that I'd be naked birthing. I warned the midwives about it and they didn't think it was that big a deal. I also warned my MIL.

[rachie]

Midwives

I think most midwives are used to natural birthing moms (especially when in their own home) being in the nude. I don't think it usually bothers them. While hospital staff is used to seeing parts and pieces here and there - it's rare that a patient declines the entire gown and they have to deal with a patient fully unclothed so I would think some of them are more likely to be outside their comfort zone.

I think my midwife is just fine with whatever the mother is more comfortable with. It is a big difference - during home-birth and birth-center births (rarely in hospitals) I think it is a much more accepted practice to "allow" the laboring woman to be as comfortable as possible.

I just remember feeling absolutely trapped during my hospital birth with IVs and belts hooked to me and that horrible gown - my husband told me later that I complained about the gown the entire labor. I also drove the nurses crazy because I refused to continually wear the blood-pressure cuff which was hurting my arm. Gives me the shivers just thinking about it - oh and it was COLD too!

Anyways - I am considering wearing (if I feel comfortable enough in it) some type of skirt thing this next birth but am not sure if it would "get in the way" if the midwife needs to check me or help in delivering the baby. I would totally go nude all the way except I want my two children present for the birth and I would personally feel more comfortable at least clothed on top (the water blurs everything below so I may not end up wearing anything anyways).

[Astraia]

I thought I'd be totally nude for labour (it was a hombirth at MIL's house). I'm not terribly modest, I find clothing annoying on the best of days, and really thought I'd "let go" during birthing.

Nope. I kept my pants on until I wanted to try MIL's bathtub. When I got out of the tub I put my shirt back on but didn't bother with anything else, though I had them cover my bum with a towel when my mom and sister arrived until I got to the pushing stage. I really wished I was still wearing pants.

Obviously pants would be kinda... well... stupid, but I think a skirt would be ideal because you can just flip it up over your bum/belly for checks or baby catching or what have you.

This time I'm considering buying some cheapo nightgown from some where. Not sure though if I care enough.

[sweetpea_119]

Last time I wore a huge robe that I bought long ago with my first pregnancy as it was the only robe that even pretended to cover me...then I just wore panties & a bra with it until the pantied needed to come off in/after transition. I ended up feeling like I was burning hot & took off the robe so that I ended up just wearing the nursing bra. If I'd been more "with the program" that bra would've been gone, too! I was HOT! LOL!

This time I'm expecting to wear essentially the same stuff...we'll see how it goes

[MegBoz]

DS was born in a hospital, but it was VERY important to me to not wear a gown. I've had 2 surgeries under general anesthesia, so of course I've worn gowns before. They are for sick people undergoing medical procedures! Not for healthy women who just "have job to do." (How I viewed giving birth.) Wearing the gown would have been emotionally symbolic to me, making me feel like a sick medical "patient."

I asked one of my MWs (CNMs) if they'd have a problem with me foregoing the gown (although woulda done it anyway!) and she said, "Sure, just so you know you'll probably have to trash it."

I ended up wearing a really big Microsoft t-shirt DH got free somewhere. I joke it is part of DS' legacy of high-tech geeky heritage! Turned out I only got one tiny stain on the back shoulder, of all places, so I can still wear it. It's a treasured memento now.

I recommend the baggy T-shirt on land & very baggy cotton shorts, although it was a hot July day. I spend much of my labor at home in our in-ground pool & wore a bikini top & maternity bikini bottoms (like a 'boy short' bottom). That was comfy too.
I'm not a fan of underwear ever so I wore the cotton shorts without them. Since they were baggy, a MW could have easily reached up the leg hole to do a VE. (Although I don't recommend regular VEs in labor anyway, so I wouldn't weigh that heavily in my clothing decision.)

[*MamaJen*]

In homebirths I think it's really common to instinctively strip naked. Dunno why, I just know that I felt a really strong need to get all the constrictive clothes off.

[snoopy5386]

I wore an old nightgown - nothing on the bottom but my water had broken so there was no point. I've got the same nightgown in the drawer ready for birth #2. I've also got some tank tops for the birthing pool.

[JayJay]

I'm giving birth in a hospital, but instead of the gown, I'm wearing a sarong I've cleared it with everyone and they're fine with it - it's important to me not to wear the gown either!

[Chamomile Girl]

I wore an old hemp skirt and a bra. I had to wear underwear because I was loosing my plug and my fluid at the same time and it was reeeeealy messy. The cool part is that all the blood washed out of my skirt and I can still wear it!

[Friday13th]

I spent an enormous amount of time and a fair amount of money buying clothes to bring to the hospital when I had DS because I wanted options other than the gown. As it turns out I stripped completely naked as soon as I got in the room, to the horror of the nurse and stayed that way pretty much until they wheeled me off for the csection and threw a gown over me.

This time I might invest in a summer weight robe and/or a sarong with one of my nursing tanks for after the birth. I assume I'll be naked during labor and delivery.

[leavemealone]

I've labored overnight with all three of my kids. With the first, I was in the hospital and wore the gown. With my second, I was still at home and wore a cotton nightgown, changed into comfy clothes for the drive to the hospital, then back into my cotton nightgown until I chose to get an epidural and then I changed into their gown. It sounds like a lot of changing, but it took place over about 13 hours so it really wasn't a lot of back and forth into different clothes. With my third, I labored at home in the same cotton nightgown until I got into the tub and then I put on a simple bikini top with no bottoms. I left that one until I was pushing and then I took it off. I'd gotten out of the tub and the wet top was annoying so I took it off. I did end up with some towels to cover me up, but I don't know if I asked for them b/c I was cold or if I was modest - I really don't know.

I don't think anyone really would have cared what I wore wherever I was. The hospital really didn't care that I was wearing my own gown. I am not sure why I put their gown on, other than for the access for the epidural. It really didn't matter to me what I wore in the hospital.

[liberal_chick]

I wore a pair of black yoga pants and a pink cotton (fitted) t-shirt for most of my labor b/c that is what I had worn during the day (long labor, about 30 hours). When it got tough enough for me to get in the pool, I wore a nursing bra, tank top, and some maternity swim bottoms. The bottoms came off when I started feeling pushy in the pool and I eventually moved to the bed and took the tank top off b/c it was cold. I was only wearing the nursing bra when ds was born.

[Tizzy]

For most of my labor I wore a nice long flowy skirt that didn't hinder my movement and a large tee-shirt. I got the chills during transition so DH gave me my housecoat and I just wore that during the rest of the events. It was easy to tuck up out of the way, kept me comfortable, as covered as I wanted and provided easy access for skin to skin contact afterwards.

[dcladylaw]

I have a Binsi skirt and for the top I plan to use a swim top or tank top. I m having a hospital birth with a midwife.

[SallyN]

two hospital births. first one I didn't know any better and wore the gown (which was NOT compatible with skin-to-skin and breastfeeding... how dumb is that?)
second one I had a flowy stretchy-waist shin-length cotton skirt and a nursing tank... though I switched to a sleep nursing bra for the tub (skirt was off)... I would have been fine nude except I preferred having the bra hold the girls in a bit. the bra did get bloody when we were doing skin-to-skin afterwards... probably would have been better to just take it off before the snuggle time in the bed (with nice warm blankets around)

[ithappened]

I went totally nude, they offered me a hospital gown (I birthed at the hospital) but I couldn't stand anything on my body during birth, esp while in the water so I was naked and could of cared less to be honest

[laughingfox]

I don't remember what I wore for most of the the first day I was in labor with my DD, probably a flowy skirt and a baggy t-shirt, since that's what I usually wore when I was pregnant with her.
After that, I started out in a cotton crop top in the pool, but it was quickly thrown off, because wet cotton is not comfortable to wear.
I was naked the next day, and still naked when she was born.
It was August and I had no air conditioning, so naked was a good way to be.

With this one, I'm planning on wearing a wrap skirt and tank top during earlier labor,with an overshirt/jacket/sweater if I need it (since I plan on walking outside). I don't know if I'll still be wearing anything when I get further along, or during the pushing stage. I guess I'll have to wait and see if I feel like being naked.. and what the temperature is like on the day this one's born.

I think I might call my back-up hospital and see what their policies are on clothing during labor. If they require a gown, I'll see if I can make my own to keep on hand just in case.

[JorgieGirl]

I homebirthed. Laboured in a bikini top and boxer shorts. Once in the tub, just the bikini top. Once babe was born, I tore it off to nurse her. I'm not really concerned about being modest pregnant, labouring or not. I just wore what I felt most comfortable in at the time.

[jecombs]

Got to the hospital and was wearing shorts and one of DH's tee shirts. Took off the shorts so the triage nurse could do a vag exam. I was 8 cm and in transition. There was no way they were getting me into a gown. I don't think they even asked me to put it on. DD was born with me wearing DH's tee shirt. We both treasure that shirt now!

This time around I am planning a water birth and want to wear a nylon tank top. I figure that way I won't feel too "water logged" and I'll have easy access for BFing after the birth.