What were you wearing when...

[Night_Nurse]

I've wanted to know this for years. If you had your baby at home (water birth or non-waterbirth) or if you birthed at a birthing center, did you birth completely nude??? I did because it felt awful to have any clothes touching me in labor and I can't imagine wet clothes in the birthing pool. But almost every time I've seen home birth photos or videos, the mama is wearing either a bra or a shirt. I'm curious if I am in the minority having been topless at birth.

I'm assuming nobody wore pants during their birth, so that option was omitted in the poll.

Thanks!

[Italiamom]

I had my first in a freestanding birth center, and my second at home.  I chose 100% nude, birth center, because it was my first.  I would have been 100% nude with my homebirth, but the active labor/pushing part went so fast that I didn't even get a chance to get my tank top off.  I didn't want it on, but boy was it not on my mind at the time!  I was just clinging to the side of the tub...  There wasn't a moment to really take the darn thing off.  So yes, in my homebirth photos I am wearing a shirt.

[goldenwillow]

Home water birth here. 

I remember having my husband's t-shirt on for awhile when I got out of the tub.  When hard labor came on, the shirt was off!  We didn't take any pictures when I was laboring... all of ours were taken right after our son was born... naked. 

[Baby_Cakes]

For my first home birth I wore a tank top.  For my 2nd home birth in the water I labored in shorts and a Tshirt until it was time to get in the tub.  Shorts came off, Tshirt came off, and I put on a bikini top I had bought just for the occasion.

[IdentityCrisisMama]

I had two homebirths - both were nude even the first which was a transfer.  I remember rolling into the ER with nothing but a untied sarong around me.  I can't imagine having clothes on during birth.  I assume a lot of people wear clothes so they feel more comfortable showing the photos.  To me, it seems like such a personal thing to share...why would you care if your breasts show but, OTOH, I also kind of get how you would feel like you can share the photos with more people if your'e covered.  

[stormborn]

Totally nude for both my home and hospital births. I get so HOT during labor that clothing was just not an option!

[HopefulJo]

I chose FSBC, nude.

I was laboring in the tub with a bathing suit top I bought for the occasion, wanted to get out to labor on land for a while, and didn't want to keep the wet clothes on, and I put a robe on instead. After transition, I wanted BACK IN THE TUB. I shed the robe and didn't want to mess with the still-wet bathing suit top. 'Naked' wasn't the plan, it just happened.

[ajcf]

I birthed my first baby in a hospital, completely nude, but I was wearing a night gown when I birthed my second baby at home, on my bed.  Ironic?

[amydidit]

First birth - FSBC - completely nude (in tub most of the time)

Second birth - Home (midwife) - Wore a long loose shirt

Third birth - Home (UC) - Wore sports bra through most of it (in tub a lot), but birthed completely nude

[~Adorkable~]

didn't get my home birth, but thought i would chime in, i had picked out a light loose slip that i felt yummy in and had it set aside I'm my mind for the beginning of labor and knew i would be naked once things got really rocking n rolling, needed up in a hospital and nothing changed. 

i will always cherish that little slip now, i spend a long day and night in it.

I will always cherish my naked body, i spend that amazing morning in just it, the best outfit in the world!

[Viola]

I chose nude for my home birth.  I was laboring in a night shirt, but I was using the shower for pain management, and it was so hard to dry off at the end because I was hitting transition, and I couldn't get the darn thing back on, and my hair was a dripping mess, so I just went and got on the bed and let the sheets soak it up.

[rainbow_mandala]

This post has been removed due to privacy reasons.

Edited by rainbow_mandala - 11/15/12 at 11:16pm

[josie423]

Three homebirths, two land and one water. With my first I was nude, second had a big loose T on, and my third (waterbirth) I was nude.

[HouseofPeace]

here's the rundown on birth clothing-

1.  birth center/hospital birth with skirt and shirt.  they didn't notice i had them on until i was about to push.  very annoying.  

2.  birth center/hospital transfer in march (there was a wheelchair ride across the street at 1am from birth center to hospital, so i had loads of warm blankets on for that part)- i don't remember at all what i was wearing.  

3.  homebirth- nude

4.  homebirth- favorite faded Gap maternity nightgown and bra- baby came too fast for me to get naked.  i couldn't rip my clothes off fast enough after she was born.  

[member234098]

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Edited by member234098 - 5/28/12 at 9:18pm

[jess in hawaii]

Hospital birth-hospital gown (I think)

Home birth- nude (was in and out of the tub for labor, midwife didn't do waterbirths)

Three home water births- nude, at least for the actual births (various stages of undress, towels, robes etc. for out of the water parts of labor)

Planning birth center birth for current one, due April/May- we'll see, I will probably take a few sarongs to wear in and out of the water.

[Katie8681]

I had a hospital birth and ended up totally nekked.  I started  out in a hospital gown, then got into the tub, got out when I had an urge to push.  I definitely could not be bothered with clothes!

[cat13]

I started out at home with a skirt and sports bra, walking around or on my yoga ball. Once I got into the tub I took everything off because I hate wearing wet clothes. Actually, I ended up having to find clothes to wear so I could go outside on my front steps to do some squats and walk the steps!  I ended up having to transfer to a hospital to deliver. They gave me a gown to wear, but it pissed me off so I just had it completely open. If I had the energy I would have taken it off completely. For me, it's more awkward to be half naked rather than fully naked.

[stellamia]

Birth one, homebirth in water, wore sports bra.

Birth two, hospital birth (fully Midwife attended), wore my own nightie.

Birth three, homebirth, wore long t-shirt.

I never fully lose my modesty so I wouldn't feel comfortable being fully naked (am I the only one who hates the word "nude"?). I think it's so cool and primal to be naked...but I just can't do it.

[mommamegan]

I had my first four in the hospital, and I was in a stupid gown. Yuck.

With my home water birth, I was in a swim suit top, but I took it off right when she was born. I don't think I'll wear anything this time.