What do you wear?? - Page 3

[calmom]

I have had 2 home waterbirths and both times, wore pajama shorts and shirts out of water and a bra top and undies in the water. With my last birth, I was so insistent about not taking off the underwear that my mw had to cut them off as the baby was coming out. I saved those underwear along with my unused birth kit too- kinda funny!

christie

[rubysmomjess]

I am super shy and modest. But When we got to the hospital and I was 10cm dialated ( I labored at home to the very last minute) my clothes were all off. At that point I think you're in a very "primal" state and I just wanted the clothes off and the baby out

[wildthing]

When I am sure I am in labor, I usually put on a very loose flowing night gown or dress, mostly so I can go walk around the neighborhood and get fresh air. But at some point in my labor, I take everything off. I can stand anything on my body at that point, and when that baby comes out, I want complete skin contact.

No offense to anyone who does wear clothes during birth, but after being completely naked for my last 4 births, it seems odd to me to see or hear about births where women wear clothes. Just my perspective, I guess.

[rad]

I usually start out with a robe. I tend to get in and out of my shower alot, so a robe makes for easy on/off. I do most of my laboring either in the shower (nudey) or in my robe walking around the house. But once it's time to push I strip down to nothing. It's just more comfy for me. I don't have to worry about my robe getting stained and it stays dry so I can put it on rsoon after. Plus, once the baby is out s/he can go right on my chest.

[nikirj]

My first two were hospital births. With the first, the hospital was almost as good as a dedicated birth center and the gowns were easy to work around, so I left it on. With the second, I wore the gown for precisely 5 minutes (while I got onto the bed and started pushing) and ripped it off when the baby came out. Nobody seemed to really notice.

My mom homebirthed all four of us and had one nightgown she used all those times. It buttoned all the way down. She actually still has it in her hope chest and offered it to me, which would have been totally cool but I wouldn't be comfortable in it, which is a primary concern in labor.

We have many very graphic pictures of our first two labors and will be sure to have many of this one as well. As we have a digital camera, nobody saw them but us and my mom. A few of the less graphic ones we forwarded around to other family members. The camera totally saved us the first time around because the mirror broke (talk about bad luck?) and I wouldn't have been able to see the head except that the camera swivelled and had an LCD display, so I saw it in the camera. But anyway...the pictures are totally great to have, and a digital camera insures that nobody sees them but you if that's what you want, which should be good for your DH.

[mamaroni]

I wondered about what I'd wear for my homebirth, too. I think there was even some discussion about it on the homebirthin' mamas thread a few months back.

My labor started after I had gone to bed, and I was wearing undies and a tank top. I kept this on (along with a robe I donned sometime in the night becuse I was cold) until toward the very end, when I removed the robe and the undies. I wore the tank the whole time (it was very loose fitting and pulled up easily when I needed it to).

For my first two births, I wore a hospital gown! I obsessed over what I'd wear those two times, too, and I just went with the gown and actually kind of liked it because it opened in the front facilitated skin on skin contact and bf'ing right away.

[amyamanda]

I always seem to rip off my clothes in labor. They are so uncomfortable for me. This last birth, I wore a loose terrycloth bathrobe when I labored outside because it was chilly, but most of the time I was naked in the birthtub. I can't imagine laboring clothed, LOL - and I'm too focused on labor to be self-conscious about it.

[oshunmama]

Oh nooooooo, I hate being dressed during labor! It's way too restrictive for me! If I get cold, I just throw on a blanket--I'll be hot in another 2 minutes anyway!!

Plus, I am so in and out of the shower that clothes would be WAY labor intensive (he he he)

[cinnamonamon]

Originally Posted by oshunmama

Oh nooooooo, I hate being dressed during labor! It's way too restrictive for me! If I get cold, I just throw on a blanket--I'll be hot in another 2 minutes anyway!!

Plus, I am so in and out of the shower that clothes would be WAY labor intensive (he he he)

[*LN*]

You know I don't even remember anything about clothes. I must have started off dressed (I remember I took a walk outside-I must have had clothes for that, it was winter). And I must have had clothes off by the end as babe was on by belly afterward. But the details between point A and B have totally dissolved in my memory.