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What to wear for home birth?

post #1 of 17
Thread Starter 
So I'm thinking too much about my home vbac water birth. I figured sports bra for a top but what do. I wear for the bottoms? Do you bleed/ leek constantly during early labor if your water has broken? Any recommendations for a labor ball? It will be somewhat of a full house during my home birth with our nanny or grandmother to watch my will be 1 year old son, home birth dr, midwife, midwife assistant, doula, and my husband of course. At the time I Might not care if I'm walking around naked in front of everyone but I tend to be semi modest so I want to be prepared.
post #2 of 17
I wore undies and pad on bottom until the very very end when I complete stripped and got in the pool. I didn't care at that point but in retrospect I do wish I had kept a tank or sports bra on b/c my hubby video tapped it! I guess no one other than me would ever see that again. Lots of moms where large t-shirts too. But..you might look around for a lycra-type loose swim cover up before the stores get rid of all swim wear for the season. I had one last time but couldn't find it in the weeks before baby came. The do make birthing skirts but I don't quite get it.
post #3 of 17
I'm doing a birth center birth, not a home birth, but I was planning to wear a tankini top and skirt or something during labor, and just the tankini top while in the pool
post #4 of 17
So far, I've ended up naked at both my hospital and home births, without really thinking about it. I still laugh at the fact that one of the hosp. staff (nurse? orderly? I have no idea) tried to get me into a hosp. gown. Couldn't she see I was too busy to care about her problems with nudity? What makes a laboring woman comfortable is the primary concern, here!

Regarding the thread topic, I've seen many videos of water births where the mama was wearing a regular bikini top. I would think that if a sports bra got wet, it would be really difficult to take off when the time comes to nurse.

I do remember leaking a lot once my water broke. A small gush with each big contraction. I wore pads until naked time (probably shortly before transition, but my memory is cloudy), and had to totally change underwear a few times when everything would get soaked through.
post #5 of 17

I am planning on wearing a bikini top.  With my DD I just wore yoga pants for bottoms...I can't remember if I wore a pad or not.  I got into the shower on a yoga ball and shortly after got out and my water broke on the toilet and I was crowning...after that it is all a blur (we were planning a hospital birth and ended up delivering in an ambulance), so I havve no advice about leaking etc after water breaks.  I just used a yoga/exercise ball during labor, the kind that you see at gyms etc.

post #6 of 17

My water broke before contractions started, and I wore undies with a pad (which soaked through about a zillion times) and one of DH's t-shirts. I didn't do a water birth, though.

post #7 of 17

I wore a t-shirt and soft jammy pants until I got in the tub (after water broke) and then I was in a t-shirt.  it got wet.  I HATE wet clothes on me.  When the midwives got there they checked me really quick, I took the top off and never looked back.

 

This time I'm looking for a easy triangle string bikini top.  Something to hold the girls at least a little bit and then easy to take off for nursing.

 

A sports bra, imo, would be a pita to take off after it got wet.

 

After getting in the water I see little use for bottoms.

 

 

Oh, and there are some short 'birth skirts'  I think Binsini or something? is one brand.  But, you can see how easy they are to make or modify if you want.

post #8 of 17
With DS it was winter, I wore a dress with a depends on in early labor. When I got in the pool I switched to a tank with no bottom. I am modest and never felt that uninhibited during labor to take it all off. This time with it being summer, I assume I'll be in a tank again, I don't know if I have a skirt I would sacrifice, maybe I will make one...
post #9 of 17

By the time I hit transition I was naked, both for my hospital birth and my homebirth.  I was sooooo hot.  Both of my girls were born in August, but I was inside in AC.  I don't tend to run hot.  I'm certain it was hormonal.  During my first birth I got into an argument with the triage nurse who wanted to cover me in a sheet before she would do a vaginal exam dizzy.gif.   I was way too hot to consider lying under a sheet (I do think I was wearing a hospital gown at that point).  She kept telling me it was "for my privacy".  I was in a closed room with my DH and the nurse about to do a vaginal exam.  The sheet would only serve to hide the exam from my view.  lol.gif  Poor woman didn't know what to do with me.  I was much further along than she thought I was.

 

This time I'll have a birth photographer there.  I still expect to be naked for labor/birth, but I'm thinking about what I'll wear afterwards.  I stayed naked after the birth with DD2 and the pictures all prominently feature my nipples eyesroll.gif  I just ordered a black nursing sleep bra to wear afterwards.  I figure if I don't have something specific set aside to wear, I'll end up just staying naked.  You can check out my birth photographer's website for some ideas of what women wear during and after birth and how it looks.  She recommended a black sports bra for labor/after birth and a tankini for any time in the tub.

 

I thought that pretty pushers looked neat too.

post #10 of 17

Flower of Bliss, those pictures are awesome! I'm so jealous you're having that photographer there.  I don't know anyone I'm comfortable having photograph. . . but I'm starting to think more about it after seeing those pics.

 

I was naked for the last two water births.  . and didn't care a bit except for I didn't want to show off the pictures very bad. I wore a robe for the two before that, and just took it off or flipped it up when it was time to push.  I don't have a bikini top, and don't want to buy one just for birthing so I'm not sure what we'll end up doing this time.  Maybe naked again LOL.

post #11 of 17

I found myself naked as soon as all three of my labours began.  It seemed like a natural progression of labour not to be burdened by clothing!  The first two labours I ended up transfering from home to hospital and was totally bewildered and confused as to why I was supposed to put clothing on to get into the ambulance..... it felt like a step backwards in my labour!

 

My vbac  dd was born at home and I was naked throughout (and it was Feb and I live in a cold place) I just need to be, and I am usually kinda shy in everyday life about my body and what shows.  

 

This time I look forward to being naked again!  It has never crossed my mind to think of clothing specifically for labour, this thread has surprised me :lol  I always assumed women wanted to be naked and used clothes when feeling anxious in a hospital type setting.  I guess sports bra type of thing would be the only thing I can think of.... but I wouldn't want anything between me and my baby when he/she is firs tborn and in my arms :)

post #12 of 17

I'm on the look-out for a sports bra in bathing suit-ish material that zips down the middle so that I can get it off quickly when I'm ready.  I don't like pulling a tight bra over my head :)

post #13 of 17

I'd sort of like to get some kind of bikini type top, so I can share early pictures without flashing everything all over facebook. On the other hand, with DD I ended up completely naked really early, and couldn't have stood having anything confining on, and I won't be surprised if the same thing happens again.

post #14 of 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by MIrandaM View Post

I'm on the look-out for a sports bra in bathing suit-ish material that zips down the middle so that I can get it off quickly when I'm ready.  I don't like pulling a tight bra over my head smile.gif
from sears:
http://www.sears.com/champion-zip-tech-sports-bra-1699/p-018A1671000P

http://www.sears.com/hanes-zip-front-sports-bra/p-018J0079000P

from amazon: http://www.amazon.com/CW-X-Womens-Xtra-Support-Running/dp/B001GAPYWC

I googled "zip lycra sports bra" there were a lot of results.
post #15 of 17
Thread Starter 

Thanks everyone! I guess Im less concerned about what Im wearing in the water than out. Good idea on the swim suit top instead. I have a lot of athletic type 2 piece swim suits and could wear an old one. I appreciate the feedback.

post #16 of 17

Thanks Madimamacita! You are like our personal shopper on here :)
 

post #17 of 17
I love to google. What can I say. smile.gif
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