What did you wear when you gave birth?

[born&brED]

Def don't spend lots - blood and gore everywhere! :-/ Think I changed a zillion times in both labours (show that went on and on, bleeding, waters breaking, too hot, etc!) but for some reason wanted to wear joggers and pj bottoms - ran out in the end! Ditto the cheap Primark nightie. Gave birth with no 1 in attractive hosp gown, and was completely starkers for 2nd - found both labours really hot and sweaty - one due to hosp room and other due to summer heat! Hope birth goes well for you!x

[Polly D]

Agree any old thing will do for labour and you may well end up starkers anyway. And then some fave comfy pyjamas/trackies for after, and if the top is shirt style with buttons that would be easier for skin-to-skin.

I can remember being obsessed that I would need an Alice band for labour, which ended up soggy and covered in all sorts from the pool.

Def want to add this tip: don't be scared of disposable knickers. Best tip my sis-in-law ever gave me.

[Otta]

My wife got the disposable knickers tip from on here (cheers buggie), and said they were amazing!

[Ruth_Baldock]

Tena lady pants are a lifesaver. Especially for catching "waters" (didn't happen with mine)

primark may as well have a "cheap, easy and chuckable clothes for birth" section. Totally agree with SB re: "loungewear" for the PN ward. I had my shower after my c/s (bliss) got dressed in yoga pants, tsbirt and hoodie and was then discharged. Which was nice.

[Strawbs]

thanks all.. have got some disposable knickers and also two pairs of tena lady pants (thanks buggie).. I think I will plan on wearing one of my mothercare sleeping bras, a button up vest top (if I can find one) and nothing on the bottom (a hospital gown if they give me one for walking around or a depending on what i can pick up fro primarny something from there).. I have maternity pjs already which are super comfy and one pair of yoga pants so I'll pack those too..

xxx

[buggie]

Can't take complete credit for the Tena lady pants tip... t'was my MW who first said about it (in a mildly scary "you'll regret it if you don't" tone!).

Glad they helped Mrs Otta (hope the sling's useful too!).

[Dorothy]

Next maternity dress, cardigan, socks, bra, slippers for my crash c-section.

Theatre gown for my elective.

[ryedalema]

Absolutely on the naked front! Didn't even realise I was until afterwards :) It's too blinking hot giving birth - I couldn't stand having anything making me hotter!

I was embarrassingly ill-equipped for daughter #2. The combination of her being early and us expecting a home birth only to have a last minute hospital dash meant I'd packed a woeful hospital bag.

No nappies...oops!

So on the way out (of Kings) I was wearing:

- OH's boxers (second hand - mmmmm!)

- Two hospital gowns, one forward one back

- Bare feet (it was during the snow in December too)

- OH's big winter coat..

Moral of story - it doesn't matter a jot what you wear (as long as the baby is clothed - oops). You can cobble together most things from a hospital and visitors.

(They probably won't let me in again though - ha ha!)

[uptime]

Similar thing happened to me. I bought a cheap nightie from sainsburys with buttons down the front for easy boob access. It was only when I put it on in the post natal ward afterwards that I realised the buttons were 'for effect'! Had to wear husband's Paul Smith shirt instead. Nice shirt but without anything with me to cover my lower half it was not a good look on the ward.

[Belle]

Just to say I've just stocked up in Primark and there's loads of things that would be great for post birth/labour wear there at the moment - lounge pants in the nightwear section for ?3.90, look nice and comfy (and quite thin so good for super hot post natal ward), tonnes of vests for ?2.50. and loads of button down nighties for about ?4.

[kemurf]

This is such a funny, sincere and accurate thread!! Love it! And I too support the cheap nightie and comfy maternity yoga pant-things afterwards, especially as the post-birth belly seems to be a similar size to the pre-birth version....

[rebwec01]

Haha ryedalema! I bet you looked dashing! ;-)