what to wear for delivery
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Pregnant
Forum Name: Pregnancy
Forum Description: Pregnant! Wanting to chat to other mums-to-be (or dads-to-be)? Share your thoughts, experiences, and ideas... This is that place!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=26881
Printed Date: 26 August 2025 at 6:18am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: what to wear for delivery
Posted By: bun_in_the_oven
Subject: what to wear for delivery
Date Posted: 03 June 2009 at 4:49pm
|
I have brought a pretty nightie and light robe to wear after the delievery .... (and when guests come etc)
but what should I pack to wear for the actual delievery ?? I will be at Wgtn hospital... do they give you a gown or something ?? I know a lot of people go naked but I want to have the option of something as well just incase for comfort etc... Thanks for the advice... |
Replies:
Posted By: Febgirl
Date Posted: 03 June 2009 at 5:31pm
Maybe a large t-shirt that you don't mind getting dirty? I wouldn't bother packing anything for the bottom half 
I wore my maternity bra throughout labour, as it was all a bit rushed and I showed up at hospital wearing a satin top and jeans! Don't think I was offered a hospital gown.... ------------- Two little girls under 2! 
|
Posted By: Kellz
Date Posted: 03 June 2009 at 6:30pm
| I was offered a gown, but preferred to stay in a comfy old t-shirt, and yeah nothing on the bottom,..when i was in the pool i was naked. Just take whatever u feel comfortable with. There is no way to predict how long labour will be etc, I had heaps of stuff just in case. After 23 hrs of labour then 3 hrs on drips when I was finally allowed a shower (assisted) the midwife couldnt believed that the first thing I did was was my hair and shaved my armpits, lol! It made me feel better! So yeah,..anything goes! |
Posted By: fire_engine
Date Posted: 03 June 2009 at 9:42pm
|
I wore a hospital gown and was quite happy in it. For the 2-3 days after delivery I was bleeding really heavily so stayed in hospital gowns but once the bleeding settled, I was in black trackies and BF singlet.
Sorry in case it offends anyone but I am somewhat confuzzled by the special birthing wraps you can buy for $120+ - honestly, it'll get messy - wear whatever is cheap and easily cleaned/disposed of. Good idea to have something nice for afterward. ------------- Mum to two wee boys |
Posted By: RinTinTin
Date Posted: 03 June 2009 at 10:05pm
|
Flissty I have seen those wraps and dresses. They are so pretty, but I just can't see the point in wearing a $120 dress thats going to get covered in blood and amniotic fluid and whatever else happens to com out as well.
This is an interesting thread though, it's something I have wondered about although it's a long way off for me. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: angel4
Date Posted: 03 June 2009 at 10:09pm
|
i got way to hot so moved from my clothes to a tshirt of dhs and then nothing (i was really hot) but then afterwards i was freezing - mum had to give me her cardigan to wear over the gown they gave me. I would advise taking something warm for afterwards as apparently a lot of women go into shock for a bit.
I also dont see the point in spending all that money. A large tshirt is perfect if you want to wear something. The next thing was that after i got over shock i was really hot - i found they kept the wards really really warm. So needed short pjs and a short sleeved nightie - even though it was winter. |
Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 03 June 2009 at 10:15pm
|
I remember the first time I had just an old t-shirt of Mum's on & that was it & then got into one of their gowns.
This time I had on undies cause they were holding in the pads cause I was leaking all over the place, I think I also had a T-shirt on a towel around my waist & I was wrapped in a minky blanket cause when I got to transition I was freezing. I wore their gown again. I also found I got really hot in the beds so just wore their stunning gowns, least we didn't have to wash them ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: sally belly
Date Posted: 04 June 2009 at 11:09am
I just wore the hospital gowns too & felt fine in them. I was in the pool for a while & was slightly surprised that my MW suggested I keep the gown on while I was in there 
I ended up having a c/sect so wore a gown for a couple of days simply because it was far easier than getting dressed. -------------    
|
Posted By: Smurfling
Date Posted: 04 June 2009 at 2:29pm
I'm hoping to have a water birth, no idea what I'm going to wear but I know it wont be one of those expensive dress things- they're pretty pointless. I'm guessing that I'll either be in an old t-shirt of my little brothers (he's over a foot taller than me and a fair bit wider!) or I'll be wearing nothing and just have a nightie there for afterwards. I'm going to have my husband and my mother there with me so me being naked is nothing they wont have seen before (granted it's been like 15 years or so since my mother saw me naked but whatever), and of course my midwife who is probably used to seeing naked women by now. The only thing concerning me is that my husband's mother is going to come up to Hamilton around my due date. She probably wont be in the room while I'm giving birth, but if she is I definitely wont be comfortable not wearing anything around her! So I guess I'll just have to see what happens  ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  Proud Mummy of Kaia (age 6), Ridley (age 5), and Charlie (age 14months). |
Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 04 June 2009 at 2:35pm
|
When I was in hospital and in hard labour I was just in the hospital gown with nothing on underneath. I took my bra off once I got to hospital(had singlet on though and pants) cos it was annoying me and I was really hot, and then I got into a gown a few hours later. It was comfy, i didnt want to be naked in front of everyone, but didnt want underwear on either so the gown was good.
Flissty I agree with you on those gown things, $120!! No thanks lol!!! It will just get all gross anyways, I remember while I was in labour my gown got so wet and bloody and eeeww yuck! I could think of a million better things to spend $120 on! ------------- |
Posted By: Spicy Chick
Date Posted: 04 June 2009 at 5:06pm
|
Do they offer gowns in birth centres too, or is it just available in hospitals? ------------- 1st baby!  
|
Posted By: rorylex
Date Posted: 04 June 2009 at 5:24pm
|
lol umm i have all intentions of getting a birth wrap i think the look great as ill be heavily preg in summer so will be good before the birth as well as soon as i saw them i knew i was gonna get one, im also having a home/water birth.
all birthing units and hospitals have the gowns avalible. but i hated them felt so much better in my own top which was just a big maternity top. ------------- Mummy to 4 boys Samuel - 18.6.05 Rory - 15.7.06 Mason - 13.06.08 Emmett - 24.01.10 Baby #5 - cooking |
Posted By: HoneybunsMa
Date Posted: 04 June 2009 at 5:55pm
|
I have lava lavas that I will try and wear and I have dps tshirts to wear as well. DP has a big oversize tshirt that now has a tomatoe sauce stain on it altho I could get it out eventually if I tried but he just said for me to use it. Love having a big island dp lol. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
|
Posted By: Niki2010
Date Posted: 04 June 2009 at 9:24pm
|
i had to get into one of those stunning little numbers aka hospital gown but it was all good as I was hot so it was pretty comfortable but I agree after the birth you start to freeze so I also recommend taking something warm to wear for after. ------------- http://pregnancyplanet.net/tickers/"> 
|
Posted By: bun_in_the_oven
Date Posted: 04 June 2009 at 10:12pm
|
ahh yes a lava lava sounds great... my little baby is half samoan too....
thats a fab idea.. will ask my mother in law for a couple... |
Posted By: RinTinTin
Date Posted: 04 June 2009 at 10:23pm
|
Don't think my aunt wore a lava lava...her baby is half samoan. But it does sound like a fantastic idea.
I'm due in the height of summer so doubt I will be wearing much but I'm glad some people have mentioned that you get cold afterwards. That never crossed my mind. Personally, I won't be too worried if I end up in my birthday suit. Hope MW doesn't mind either. Must be odd for MW's to meet someone, knowing in 9 months time they're going to see you at your most vulnerable. Naked and with your down there bits on full show. Sorry, that was just one of those thoughts that crossed me mind. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: NovemberMum
Date Posted: 06 June 2009 at 8:35pm
|
trust me when you have been in labour for hours and want to get that baby out..you want care who sees you naked.
I had to have a ventouse birth as I had been pushing for 2 hours..I had my legs up in stirrups and a dr/registratar looking up in between my legs lol so very dignified (he had to do the ventous) but I could not have cared less at that stage if the queen of england walked passed I just wanted that baby out. remember midwives have seen it all it is part of their job and heck if they cant handle seeing a woman (in labour/giving birth) naked then IMO they are in the wrong job. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: kabe
Date Posted: 06 June 2009 at 8:55pm
|
i had on a hospital gown and that was fine. Infact, I wore one at night for the duration of my hospital stay, as I was bleeding quite heavily and didn't want to clean my own PJs. ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 07 June 2009 at 7:51am
|
I had a nightie. I just brought a cheap cotton one from the warehouse. (Not granny lol)
I was getting in and out of the bath so ending up just wearing my dressing gown. my waters broke on that though so i was just wearing a singlet in bed with sheets over my bottom halk coz you get checked so often down there. Its funny coz i always worried about "what to wear" before having DD, but honestly when the time comes you dont care, i always say you leave your dignity and the door when you come in and get it back on your way home -------------  
|
Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 07 June 2009 at 9:34am
|
I was in my birthday suit as was in the pool most of the labour... then when I had to be transfered to hospital I must of put something on but truly can't think what... I just asked DP and he thinks I was still pretty much nakey ... I remember not caring at all if I had clothes or not and I'm normally a very private person... ------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: paulainauckland
Date Posted: 07 June 2009 at 11:58am
|
I mostly labour in DF's tshirt - once I felt really mean and used one of his favourites. Really, they need to be burnt afterwards so if you feel like you can, I would recommend an old T or just using a hospital gown.
But you definitely need thick, wool socks for after (DF puts them on for me as I'm going thru transition) as the shock hits you and you get the shakes. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
|
Posted By: BusyMum2three
Date Posted: 07 June 2009 at 12:21pm
|
The first time around I think I had one of my old tshirts, but thats cause I had time to think about it!
Second time around, I wasnt so lucky to have time up my sleeve, and the MW just chucked a gown on me...it was perfect as like many of you say, they arent too hot and save your own clothes! |
Posted By: EmDee
Date Posted: 07 June 2009 at 5:59pm
|
I laboured in a singlet and sarong to begin with (for both births) but ended up starkers soon enough! ------------- DS 8 DD 6 DS 4 DD 2 |
Posted By: fattykat
Date Posted: 10 June 2009 at 3:50pm
|
Hmmmm.....I had been trying to find a (black) cheap nightie that wasn't too grannyish or revealing for wearing but have now decided to go and buy a cheap oversize T-shirt.
Very practical thread for us 1st timers 
|
Posted By: Babe
Date Posted: 11 June 2009 at 12:48pm
|
I was in my granddads pjs with Jake lmao my granny washed the bottoms after my waters broke and I still have them! I gave birth in his pj top and everyone is right you don't care what you wear! My mum and my dad actually ended up being with me when Jake came out and it was incredible for my dad he was just so blown away coz I was 1 when him and my mum met and got married so it was really special. I totally recommend taking a cardy (easy on and off) and warm socks coz I hit the cold stage at one point and wanted my socks on. I think thats the only thing out of my bag that I used haha looking forward to seeing what happens this time round -------------   
|
Posted By: Mamma2N
Date Posted: 12 June 2009 at 4:39pm
I headed to the birthing unit in a nightie, undies (those awesome ones that come in a pack of 8 which your mum bought you when you were 8! ) and a singlet.. got rid of my undies while I was waiting for the pool to fill, then off with the nightie and I laboured and birthed in just my singlet... Oh and I had, DH, Mum, MIL, student midwife & MW obviously in the room and FIL joined in 2 minutes after Nova arrived. And yes he has seen alllllllllll of me!! 
But honestly, I couldn't care less at the time, I was only concentrating on one thing and so was everyone else 
My advice - wear whats comfortable
|
Posted By: fionae
Date Posted: 13 June 2009 at 9:01pm
|
Cool Forum! Has given me lots of ideas to add to the list of what to take! Havn;t actually started one yet but maybe I should or ill prob forget it all when the time comes
------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|