What did you wear when you gave birth?

[Strawbs]

Im back with yet another question making sure Im not ludicrously blowing my cash on something I dont need.. The below link has been suggested to me as a 'godsend' for the hopsital stay etc.. Is it worth it? Im picturing anything Im wearing getting quite bloody or messy during the birthing process so I would envisage them then having to peel me out of it right before the actual birth?

Dont want to look awful but dont want to go over the top either..

maternity gown

[Jo'sEnglish]

I've bought a cheap, big nightshirt from Primark for ?4.50 to give birth in. I'm fully expecting it to be ruined so didn't want to spend much money on it. Would have been happy to use an old t-shirt/shirt of mine or my husband's but nothing we had came down long enough. Hoping for a waterbirth so might not get to use it at all anyway!

I then have a nice, nursing nightie from Jojo Maman Bebe (which I got in the sale so was only ?13!) to wear in hospital afterwards when I want to feel nice. I think the one you've suggested looks fine for afterwards but for that money I would be worried about it getting ruined in labour.

It's my first baby though so I'm guessing as much as you!

[craigy]

I had a cheap ?3 camisole type vest for each birth and a pair of knickers to protect modest for as long as possible then everyone who needed access to my belly got it easily and there was nothing flapping around me annoying me when I was feeling easily irritated.. Knickers came off when pushing for no 1 and in pool for no 2 and everything got chucked at the end as covered on blood, goo and vernix...

Pj bottoms and vests for afterward, all from Sainsburys.. Best to remember post natal wards run at sub tropical temperatures.. I have never seen any point for any of these specific garments...

[womanofdulwich]

i have poor circulation and both winter babies so i had ski socks on and a knee length nightie- one that you can breatfeed in - with buttons from the top - enough space to get your boob out. you should not really bet messy/bloody.

[Lochie]

Agree its really not worth wearing anything nice for the actual 'birth' bit. I got cheapo nightie from Primark and I didn't want to keep it so chucked it away the next day - it had buttons down front to make skin on skin contact easy immediately after labour.

I had a nice stash of new pjs/nighties/dressing gowns/slippers though waiting at home and they were such a comfort as really that is all I wore for about 2 weeks. So defo recommend some expense on new sleepwear!

stawbs - you say the nightie in the amazon site has been recommended as a 'godsend' but as I said before i can't see anything on it you can't get from primark for a fifth of the price. Someone also recommended a large man's shirt to me which to be honest would do exactly the same job and I'm sure your partner has a stash he doesn't need that you could wear?!

[chantelle]

i brought along a cute nightdress to wear with leggings while i laboured. ha, ended up not even touching my overnight bag and stuck in a hospital gown with a catheter...

[srisky]

Please don't waste your money on it! Use the money on a treat for yourself that you can use in the exhausting postnal period (e.g nice bath stuff, nice nightie for after, pretty nursing bras)

Similar to others, I bought a pack of 2 Sainsbury's basic nightshirts for ?5. I was naked for the actual delivery bit (TMI?), so the one nightshirt I did wear remained spotless and the other one is still untouched.

For easy boob access postnatally, buy pyjamas with button openings or with a vest top that you can yank down. Saw several of these in Sainsbury's today.

Good luck!

[Strawbs]

Brilliant ladies thanks, that's ?80 you have saved me this week!.. really really appreciate it.. Jules x

[Pickle]

Another vote for Primark - I had nighties (and actually the one I gave birth in was fine, gave it a wash and ended up using it for a while afterwards too as it was easy to feed in), a few packs of cheap knickers (black - basic but much nicer than disposable ones) and a lightweight robe (microfibre type fabric) for wearing in hospital which was a godsend. The other thing I bought in my major spend up there (totalling all of about ?12) was a pair of very basic slippers to wear in the wards.

And I've stupidly thrown the whole lot away after having my 2nd baby, meaning I'll be back in Primark having another "spend up" before no. 3 arrives!

[crystal7]

I gave a lot of thought to what I would wear in labour and ended up buying a Primark nightie in a dark colour (plus loads of black Primark knickers to avoid disposable ones). In the event it was all over very quickly, before we'd got to hospital, and I didn't even open the hospital bag I'd so lovingly packed! Was actually wearing an old t shirt I quite like when the time came. Luckily it was shoved in the machine at 60 the next day and came out fine...in fact I wear it lots now I'm expecting no.2, if all goes to plan and I get my home birth I'll probably end up wearing it again!

Pickle's dressing gown idea is good too, I made the mistake of buying a really nice one which may have got a bit stained had I ended up in hospital.

[sophiechristophy]

another vote for naked :)

[mrs f]

I brought things In Primark but didn't use any of it & gave birth in a bra... Certainly wouldn't spend money on anything again, you will never use it afterwards

[Ruth_Baldock]

Induction w/ baby 1- totally naked after the first hour. Had to be put IN a gown when wheeled off for c/s

baby 2: fetching hospital gown. Mm. Sexy!

[The Nappy Lady]

At home for both, bathrobe on, off, on, off with no 1 as too hot/cold/hot - oh and socks as I hold cold feet! Had to bin socks afterwards as they were bloody though it was an easy birth.

No 2 in a birth pool so naked after early labour in maternity PJs.

Def don't waste money on special stuff. Another vote for cheap cotton pants too!

[candj]

I wore a gorgeous blue and white hospital gown with the opening in the back and charming knee high anti-thrombosis socks for all three births. Not same ones mind you! And agree it's nice to have a stash of nice easy to bf in pjs at home because that's all you wear for the next weeks.

[bobby's bear]

Another vote for naked except for some large ski socks which had to be peeled off and binned afterwards!

[ClareC]

Definitely don't waste your money on that gown! Primark attire of a tshirt you no longer want is the way forward.

First time round I packed a tankini for my planned water birth.... Didn't understand all the pictures of labouring women getting naked! As it happened I was naked and in the bath pretty much immediately and for the majority of labour. Ended up giving birth in an attractive blue open back hospital gown and long white DVT stockings! Emergency csection.

Second time round I had two attractive blue gowns, one on back to front (tip from midwife), also had the attractive stockings again for an elective c section.

Afterwards pj's with two vest tops is ideal so you can pull the bottom one down and top one up to bf, alternatively a top with buttons.

Flip flops a must!!

Also cheap primarni big pants!

[Yak]

Nothing but a hairband for me! But definitely invest in some nice pjs for feeding in. This avoids cold shoulders/gappy back syndrome in the cold winter months of night feeds!. And big black pants for the first couple of weeks to contain those lovely maternity pads are a must.....

[Norfolkvillas]

Same as other posters, I "invested" in a size 22 primark nightie with buttons down the front - strictly for one-time use. I arrived home after a 29 hour induced labour to find my family had arrived to meet the new baby. My husband, unpacking the hospital bag, brought in said garment and shook it out in full view of the entire room, asking did I want to keep it? I shan't go into details about exactly what state the (previously white and grey spot) nightie was in, but neither will I forget the look of abject horror on the faces of my little sister and her fiance!

On a more civilised note, I treated myself to these PJs, and found them brilliant for being super-comfortable, practical for bfing, but also vaguely presentable for visitors.

http://www.seraphine.com/maternity-clothes-categories/maternity-nightwear/displayProduct.asp?idproduct=790&idcategory=35&title=Bamboo+Lounge+Pyjama+Black%2C+Maternity+Nightwear

[snowboarder]

For afterwards I absolutely second the soft pj/yoga pants and vest options - do they call it 'loungewear' or something?!? I was in hospital for about a week after both my babies and I really did not want to be sat around in a nightie - yoga pants and vest and cardi made me feel much more normal and comfortable!

I still have my specially bought 'labour' nightie (not expensive but never worn). Wore a black vest top in the pool, and I think one of my husbands t shirts at one point. It kind of stops being important, which is hard to imagine just now!!

Spend your money on b/f bras....sooo expensive but so worth getting comfortable ones!

[new mother]

Hospital gowns for sections. I looked a fright as the photos accurately record.

[MrsAk]

I wore a size 20 vest top from sainsburys! Another vote for the ?4.50 primark nighties - have just bought them as pressies for four of my pregnant friends!

[jollybaby]

I bought some loungewear yoga bottoms from gap - they were really useful during the end of my pregnancy and for the postnatal period. I wore them in hospital with vest tops with buttons.

For labour I ignored the advice of the forum and treated myself to a ?20 number from debenhams (designers of course) - got soaked when my waters were broken and so ended up in a gown fairly early on.

On the blood and gore side - my surgical stockings were a complete state the morning after my section - so I binned them after my shower. I asked for a clean pair and the midwife told me that I shouldn't have thrown them away but washed them out instead!

[jennyh]

Another vote for primark button up night shirt in a size up which I kept on throughout. Prob more a result of chance rather than wanting to cover up though. Also don't know is just me but it didn't get ruined so after a good wash on 60 it is good as new!!! But haven't put it on as it's both too big and full of slightly disturbing memories! I'll keep it for next time.

[Belle]

I had a t-shirt of my husbands ready to wear for labour last time - in the end never got into it, and laboured mostly in the vest top and tunic (knitted!! what was i thinking??) I'd been wearing that day - just never got round to changing, and even did the last bit in theatre in the vest top and my maternity bra.