This might seem like a dumb questions, but who is bringing something from home (that they don't expect to use again in case it's ruined) or are you just wearing whatever the hospital provides what??
I keep thinking I'd like to be in something of mine, soft fabric, that helps me feel safe....which sounds stupid. Nothing fancy, and again, nothing I wouldn't mind tossing if it's ruined. But better than a hospital gown.
***Proboards effed up my post...it's meant to continue with:
We are allowed to bring whatever from home per my L&D tour.
idk a friend of mine asked me this, and I hadn't thought about it. She was looking at some stuff for herself. I was just curious if anyone else strayed from the gown.
Partly. My water broke in bed with both of my girls, so I would have ended up in a hospital gown anyway.
But really I don't find them uncomfortable or care enough what I look like (at least while giving birth) to wear anything else.
Huh. Yeah. That water breaking business...haha forgot about that one. So many people around here have been induced or had c-sections lately.
I am more thinking about feeling a tiny piece of comfort in what I expect to be a very uncomfortable experience. Like maybe the same reasons someone feels they need music or something to focus on. I don't care about how I look during labor; only the docs, my mom and DH will be near me. Only AFTER delivery will I care, and demand a hairbrush and makeup.
I'm wearing the hospital gown. My BFF had to change 3 times before she delivered. And I don't think I can find anything that would allow me to be that accessible anyway. I dont care what I wear or look like during labor and the gown seems pretty comfortable.
Maybe I'm thinking of the wrong thing when I think of a hospital gown. Are they not those blue plastic things you wear to a pelvic exam?? I've never stayed in a hospital guys! Anyone I've visited has been in their own clothes.
Post by SallySparrow on Aug 3, 2013 20:46:07 GMT -5
Ugly hospital gown, for sure.
A friend bought a specialty hospital gown. It's pretty, and the website is all, "Can be used after around the house to breastfeed!" and all I can think is, "Sure, if you like blood and other fluid stains, go on with your crazy self".
Obviously different than what you're talking about. lol But the hospital gowns are fine for me.
I would highly recommend wearing the gowns provided. It is a seriously messy process and most often people have to change several times throughout. Bring a pillow or something else for comfort, and clothes for afterwards once you shower.
Post by JayhawkGirl on Aug 3, 2013 22:29:18 GMT -5
Go for the hospital gown. Blood, amniotic fluid, sweat, drippy washcloths... It's messy. I think I changed two or three times over the 12 hours I labored before my surgery.
Add in how many times they needed to check things, move monitor leads, the four attempts at my epidural... There were a lot of people up in here.
I stayed in the gown the first 48 hours post op. it was just easier with all the kangaroo time, incision checks and nursing. I moved to nursing pjs for the last 2 days I was in.
I'm not very particular about that kind of thing, and I find the hospital gown pretty comfy, but I definitely get doing whatever makes you feel better.
My labor was just a mess of fluid from the start and I'm pretty sure I went through multiple gowns in addition to the towels and such underneath me.
Yep, go for the gown. But I also recommend a sports bra or maybe a tank underneath. With DD, I was HOT and wanted to just take the gown off all together but didn't because I felt too exposed in just my regular bra. Ironic considering how many people were up in my business but oh well .
I was pretty messed up below and had a few options with me but ended up wearing nursing gowns, robes, and Shea socks with grips. Some people could get away with pants, but probably not right away, and if there is a c/s you might not want pants because of dressing/incision site.
Post by blindyswife on Aug 3, 2013 23:02:12 GMT -5
After delivery, I continued to wear the hospital gown. It had easy access for nursing, and for the nurses checking my incision/pressing on my belly. Plus with the giant undies and padsand bleeding, i was content to hang out in the big frumpy gown. I spent a lot of the time laying in the bed resting, so who needs pants!?
My sister works in L&D and she says its about half and half for people who wear their own clothes the next day and the rest if theit stay. Things like really soft/loose yoga pants, or even better, a comfy/flowy maxi dress. And like you said, something you dont mind if it gets stained.
I don't have the option of a hospital. Have to bring our own things. I wore a button through nightshirt to labour in. Think I wore it the night before cos I was kept in. It allowed for skin to skin contact and it didn't get wrecked with the various fluids - hardly any blood in it! (Was only in delivery an hour before she was born).
After I showered (a few hrs later) I changed into a nursing night dress which was really comfy.
I labored in the gown, then delivered naked except for a towel (post bath). After labor I wore a gown again until i showered 12 hours later...then I wore a nightshirt I brought (navy blue) and a nursing bra. I was so much more comfortable in my own clothes, so I understand where you're coming from. I recommend waiting until you get cleaned up to change. The hospital gowns are pretty soft and easy for nurses to check you.
I just remembered a funny part about my delivery with L. At some point when I was laboring, but before I had the epidural, I was wriggling in pain, uncomfortable, etc. I couldn't get no to move or walk because I was made to stay on my left side cause L's heart tones were crummy. So, the gown started seriously bothering me. I didn't want anything touching me, including the gown. It felt uncomfortable at the time, and I dunno, I was losing my marbles.
I ripped the gown off, so that I was left naked, except for the sheet that was loosely draped over my bottom half. The nurse seemed appalled and was all, "honey why don't you put the gown back on?" I'm pretty sure I tried to kill her with my laser eye beams. They ended up getting it back on me within 10 minutes or so, I think. Jerks.
kristie, is that normal? Shouldn't L&D nurses be unphased by my boobies?
After delivery, I continued to wear the hospital gown. It had easy access for nursing, and for the nurses checking my incision/pressing on my belly. Plus with the giant undies and padsand bleeding, i was content to hang out in the big frumpy gown. I spent a lot of the time laying in the bed resting, so who needs pants!?
I was the same way. I definitely would not want to bother with pants. I wore a robe over the hospital gown (which has snaps at the shoulders so it can be opened for easy skin-to-skin contact and nursing), but my girls were born in cooler weather. This time I am considering bringing a nursing gown just because it may be too warm for a robe, but since I'm two weeks out and haven't bothered getting one yet, I may end up in a hospital gown anyway.
It is messy even in recovery, but I don't remember too much blood getting on my hospital gown. I know it wasn't enough that it would have been ruined.
I wore a hospital gown during labor and afterwards when I was moved into my room I put on a gown. Just a regular gown with buttons so I could nurse easily. The hospital gown during delivery was great because they had to put on these monitors etc. It wasn't really messy though, I guess they had it hiked up during the gross stuff.
Thank you all, this kind of detail is really appreciated. I will look into a cheap nursing gown and prob a tank and pants so I have the choice, though I'm already leaning towards the gown. I think the fact that some of you delivered naked is such an interesting thing too; like, why am I surprised it makes total sense. It's just no one has ever shared this kind of thing with me IRL! Anyways, I'm hoping/expecting to not need to be there more than 2 days (that's apparently the norm) but I like to prepare for everything. TY!
Thank you all, this kind of detail is really appreciated. I will look into a cheap nursing gown and prob a tank and pants so I have the choice, though I'm already leaning towards the gown. I think the fact that some of you delivered naked is such an interesting thing too; like, why am I surprised it makes total sense. It's just no one has ever shared this kind of thing with me IRL! Anyways, I'm hoping/expecting to not need to be there more than 2 days (that's apparently the norm) but I like to prepare for everything. TY!
During labor and delivery I wore the hospital gown...I spent most of the day leaking fluid (after my water broke and anything of my own would've gotten nasty quick. After I delivered the nurse put me in a clean gown and I stayed in that until after my shower a few hours later (once my bag of pitocin was done and they could unhook me from the iv). For the rest of my hospital stay I was in my own clothes-I had brought a pair of pj shorts, ratty drawstring pants, yoga pants, a few nursing tanks, and a bathrobe. Nothing that couldn't camouflage bleeding (all pants/shorts were black) and nothing that couldn't be easily replaced.