do you really ruin your clothes at the hospital?

Summer20 · January 2010

I've seen lots of posts about packing old clothes to wear at the hospital because of all the bleeding... do you really ruin underwear and pants? Is it mostly when sleeping or during the day too?

theredvixen · January 2010

I am curious to know also!

ChristalT · January 2010

i wanna know, too! maybe post on 0-3 board?

smilelari · January 2010

I didn't

madhatter2003 · January 2010

During labor - yes

Afterwards - possibly. I didn't with DD, but sure did ruin some pants with DS. And forget about underwear....just wear the mesh ones they give you.

CrystalDaun · January 2010

Yes, they get ruined. Bring in ugly black granny panties and nasty old sweats or lounge pants. Don't buy anything special unless it's a dark robe.

You won't even realize your bleeding as much as you are when you're sitting in the hospital bed. I got up a few times and had saturated the pads they gave me and my lounge pants! They put things that look like doggy wee wee pads under you but they shift. When you stand up sometimes you'll get light headed and it feels like your peeing yourself but it's just blood. It does slowly taper off but the first few days you really bleed a lot. Then it can last for weeks like a HEAVY period.

lildevil968 · January 2010

I bled so much post partum that I ruined everything I brought to wear!

trish051003 · January 2010

I didn't ruin anything. I wore their mesh undies and their hospital gown the first two days. Then I changed into my own stuff. I wore black just in case, but no messes , , , ,

gypsywitch · January 2010

I didn't....I changed into a hospital gown and wore one the first day, day 2 I put my own clothes on; but was going home on day 2! and I have no memory of ruining my undies....howver I WOULD bring undies you don't care about jsut in case. Pants..no you don't ruin those, and the bleeding isn't much more than a period, in fact for me it was less...it was mostly icky lochia junk that comes out post birth ( in my case)

Ciarrai · January 2010

I would say yes. You really do bleed a lot. Well, underwear you would for sure. Pants, maybe, but pants are also a PITA b/c they come in to check you every few hours. Plus you wear these diaper-sized pads, ice packs, etc. and they wouldn't all fit in your regular underwear.

trish051003 · January 2010

Oh and during labor - it was messy - but I didn't have underware on and I wore a hospital gown. I was leaking my water on the way there - so I just threw on shorts and a huge pad - my clothes weren't ruined - we just put them in a plastic bag - oh you just reminded me to pack some plastic bags : )

KristinKD · January 2010

I didn't bother bringing my own clothes (aside from a dark robe and an outfit to wear home), and while I don't think I would have ruined anything, I did get blood on my mesh undies and wouldn't have wanted to bother trying to get the stains out of my own undies while dealing with postpartum pain and a newborn. There was also blood on the hospital gown I wore during labor from when they handed DD to me after delivery.

It's possible that you might not ruin your clothes, but I personally don't think it's worth the risk.

Summer20 · January 2010

Interesting... so it sounds like some people bleed enough to ruin clothes and some don't. I guess it's just another "depends on the person" type thing. I guess I'll pack for both possibilities and see what happens.

Thanks ladies!!

Timeg · January 2010

You do bleed a lot after birth, so you should wear heavy-duty pads (which the hospital does provide). You may get a little on your clothes, but "ruin" seems like a stretch!

Mikeysbride2b · January 2010

Yes, you are a mess down there for the first day or two!! I swear.. it is like the nastiest period ever and the nurses are constantly changing you or giving you pads to use. I would not want to be wearing anything nice or an elastic waist, especially if it is a c section and you have a scar there that needs tending to by the nurses.

Bhobbsdz · January 2010

I would wear the hospital gown while you are there and take a dark robe. While in the hospital, this was my experience.

They layered everything, starting with a big doggie pee pee pad folded with a thick pad on top of top and a ice pack on top of that. All this was fit into those mesh undies. While at the hospital, I wore the mesh undies, but when I got home, I used the same routine, but wore thick black jockey underwear. I had a lot of bleeding, 3rd degree tearing and they could not get my uterus to stop contracting, so that caused more bleeding. I wore thick Kotex pads for many, many weeks, probably 5 or 6 weeks, then went to panty liners.

So, while everyone is different, I would be prepared, just in case.

LDQAM516 · January 2010

Our hospital gives you what literally looks like a diaper to wear in postpartum. I never messed but definitely came close...I made sure to bring black yoga pants in case I did and didnt notice! And depending on what time your deliver...you will probably want to stay in your hospital gown that first day. I delivered both babies after 6pm...I stayed in the gown until the next morning because it is way easier than changing...plus if you BF...those first hours seem like the baby is always on the breast so the gown was even easier.

JnJ04 · January 2010

I didn't ruin anything. I changed into a gown for labor though. Had I labored in my own clothes, yes, they probably would have been ruined.

madhatter2003 · January 2010

It definitely depends....I had a lot heavier bleeding initially with DS than I did with DD. *TMI alert* I had been sleeping and I stood up and went to the bathroom and got blood EVERYWHERE. They had to come mop the puddle up it came out so quickly.

Kiki-licioius · January 2010

I did not and I also felt great the next day and up for company.

It really depends on the woman.

Bhobbsdz · January 2010

One more thing, after delivery, be careful coughing and sneezing, because I was full of fluids, so everytime I coughed or sneezed (had a cold) fluid would just escape my body. I had to change everything numerous times a days and the smell is not a pretty one, so be prepared to take the trash out alot. Sorry if this is to much tmi, but I would rather know than not.

foreignroyalty · January 2010

I don't like wearing clothes I've just worn in public in my own home on the bedding and furniture... so wearing something I've actually worn as a patient in a hospital at home in my own clean surroundings would be too much for me... psychologically it's just an association/yuck factor.

Plus, (call me judgey) when I worked in hospital the weirdest/most boundaryless/annoying patients were always the ones who made a point to bring their own clothes/bedding/pillows/decorations/etc. JMHO sorry to anyone who did this!

SpiffyTiffy · January 2010

I was lurking- I did not ruin either of the two nightgowns I brought. You may not want to wear pants while you are at the hospital due to the Dr. checks and all the TLC you are going to have to have down below. I bought nightgowns that had buttons down the front so I could easily nurse, but I didn't have any problems with ruining them. Of course, I did not wear these during the actual delivery- that would definitely ruin anything you want to wear. As for underwear- they will give you mesh ones, which are actually VERY comfy and fit like boyshorts. If you have to bring your own, I'd opt for cheap ones, like hanes. GL!!

Mrs.Hubbard · January 2010

I didn't but I wore the mesh undies and gown until I went home. I was only there 2 days.

missal5 · January 2010

the only thing i ruined was 2 pairs of socks. the rest of my clothes were fine. They gave me huge pads and their mesh type undies.

Special*K* · January 2010

I didn't ruin anything. I wore the mesh underwear they provide and monster pads but didn't bleed heavy enough that if leaked.

angelaa73 · January 2010

nothing of mine was ruined but it was pretty disgusting to see the bottom of my white socks after walking around

nasty!

Jennmaynard · January 2010

I didn't ruin anything, but I guess it depends on the woman. Also, I couldn't wear the mesh panties because I was allergic to them so I wore my own and I still didn't ruin them.

chris27 · January 2010

YEs. That is why I have always stayed in the hospital gown and worn the mesh undies they give you (and because they hold the pads in better).

The first 48 -72 hours after delivery are the heaviest bleeding then it subsides some.

ScissorTailedFlycatcher · January 2010

Even though I had been in labor for 6 weeks, I ironically had no warning when I had to go to the hospital. I just wore hospital gowns the entire time and the mesh panties they gave me. You bleed like you're on the heaviest day of AF for the days following. My only other random advice is to ask for as many ice pads as you can to take home with you. Those were lifesavers! Those and the cleansing bottle. Don't leave without that,either.

Shell24 · January 2010

I didn't, but I also didn't bleed that much after delivery. I've heard some horror stories of women bleeding for weeks/months afterwards. Mine lasted maybe a week, and the pads were fine. I think that if you slept through an entire night the pad might not hold it, because you'll pass some bigger clots, but it's not like you're not getting up at night!

jescgrl · January 2010

I ruined a few pairs of underwear and 2 bras. Maybe a pair or two of PJ pants.... its not pretty.

lovinfall · January 2010

Seems there is such a variety of answers and experiences. I am not planning on bringing my going out panties or anything I wouldn't be willing to throw out.

lite-bright · January 2010

I didn't.

I bought two cheap night-gowns that I was okay with throwing out and brought them to wear in the hospital. I just threw one of them out a few days ago b/c it was ratty, the other is fine and I'll probably take it along this time.

But I never bled so badly that I leaked all over my clothes, and after I left the hospital it was like a very heavy period for a few days and then let up significantly. After that it was more like a moderate period that gradually lightened.

Yes, it's messy, but for me it wasn't clothes-ruining kind of messy. I'm sure I probably trashed a few pairs of undies, but I wore the mesh ones quite a bit when I first came home, and I'd bought some cheap ones during pregnancy anyway b/c I needed to go up a size.

melaniecl · January 2010

yes! I stayed in the hospital gown the whole time unless I had visitors. That was the one thing that I did not expect after labor, no one talks about it! It really looked like I had slaughtered a small animal! The bloody aftermath is absolutely horrible...sorry to be TMI, but it is the truth. I continued to bleed (not at that same rate) for almost 6 weeks. Imagine your worst period ever multiplied by a billion times.

witoga · January 2010

No, not everyone does.

I labored in my own clothes and did not ruin anything...I had a tank top type nightgown on and it was pushed up while I was in labor - no blood or fluids on it. I stayed in my own clothes the entire hospital stay and did not bleed through onto anything I had on. I wore the mesh panties and pantyliner provided by the hospital - no leaks!

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