Okay, guys. Anyone who's looked into or purchased birthing clothes, what are some you liked? Brands? I'm thinking some kind of bra type thing so I can be in pictures but not feel clothed, and then a "nursing gown" (whatever that is) for after? If I plan to be in the water do I need a separate "bathing suit"?
I'm interested to see what other people's responses will be... but, conversely, imo: With my first, I arrived to the hospital in street clothes and eventually changed into a johnny (a hospital gown) with nothing else underneath except for socks and a sports bra for awhile at first. No real birthing clothes were necessary. Plus, the situation gets a little bit messy at the end, and you don't want to have to worry about your clothes getting in the way or soiled. My hubbs wore jeans and a tee and even though he was north of the equator his clothes still got stained.
I understand wanting to be clothed for those first pics but draping a sheet would be the easiest solution. I was so sore and tired at the end (and naked-chested for the first nursing) that modesty really flies out the window, and it's the last thing I cared about when holding that little bundle!
All that said, I've been thinking about in-hospital clothes to wear during the days afterward. I recently bought a few pairs of $12 lounge pants from Amazon. (If they fit me now, at 5-6 months along, then they'll likely fit after delivery.) Last time, I wore the johnny all the time, plus a pair of lounge pants/leggings for walking around and when people visited (and a cheapo thin robe but it wasn't a necessity). The nursing staff will still be checking "down there" often so it needs to be a comfortable, easily removed thing. *TMI?:* There's a lot of bleeding afterward and pants can get ruined, so I figure, if I have to toss these $12 pair, then it's kind of no big deal, that's exactly why I bought them.
I bought nursing friendly pajamas and never used them. I'm all about trashing hospital gowns that first day, I had to keep my catheter in for a while and there was a bit of pee and a lot of blood. Whatever you buy expect it will get trashed because the potential for yuck is really high.
If you really want something for the first few weeks though I highly recommend maternity leggings or yoga pants and the cotton nursing tanks from Target. I could throw an open cardigan over it and feel presentable enough for guests quickly.
@kat81 omg congrats to your sister! We are on the opposite side of you...while we were struggling with our infertility my younger sister got pregnant naturally with twins (#3&4 for her). It was so hard for me at the time but then when she was probably 18 or 20w we finally had success at our RE! It has been so fun being pregnant together while it lasted. I am so happy for your family. Hooray for cousins close in age!
@jayandaplus I am thinking of getting some sort of bra (nursing or otherwise) too. If my in laws would visit while we were in labor there is no way my tatas can be untamed in front of anyone other than DH, my mother, or my sister. Don't worry I'm not implying that my FIL will be present for the birth or anything. I am a FTM but have a lot of experience on the L&d ward so I second what others are saying about the mess and needing to be looked at frequently by medical staff so don't get too fancy as far as bottoms or whatever. I am going to try to get a bra/too that I could nurse in after birth and something with no metal in case of need for c-section. Then otherwise for afterward I'm planning on getting a robe or something so I can walk around in my sexy hospital gown without my back exposed
Yeah I second what everyone else said. I am like 99.9% sure I was naked by the end. I have no memory of taking of the hospital gown but I must have. I am not buying anything for this time around. Definitely look into clothes that you would like to wear post birth, as in come home. Something stretchy and comfortable especially if you end up with a cscetion. Also depending on how much/how heavy you bleed afterwards, don't be super attached to any clothes for awhile. I'm pretty sure I was told it's ok to past clots as large as a golf ball (maybe larger). There is just a lot of blood.
I'm also 100% on team hospital gown. There are so many bodily fluids around, I had no interest in dirtying my own clothes and having to toss them or do laundry immediately upon getting home. I did bring a robe to throw on for visitors, so my backside wasn't exposed. Other than that, I wore the mesh undies, hospital gown, and no bra the whole time. I may acquire some nursing tanks this time around to be a big more supported.
I can't remember who it was, but someone mentioned a specific brand of supportive tank top on here- any idea who that was?
Fur daughter: 02/2011 Human sons: 11/2015 & 05/2017 *formerly kayemjay*
I wore the hospital gown the first day. The days after I wore a nursing cami and yoga shorts with a robe. My hospital provided robes and I brought one of my own.
@jayandaplus I hadn't thought of PT, I'll have to bring it up to the OB since I'll need a referral I'm sure.
I wore the the hospital gown for a couple of days and then some comfy pajamas with a robe for a couple of days. I found some off brand leggings that are like LLR and I was planning on wearing those but maybe I should look into a dress/gown/robe thing now that I am remembering what all happened the first couple of days.
I also ended up in hospital gown and even tho my chest was covered in the video my husband got of our daughter being born we can't show anyone because one of the nurses unhooked it somehow in a split second when they were bringing her up to my chest so maybe this time I'll attempt a bralette under? (But one that can be ruined). Otherwise in the hospital recovery they told me not to dress too warmly I.e. Shorts instead of pants because they keep the rooms so hot for the babies. So I wore one of the super soft modal fabric shorts/button down short sleeve pajama sets from VS with a bralette underneath and felt so comfortable but cute enough for pics/visitors afterwards and the nurses all complimented the bralette I had on since they ALL see your everything lol.
Also, it's my real 30th bday today! So just relaxing watching Aladdin with DD and will meet DH for lunch at California pizza kitchen later!
I wore my own nightgown for the days after. This time around I still plan on wearing my own nightgowns the entire time, but am looking for nursing style gowns that I can stick the nursing pads to without wearing a bra. Those first few days are all about comfort and easy access for nursing and in my case checking c-section cut, and abdominal massages.
As pp mentioned, I highly recommend some yoga pants for leaving the hospital.
+1 for just the hospital gown. The amount of bodily fluids that would end up on something I bought was too much for me. After day 1, I spent most of the time in the nursing tanks and shorts. I also fully embraced the hospital mesh underwear during the hospital stay.
Married 03.09.09 Sweet Baby H 12.21.11 Sassy Baby P 03.26.14 Little Brother Due 05.22.17
Late to the party but congrats to your sister @kat81! Not the same but I have a good friend who was really struggling to get pregnant when I found out I was pregnant this time around. She has since gotten pregnant and I am so, so happy for her - almost more than I was for us when we found out about this baby because it was so hard for them.
I wore the hospital nightgown for the two days I stayed there post birth. This time I will probably bring one of my old stretchy nursing bras. Like PPs said theres plenty of.. fluid and it can be messy. I remember wearing a black maxi skirt and a loose stretchy top when I left. And plenty of night in only a nursing bra and mesh underwears because the night sweats were awful
@kayemjay2@nda_roxybabe I bought 4 of these nursing tanks. Comfy, supportive enough (I'm large chested) and are loose around the belly so I feel it's flattering.
Random for those of you with toddlers (or who are stocking up on clothes for when little one is much older.) I literally can't remember the last time that I bought any clothes for my kiddos for full price. (Not on clearance, not used.) But today in target you guys... There are the BEST dr suess toddler clothes!!!
I I may have purchased a few things .
(They have "boy" stuff too, but it is about like most dr suess tshirts and things I've seen before.)
When it comes to delivery, I think you want to go bra-less or at least something easy access. For the life of me, I can't remember what I wore. I have heard of moms needing to have their sports bra cut off because of the iv tubes, etc. and if you plan to do skin to skin immediately, you'll want the runway clear. After birth, I wore comfy loose cotton PJ pants, a nursing cami, and a lightweight cotton robe. All were cheap from Target.
I haven't heard back from my OB yet, but I received my GD 3-hr test results from the lab and it appears I failed. I've been mentally preparing, but I'm still a bit bummed. Sigh. Why does my body make faulty placentas that mess with my insulin levels?!?
I need to vent: I'm working on this new project at work and have someone training me. I do not like working with her. I am just so annoyed. She's nice enough, but just....arghhhh.
Team hospital gown here. I wore just the hospital gown for birth. I stayed in the hospital gown and mesh panties for the next two days until the day I went home. However, it was just me, Fiance, and my mom in town. This time I may have other visitors so i'm planning on like a nursing nightgown with a robe.
Also don't forget to polish your toes. I know how silly it is, but you will focus on weird things when you are trying to get through the pain (at least I did) i remembered to polish mine but had a chip and that's all i could freaking focus on for a while :DI might just be the odd ball out on this one
@Squirtgun - Oh man, those are adorable. As if I needed an excuse to head to Target...
@SWE2 - Thanks for the recommendation, I'll definitely check those out!
@erinh2005 - Happy Birthday! Welcome to the 30 club!
I thought I'd want lounge pants post-labor, but I never ended up wearing any. As someone mentioned, nurses come in to check your downstairs very frequently, so I feel like pants would've been a pain in the butt.
Fur daughter: 02/2011 Human sons: 11/2015 & 05/2017 *formerly kayemjay*
When do stores start releasing their summer clothes? Between coming home outfit, newborn pictures, and my brother's wedding I need to shop for this LO! Everything is still long sleeves and pants though.
@CarmCeG I'm not a working Mom, but is there anyway you can work up to when you go into labor? I don't know how long your OBGYN will let you go over, but if you don't have your baby until 41+ weeks you will have "wasted" maternity leave. Unless you have stuff you need to get done and would like to take it slow before baby arrives. I would just hate for you to take 2 weeks and then the baby not come early/on time.
As for the hospital attire discussion, until I got my Epi I was in and out of the tub like 4 times and so just the gown was plenty. I have no idea what I was wearing during actual delivery, but it wasn't a whole lot! I did buy a maternity/nursing robe already that I've been getting a ton of use out of already, but it wasn't expensive so if it gets ruined at the hospital It'll be just fine.
@CarmCeG, I think this is totally a personal decision and depends so much on that individuals pregnancy. I had planned to work until I had him, but ended up having about a week off before because of early labor making it hard to focus. That, and if one more person at work asked "still no baby?" I was going to get fired for murder I would definitely check with your benefits though, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the week before delivery was paid, and that time did not count toward my total maternity leave benefits.
@CarmCeG I plan on working up until I go into labor (barring any bed rest or anything of course) and then taking 6-8 weeks off. I only get so much time paid and I don't want to "waste" any of it before the baby is even here.
@BeachMommy2B About 1 month before my due date I'm going to get a gel mani and pedi and touch up as needed until baby is here. That way my nails and toes are sure to nice
my SO just showed me this after I expressed disgust in Trump always need to assert his baby power by making someone hold his pen after he signs every executive order.
@CarmCeG with DS I worked through Friday 11/21 and went into labor Sunday 11/23 and that was great with me. However, I also know some women become very uncomfortable near the end might be miserable working, especially depending on what your job entails.
To echo what @bacorrea said, you don't want to waste your maternity leave sitting at home if your baby ends up coming late. Is there any element of flexibility? Can you tell your job you'll just keep working until you go into labor or do you have to give them a hard deadline? If you're able to be flexible I would say do that. If not and you're concerned about how much maternity leave you have, I'd plan on working up to your due date at least.
I birthed in that hospital gown and plan to do the same again. I made the mistake of wearing a nursing sports bra. I realized I wanted it off before go time, it it was a pain with all the wires, monitors, IVs, etc that I suggested cutting if off. I recommend a bra with a hook that is easy to remove. After birth, I'll have nursing friendly nightgowns and robes for my hospital stay.
@bacorrea Right! That's what I am afraid of! I don't want to waste the time..
@livin541 Oh that is very fortunate! Yeah, it can be quite a personal choice, I get that. I'm just looking for some guidance I suppose. My mom was lucky enough to get three months and she took off the month before in case of anything.
@nda_roxybabe Yeah, I'm honestly leaning towards working until I go into labor. I've had many women tell me to take the week before my due date off because its unbearable, that's why I'm so iffy lol
Re: Randoms and Questions 2.6 - 2.10
I understand wanting to be clothed for those first pics but draping a sheet would be the easiest solution. I was so sore and tired at the end (and naked-chested for the first nursing) that modesty really flies out the window, and it's the last thing I cared about when holding that little bundle!
All that said, I've been thinking about in-hospital clothes to wear during the days afterward. I recently bought a few pairs of $12 lounge pants from Amazon. (If they fit me now, at 5-6 months along, then they'll likely fit after delivery.) Last time, I wore the johnny all the time, plus a pair of lounge pants/leggings for walking around and when people visited (and a cheapo thin robe but it wasn't a necessity). The nursing staff will still be checking "down there" often so it needs to be a comfortable, easily removed thing. *TMI?:* There's a lot of bleeding afterward and pants can get ruined, so I figure, if I have to toss these $12 pair, then it's kind of no big deal, that's exactly why I bought them.
If you really want something for the first few weeks though I highly recommend maternity leggings or yoga pants and the cotton nursing tanks from Target. I could throw an open cardigan over it and feel presentable enough for guests quickly.
May '17 labor memes
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
I can't remember who it was, but someone mentioned a specific brand of supportive tank top on here- any idea who that was?
Human sons: 11/2015 & 05/2017
*formerly kayemjay*
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
I wore the the hospital gown for a couple of days and then some comfy pajamas with a robe for a couple of days. I found some off brand leggings that are like LLR and I was planning on wearing those but maybe I should look into a dress/gown/robe thing now that I am remembering what all happened the first couple of days.
1/7/2015 Twins born @ 34 weeks
Also, it's my real 30th bday today! So just relaxing watching Aladdin with DD and will meet DH for lunch at California pizza kitchen later!
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
Thoughts on wearing nightgowns? Will I want some sort of pant post birth to help feel like I'm containing anything....
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
As pp mentioned, I highly recommend some yoga pants for leaving the hospital.
11.2011 - DS1
02.2013 - loss at 6 wks
06.2014 - DS2
10.2015 - loss at 12 wks
03.2017 - DD
I also fully embraced the hospital mesh underwear during the hospital stay.
Sweet Baby H 12.21.11
Sassy Baby P 03.26.14
Little Brother Due 05.22.17
Leading Lady Nursing Tank
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00RCL0KBY/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1&th=1
I I may have purchased a few things
(They have "boy" stuff too, but it is about like most dr suess tshirts and things I've seen before.)
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
May17 Siggy Challenge
Labor
May17 Siggy Challenge
Labor
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
@chickyclg feeling you on the always in a bit of pain. If I go for a walk I get pretty crazy RLP within a couple minutes.
@kat81 that's great news! I can't imagine how fun it would be to be pregnant alongside a sister you love. Hoping she has an easy pregnancy!
Happy birthday!
So many winter birthdays, its nice because I'm the only one in my group of friends.
@NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot
Sorry about the 3 hr test
@Squirtgun ahh that jacket! it's so cute. I get sad pretty often over how short lived target in canada was. I really really miss it.
@NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot sorry to hear! I am still waiting for my results but am mentally preparing for a failure as well.
Just wondering when working mommies plan or suggest to go on maternity leave?
I'm debating between leaving two weeks before due date or continue working until I go into labor.
23 y/o;
[05/06/17]
First time mommy
90% of the way there
@NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot sorry about the GD
Also don't forget to polish your toes. I know how silly it is, but you will focus on weird things when you are trying to get through the pain (at least I did) i remembered to polish mine but had a chip and that's all i could freaking focus on for a while :DI might just be the odd ball out on this one
@SWE2 - Thanks for the recommendation, I'll definitely check those out!
@erinh2005 - Happy Birthday! Welcome to the 30 club!
I thought I'd want lounge pants post-labor, but I never ended up wearing any. As someone mentioned, nurses come in to check your downstairs very frequently, so I feel like pants would've been a pain in the butt.
Human sons: 11/2015 & 05/2017
*formerly kayemjay*
@NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot sorry about your results, I also have a feeling I'm not going to pass this time around.
@erinh2005 Happy Birthday!!
As for the hospital attire discussion, until I got my Epi I was in and out of the tub like 4 times and so just the gown was plenty. I have no idea what I was wearing during actual delivery, but it wasn't a whole lot! I did buy a maternity/nursing robe already that I've been getting a ton of use out of already, but it wasn't expensive so if it gets ruined at the hospital It'll be just fine.
@CarmCeG, I think this is totally a personal decision and depends so much on that individuals pregnancy. I had planned to work until I had him, but ended up having about a week off before because of early labor making it hard to focus. That, and if one more person at work asked "still no baby?" I was going to get fired for murder
@BeachMommy2B About 1 month before my due date I'm going to get a gel mani and pedi and touch up as needed until baby is here. That way my nails and toes are sure to nice
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
https://twitter.com/trumpdraws?lang=en
the pickle one kills me because everyone is clapping
To echo what @bacorrea said, you don't want to waste your maternity leave sitting at home if your baby ends up coming late. Is there any element of flexibility? Can you tell your job you'll just keep working until you go into labor or do you have to give them a hard deadline? If you're able to be flexible I would say do that. If not and you're concerned about how much maternity leave you have, I'd plan on working up to your due date at least.
I birthed in that hospital gown and plan to do the same again. I made the mistake of wearing a nursing sports bra. I realized I wanted it off before go time, it it was a pain with all the wires, monitors, IVs, etc that I suggested cutting if off. I recommend a bra with a hook that is easy to remove. After birth, I'll have nursing friendly nightgowns and robes for my hospital stay.
@bacorrea Right! That's what I am afraid of! I don't want to waste the time..
@livin541 Oh that is very fortunate! Yeah, it can be quite a personal choice, I get that. I'm just looking for some guidance I suppose. My mom was lucky enough to get three months and she took off the month before in case of anything.
@nda_roxybabe Yeah, I'm honestly leaning towards working until I go into labor. I've had many women tell me to take the week before my due date off because its unbearable, that's why I'm so iffy lol
23 y/o;
[05/06/17]
First time mommy
90% of the way there