Can you wear your own gown during labor? In short: Yes! While you've been busy getting the nursery ready or packing a hospital bag full of essentials (including a coming home outfit for baby!), it's easy to overlook one of the most obvious items: what you'll be wearing in the hospital.
If you're giving birth in a hospital, there's a good chance they'll ask you to wear a gown. While its open back may feel a bit too breezy, this ease of access is important for the medical team. You can wear a hospital-provided gown or buy and bring your own.
You don't have to. Most people choose to wear the gown because it's easier, but you can wear your own clothes, if you prefer. Just make sure they're comfortable and can get dirty (or straight-up ruined), like a simple, cheap nightgown or a stretchy, knee-length skirt.
Some hospitals require you to wear the delivery gowns they provide. If your hospital doesn't have a preference, consider getting a special labor and delivery gown (with access for breastfeeding, an IV, an epidural, etc.) to maximize your comfort and confidence (much softer than a hospital gown).
If you feel more comfortable in something other than a hospital gown, you can certainly bring your own clothes. I recommend something comfortable, soft and stretchy. I preferred gowns myself for recovering since they are loose and comfy. If you are planning on breastfeeding, then a nursing gown would be a great choice.
A lot of mothers want breast coverage while they deliver, which is completely understandable, and you can keep your bra on during labor if you want. However, we recommend wearing a simple bra that is comfortable and easy to remove.
Clothes wise, immediately post-partum or for coming home, I would recommend stretchy dresses or leggings and a large t-shirt or vest in the summer months. In the colder months, joggers, leggings, or trusty maternity dungarees are perfect. A hoody or cardigan to keep warm too.
You usually don't need to wear a bra during surgery because you'll have the hospital gown and a surgical drape over your chest. You may want to invest in a bra that's easy to put on and remove if you're getting arm or shoulder surgery.
A comfortable outfit or two.
"It's nice to have a sense of normalcy when you know your world has changed forever." Loose clothing such as maternity leggings and tops are a good option, since your belly will still look pregnant (and if you have a C-section incision, tighter clothing will be uncomfortable).
In the majority of cases, you will be asked to remove all other clothing and just leave your underwear on underneath the gown. Interweave provides the Dignity hospital gown to many hospitals, as this provides the patient with more dignity.
You may bring your own labor support tools, such as a birthing ball or peanut ball, a battery-operated massager, or unscented or lightly scented essential oils/lotions.
The answer is YES, absolutely! Here's a quick & easy tutorial on how to use our knotted gown style in a car seat… Place baby in car seat. Untie the knot of the knotted gown, separating the tail hems so that you can see baby's legs.
If you have a partner or someone who'll be with you throughout labor and delivery, have them pack two to three outfits, personal items and supplies. “Make sure they have layers, as they may get hot or more often cold as the birthing parent typically likes to keep the room cool,” Stanley said.
Fresh underwear, a clean shirt, and a pair of socks should be sufficient to keep you feeling clean and ready for anything. It also might be wise to include a warm sweatshirt in case the room is a little cool. Parents in labor often feel warm and may turn the thermostat down in order to keep cool.
On the day of surgery, you may be asked to arrive several hours before your procedure is scheduled to begin. This allows the staff to complete any tests that cannot be performed until the day of surgery.
Hospital gowns with an open back are designed to allow medical staff easy access to whichever part of the patient is required.
It allows the nurse to assess the patient for skin breakdown, which most commonly appears at or close to the coccyx (tailbone). It makes it easier for the patient to use a bed pan, without his/her clothes falling into it. It allows the doctor to do a quick rectal check when necessary.
In previous years, traditional childbirth recommended hair removal on the pubic area before delivery. However, modern childbirth finds that it's not necessary to shave your pubic hair before delivery. Clinical research shows that shaving or not shaving pubic hair doesn't necessarily affect birth.
Avoid stairs and lifting until your doctor says these activities are OK. Don't take a bath or go swimming until the doctor says it's OK. Don't drive until your doctor says it's OK. Also wait until you can make sudden movements and wear a safety belt properly without discomfort.
After three weeks postpartum, you can start resuming many of your normal activities.
You will be asked to change into a hospital gown prior to going to theatre and will be given a hospital dressing gown and slip socks to wear. Your birth partner will be shown where to change their clothes when arriving in the theatre department.
#1 Do I need to wear a bra for breastfeeding? Whether or not to wear a bra is personal choice; some women prefer to wear a bra for breast support and/or to keep breast pads in place if they tend to leak milk in the early weeks. Women with larger breasts may feel more comfortable wearing a bra with some support.
After your caesarean birth, we close your wound with dissolvable stitches. The dressing covering the wound stays in place for 5 days. While your wound dressing is on, you can have a bath or shower and move freely.