What to Wear During Labor
Often times, when I ask my clients during a prenatal session, “What are you planning to wear while you’re in labor?” They look at me like I have two heads.
I can only imagine what they are thinking…
“What does it matter, I’ll ruin it anyways.”
“The hospital gown, of course.”
“Heidi, labor isn’t a fashion show!”
I usually bring up the “labor outfit” when talking about comfort measures in labor, when we are discussing a calm birth environment. The reason I talk about this with my clients has nothing to do with looking cute in photos, or wanting you to have more laundry to do postpartum. Stimuli in the room, and around your body, has a much deeper meaning to your brain when in the throes of its most vulnerable event, bringing life into the world. Not only can it represent a sense of self, autonomy in a setting that often feels unguarded, but it can make movement easier and more comfortable.
During birth, we go into our primal brain, the part of ourselves that isn’t necessarily rational, but is driven off of instinct. Our primal brain can be very sensitive to disruptions… which it often views as threats to the system. Our primal brain knows our safe places, the smells, sensations, and sounds that make us feel most secure. As most people give birth in a hospital setting, this opens up the primal brain to shutting down. Rational thought might think “I’m safe here, I trust my doctors and my care team,” but the primal brain is saying that their survival mode doesn’t know how to handle the new environment.
Now don’t panic! As a doula who works 95%+ hospital births, this is not my speech to tell you that you have to birth at home for labor to work (unless that is what you want to do then go right ahead). My point is that the “little things” like dimmed lights, your pillowcase, the scent you diffuse at home, your favorite songs; and yes, your clothes… all play a part in tapping into your primal brain to tell it that you are safe, you are “home”, and it is OK to welcome your baby here.
So then, what do you wear in labor?
Follow these three guidelines when picking…
Something that medical staff can access your belly and back in. While I love the labor gowns with all the snaps on them (Lila Gowns are my favorite — especially if modest labor gowns are important to you), I have also seen people be monitored and even get epidurals wearing their husbands big t-shirt, or a nightgown from Walmart. As long as it can be picked up easily for monitors to be put on your belly or spinal access in an emergency, it should be fine.
Something you don’t mind being ruined. That t-shirt you sleep in from the camp where you met the love of your life? Probably not the best idea to labor in. Your $100+ lululemon sweats? Save it for a comfy postpartum outfit. Typically, labor outfits don’t get completely trashed but it certainly does happen, and in a worst-case scenario emergency they might also cut off your clothes, so best to use something old or cheap, especially if planning an unmedicated birth.
Something you can move in! This is the biggest mistake I see people make. They get the cute labor gown, and once active labor hits, they find it cumbersome and hot and it gets thrown on the floor, leaving them naked. Naked is fine, everyone working in the birth space could care less if you’re naked if that is what makes you the most comfortable; but many people laboring aren’t comfortable with being naked and leave the gown on even when they don’t want to… or get upset that they can’t show any birth pictures to people. Labor is the biggest workout of your life, and most people don’t wear a long dress to a marathon. If you are more private, consider putting a nursing bra (dark colors show less!) and some of those postpartum stretchy underpants on under whatever you are wearing, so that if/when the gown or shirt comes off, you can feel mobile while being covered.
For both of my births, I opted to wear simple black cotton nursing bra. This worked great for me and wasn’t see through after getting in and out of the water, and was easy to pull aside for skin-to-skin and nursing immediately postpartum. But what I wore to my birth might not be right for you! Take some time to think through the guidelines and mindfully pack clothes that will remind you of home, comfort, and safety into your labor bag; because while it might feel like “just clothes”, it really isn’t just clothes!
