Maintain privacy with a swim skirt at water birth

[Thinkmummy]

Just wanted to pass on my findings to other mums to be wanting a waterbirth. Now I probably won't care about covering up in the middle of labour, but just in case I wanted something to wear in the birthing pool. I'm going with my maternity tanking top and this swim skirt I found on sports direct

www.sportsdirect.com/ocean-pacific-swim-skirt-ladies-350028

. It has no crotch so ideal for the job and a bargain at £5 they do cheaper ones for £1.99 if you're not fussed about colour. The waistband in stretchy so have just gone a size up from what I normally am. Hth x

[Fairylea]

This is the most bizarre thing ever.

If you're giving birth you honestly won't care if they entire England football team saw your vagina.

It really isn't worth worrying about. SurelyIt will be blurred under the water anyway ???

[needanswers]

I was about to say you won't care!! And the warm water on naked skin is very soothing

[Herrena]

Oh, this makes me laugh. Is it your first baby?

I really don't intend to sound so patronising, but I think I flashed top and bottom to about 50 people (NOT conservative estimate) during my first labour and honestly didn't notice at the time!!

Only flashed 6 or 7 at the next labour though

If this makes you happy then go for it :)

[jkklpu]

[Wolfiefan]

Haha! I always strip in labour!

[Thinkmummy]

May be a bit obvious then that I'm a first timer and you ladies are speaking from experience. I just thought it would give me a little more dignity but like you say I probably won't end up caring anyway but for that price at least it's there if I feel I need it especially in the first stage of labour.

[TantrumsAndBalloons]

I wouldn't have cared if the entire population of great britain had seen my bits during my first labour, as long as they got her out.

Who are you covering up for? I mean the midwife etc is going to have to look-and internally examine you. I don't see how a swim skirt can prevent that.

That said, if that is how you are comfortable, good for you.

[Anypointinseeingdoc]

Aww, bless, I remember when I had dignity too.

[MousyMouse]

maintain? privacy? during labour?
:o :o :o

[Fairylea]

With my first baby I had 7 people in the room, legs akimbo with them poking me about trying to ascertain if I was fully dilated.

Even with my elective c section with ds 4 months ago I had about 8 people wandering about while they popped a catheter in. No one batted and eyelid. And for the record I'm as bald as a Christmas turkey down there.

[SavoyCabbage]

I bet you end up chewing it off with your teeth. It will be riding up and, well, it will never be where you want it to be.

[Blu]

LOL.

You will be screeching 'get this bloody clingy annying cloth off me NOW!'

Who do you think will be there apart from your midwife and birth partner? (often the baby's dad). Have you invited Hello magazine?

[Herrena]

Go with whatever makes you happy for the first labour you'll be too disillusioned to bother for the next one

Oh and do leave the bloody Enya CDs at home!!

[needanswers]

If it makes you more comfy - go for it!!

I loved my water birth - it's soclovely once you hit that water :)

[Blu]

Seriously, OP - giving birth is a dignified process in and of itself - you are a woman, giving birth - what would you need to hide? Give birth with pride!

Congratulations on your pregnancy and good luck.

[TheSurgeonsMate]

A different perspective - my MIL was present for a significant part of my labour. I was interested in maintaining my privacy.

[Thinkmummy]

Reading your comments makes me relax a lot more about being naked. the closest I've got to a birth is watching it on these documentary program's, understandably they tend to be more covered up on there. I was thinking that's the norm! Talk about being naive.

[ShirtyKnot]

[HalleLouja]

Dignity. I will let you know when I find mine.....

[heliotrope]

I fear it will float on the top of the pool anyway so people still see your bits. On the other hand why not start off with something to wear, especially if you have to get in and out of pool.
There was that amazing (lucky!) lady (the fashion designer one) on One Born a while ago who had her special bikini and made it all look elegant.
Personally I stripped off and jumped in. Have very rude photos to prove it as DP went a bit OTT with capturing every angle and moment of baby's exit (was on all fours in pool)!

[OpheliasWeepingWillow]

The thing is, you can prepare as much as you like but you won't know until you are actually in labour. I say buy or do whatever makes you more comfortable now and if when you are giving birth you want to do it starkers or wearing a housecoat then that's fine too.

[hellymelly]

honestly dignity goes out of the window. By the time several different people in the room had tried (and failed) to find my cervix, with others looking on, my dignity was long gone. On the bright side it does give you a good "couldn't care less" attitude for breast feeding when out and about!

[needanswers]

As the midwife was saying - you can get in the pool now - by the time she got to "pool" I was already stripped and in there - leaving a trial of clothes behind me!!

That made her giggle - she turned round to finish her sentence and I was gone :)

[Fairylea]

You'll be fine :) honestly you just totally zone out and don't give a flying monkeys what's going on.

As for a mil at the birth as one poster said .... omg ..you must be on better terms with yours - that would be enough to make me cross my legs forever !

[sweetkitty]

I'm a naked birther too. I remember with DD2 practically running upstairs between contractions which were about a minute apart, stripping, lying on the bed and shouting at the MW quick examine me now. Spent most of that laburnum on all fours on my bed pulling the headboard off.

Dignity and childbirth do not belong in the same sentence. Honestly you will not care, speaking as the woman who got a Brazilian a week before the birth so I would look nice, I'm sure the doctor who did the stitch up job cared.