Hi ladies

Can I ask those of you who had a water birth what you wore?? I hope to have a water birth and I'm thinking a tankini style top would keep me decent (my top half anyway, ha ha!) but I really want to try to breastfeed straight away so this will make it difficult. Not sure what else I could wear, as I don't really want to be completely naked! Help! xxxx

Hi I was completely naked which didn't bother me at all but if you feel uncomfortable with that then a tankini top is probably the best option or even just a bikini top. After my daughter was born in the pool we stayed in (hubby too!) for 20 mins until the cord stopped pulsating then I got out to feed her. It is unlikely that you will be able to feed your baby in the pool anyway as the water will be too high and lo will need to be kept warm so whilst you are getting out you will be able to take your top off then feed baby.
My water birth was so fantastic - I hope yours is too! xx

yeah hun i'd just find a top that you can wear then when you get out you can take it off to bf. but by the time your ready to get in the pool you probably have forgotten all about your top and your modesty! haha xx.

Thank you arg! It's great to hear you had a brilliant water birth experience. I hope mine's the same too! To be honest I hadn't even thought that I wouldn't be able to feed in the pool so I guess like you say a tankini top would be OK as I can take it off when I get out of the pool. I think my brain has completely disappeared now!! Ha ha!

Did your hubby get in the pool before you delivered or after? I'd love to have my hubby in the pool while I labour, but again, didn't know that could be an option!! Wow! I really need to discuss this with my midwife!!

...I'm sure you're right mumto2,24! I'll be in that much bloody pain I won't care, I'll just want to get in there!! Ha ha! Thanks. Did you have a water birth? xxxx

Hi we'd talked about it before and just said we'd see how it all went. As it happened, I'd been on all fours the entire time and my fantastic midwife had realised that baby was back to back (my 2nd had been too) so suggested that I turned over to help get her out which is when hubby got in to help me turn over then just sat behind supporting me. My daughters head then came out with the next push and she was just looking up at us for over 2 mins before the rest of her came out. It was very surreal and funny to watch the video as we are just chatting away and having photos nice and calmly whilst this head is just out looking up!
We had some great photos of the 3 of us in the pool and looking back I am so glad that hubby was in too for the birth. Why might it not be an option for you? How does your hubby feel? There might be some stupid policy if you are having baby in hospital which is why we had a home birth where we could do exactly what we wanted! xx

Wow, it sounds amazing! Well done you! I haven't been told hubby can't get in the pool with me, I just hadn't even thought of it. I haven't discussed my birth plan with my midwife yet, so when I do I'll see what she says. I'm hoping to give birth in our local maternity hospital which is midwife-run. It's very small and cosy and has a really nice feel about it. The birthing pool room (so I've been told) has lots of little lights in the ceiling which they turn down low and you can have your own choice of music playing which sounds great! It'll be just my luck though that when I go into labour someone will already be using the pool - oh I really hope not!! xxxx

You should be ok with hubby getting in if it is a midwife-run unit as they are usually more laid back . I have to admit that I would be concerned that someone else would be using the pool especially as I was so desperate for a water birth. Is there only one pool? What area are you in? How many rooms does the unit have? Would they allow you to take in your own pool in case the other is being used? you can get birth pool in a box quite cheaply on ebay.
After 2 awful hospital forceps deliveries my water birth was so easy in comparison and the water was all I needed for pain relief so I am obviously very passionate about water births now! If you really want one you should do all that you can to try and make sure you get one. xx

Thanks arg. I will have a chat to the midwife, I'm seeing her on Tuesday, and hopefully we can go through the options. They are very laid back there so fingers crossed! I think there's only one room with a birth pool in it, but maybe I could take my own in, I'll ask next week. I have my heart set on a water birth and would be gutted if I couldn't have one!! I'm hoping the water will be all the pain relief I need too (except for maybe a bit of gas and air). It's no nice to hear of your water birth experience. It sounds just perfect! xxxx

hiya im hoefully gonna be having a water birth and iv just packed lots of vest tops x

you can get some great stretchy tankini tops in matalan in the knickers and bras section, I tested in water and you can't see the nips so great! they're also really comfy to wear.

Thanks for the tip ~yummy_mummy~, sounds good. I'll take a look.... xx

I was completely naked and to honest I was so much more comfortable then wearing anything that restricted my movement. I also found that having anything touching my bump while I was contracting was awful!!
I loved being in the water unfortunately for me I had to get out because of meconium in my waters I was crying my eyes out when they made me get out!

i was thinking of just wearing a nursing bra,id really love a water birth.Will find out if i can have one in couple of weeks as at the mo imdown 2 have baby in the consultant ward where they dnt have a water pool but hoping to be able to b transfered to the mw ward where the pool is,fingers crossed!hanna 35 wks xx

Swillo, it's definitely worth checking out whether your oh is allowed inthe water, if thats something you both want. I know in my hospital the partners are able to get in the water if they want, the only condition being that while the woman is fine being naked, the bloke must wear trunks!! I'm hoping to have a home waterbirth, really like the idea. But I think my oh will stay firmly on dry land and just support and encourage from there!

Poz - you made me laugh (thank you as I'm having a bad day!) with the idea of any man getting into a birthing pool naked!!!
I really hope you have the same truly amazingly wonderful perfect home water birth that I had (you can do what you want at home so if the midwife doesn't mind maybe your oh might want to get in trrunkless? hee hee only joking!) when are you due? xx

I've had two water births now, in two different hospitals, and both were fantastic experiences. So good in fact that I'm going back for a third!! Both hospitals were happy for my husband (wearing trunks) to join me in the pool but I wasn't so keen and I don't think he was either. Don't worry about what to wear on top. Tankini or a nursing bra are both great ideas but you may find (as I did) that any modesty quickly leaves you after a certain amount of pain, and you really won't care if you end up totally naked. I'd say don't wear anything larger than a bra or tankini because it may interfere with your baby's skin to skin contact with you after the birth. For both my water births I remained in the pool and cuddled/fed my babies for about half an hour before getting out.

Thanks everyone. It's good to hear about people's real life experiences of having a water birth! cheesymartian (love the name!) it's nice to know you were able to breast-feed while still in the pool. That's what I'd like to do ideally xxxx