Make shopping for what to wear after giving birth in the hospital a priority. It’s all to common for Mothers to shop for their children and forget themselves.
When it comes to pregnancy and your baby’s birth, you mama have to remember yourself as well. You’re one of the main characters in this story.
Do you look at people’s after-delivery photos and wonder how they could look so put together hours and days after pushing out a 7-pound baby?
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Well, the secret is preparing for that moment before you get to the hospital. Your hospital exit clothes and accessories should be included in your bag.
Going Home Outfit For Mom After Birth
Most women are discharged from the hospital, and that’s when it hits them: they have nothing to wear. It’s not uncommon to meet a new mom in the hospital corridors going home in a shawl or the maternity dress she showed up in.
Shopping to prepare for your new baby is one of the best pregnancy escapades. Your hospital bag should be packed with your baby’s clothes and everything you’ll need after birth.
And what about mom’s outfit? After giving birth, the outfits you wear should be easy to put on and to remove. The clothes you pick for going home should be comfortable and allow for breastfeeding.
Have one outfit designated as your going-home outfit and remember to have it packed in your hospital bag.
You can choose a simple button-down dress or a pair of leggings. If you pack leggings or pants, do not forget to pair them with a suitable top.
Here’s what mommy’s hospital bag should contain.
Underwear
After birth, you’ll need high-waist, well-fitting panties. High-waist panties can help with your belly pooch and the discomfort that comes with a saggy belly.
Post-partum bleeding is heavier than your regular flow, and those post-partum sanitary pads are long and thick! So, it’s a good idea to have underwear that will hold everything together.
For the CS moms, you’ll also need to have underwear that’s way above the CS scar to avoid pressing on it.
If you prefer washable panties, here is the perfect pick for you. These underwear are comfortable and super soft.
Another option is wearing disposable panties or pospartum diapers like Depends. They are soft, and you don’t have to worry about washing stains. They’re also super durable!
If you’d like to try a pack of disposable underwear, these right here are great! I actually wore Depends disposable briefs after both my deliveries and personally think they are the best option.
I know you have been waiting to go back to your pre-pregnancy underwear since you stopped seeing your toes. But, the bikini and thongs will have to wait for a little while.
Nursing bra
Your regular bra will not cut it. Get a comfortable breastfeeding bra that is easy to unclasp or a bralette.
Your breasts will be fuller after birth due to milk production, so make sure that you get your size right.
If your bra is too tight, it may end up causing breast engorgement and retracted nipples.
These nursing bras are made of extremely soft and stretchable fabric that is perfect for your tender breasts.
Easy to open tops
Breastfeeding will be tough if you’re wearing a dress or top that buttons or zips from behind.
Purchase tops that have an overlapping V-neck that is easy to pull apart.
If your shirt has buttons or zips, make sure that the zip is at the front and is easy to open and close even with one hand.
If you love simple tees, get nursing ones that have an easy to open flap over the chest area.
Nursing tank tops
Better still get nursing tank tops instead of regular tops. Most nursing tank tops come with breast support pads that will be good for very full breasts.
They should be made of stretchable and elastic material. These tank tops are suitable for mamas with smaller breasts since they don’t offer much support for larger busts.
Loose fitting dresses
Dresses are handy and comfortable. If you’re into dresses, choose the styles that are not too tight.
The dresses should also allow for easy breastfeeding. Go for dresses with overlapping V-necks, front buttons, and zips.
The material should be soft and allow for stretching, especially on the front.
Here is a lovely breastfeeding dress that is easy to wear and comfortable.
Jeggings
Jeggings are a lifesaver for a new mom. They are soft and stretchable and adapt to your figure.
This might not be very flattering, but all eyes will be on the baby.
Besides, no one expects you to have a perfect shape immediately after delivery.
Jeggings are the first choice for many moms as a what to wear after giving birth option.
Choose jeggings that have a wide waist and that stretch above your bikini line to your tummy.
Pajamas
Hospital gowns are not the prettiest. Consider packing a pair or two of your favorite pajamas to rock after your baby arrives.
Hospitals also tend to be quite cold; the pajamas will be good for those chilly nights.
Otherwise, you’ll end up in a sweater or shawl the whole time, and hate your hospital photos forever.
Pajamas that are button-down make for easy breastfeeding.
Headgear
The delivery process is not glamorous and your hair will likely reveal just how rough it was.
Pack headgear to wrap your hair in to keep it disciplined.
You can carry a little bandana, a thin shawl, or even hairbands to keep your hair together.
It might keep you from pulling your hair out in the labor room.
Don’t forget a hairbrush and a couple of pins. These will help you while breastfeeding.
Getting a newborn baby to latch correctly is harder when you have your hair all over his tiny face.
A pair of socks
A pair of socks will help a great deal with the chilly hospital. Having cold feet can be very uncomfortable.
When you have other post-delivery body aches and discomforts to worry about, it’s annoying to have cold feet added to the list.
You can plan to have your socks knee or ankle-high depending on your preference.
Whichever height you choose; you’ll be grateful you did.
Non-slip socks are a good option when you’re stepping on sterilized floors.
Choose the thickness and fluffiness of the socks depending on where you live and the season. If it’s winter, you’ll need fluffier socks.
A robe or three
You’ll be naked or half-naked a lot after delivery. A robe is a quick way to stay naked but cover up fast when you get company.
A robe also helps you in those early breastfeeding days when you can’t be bothered to have buttons or zips in your way.
It also helps that robes are warm and they’ll keep you from the cold while at the hospital and home.
Have more than one robe in case you get one stained.
The bleeding after delivery and breast milk stains can leave you feeling embarrassed and self-conscious.
You can pair up a robe with a pair of pajamas if it’s not ankle-long.
What To Wear After Giving Birth In Hospital For Your Stomach
Wrapping something on your belly after delivery to help you lose the mommy pooch is called post-partum binding.
It offers support to the pelvic floor and gives gentle compression to keep muscles and ligaments in place as you heal.
Nevertheless, it should not bother you so much to start binding immediately after delivery. If you want to take a couple of days or weeks to heal, that’s all right.
Immediate binding after a normal delivery is possible. If you had a CS, you should wait a little longer before you bind your stomach.
Get clearance from your doctor before you bind your belly after a cesarean section.
For the moms searching for what to wear after giving birth for post-partum binding, here are your options.
A long shawl
If you want to do the traditional belly binding after delivery, carry a long shawl with you that you can fold up and tie around your stomach.
The bengkuk belly binding is a Malaysian common belly binding technique.
Post-partum girdles
Alternatively, you can purchase a ready-made post-partum girdle to bind the belly.
This will give a range of options depending on whether you want pins or Velcro, choice of colors, and length.
There are a lot of modern post-partum girdles to choose from. Pick the style that works best for you.
In addition, go for one that that will be easy to wrap since it’s advised that you do the wrapping yourself to gauge the pressure.
In conclusion
When it comes to what to wear after giving birth in hospital, do not leave your sense of fashion in the delivery room.
You’re still allowed to choose what you like best; there is no single leaving-the-hospital-after-delivery dress code. You are at liberty to do you.
Delivery and leaving the hospital with a healthy baby and mom is a huge blessing. Celebrate these moments with a few or as many photos as you’d like.
If you need to carry some make-up or even a hairdryer for this moment, by all means, do it. It’ll be fun to show them to the baby when he’s older.
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