What To Wear When Giving Birth (So You Still Feel Cute)

What to consider

My biggest piece of advice around what to wear when giving birth, is to consider practicality (of course), but also to find something that’s going to make you feel good and hopefully something you’ll want to continue wearing after (AKA, that’ll become your best maternity nightwear). Here are a few things to think about…

Temperature

Maternity wards in hospitals are notoriously hawttt to help regulate your baby’s temperature. You probably won’t want a full flannel PJ set, or a thick towelling dressing gown. I’d recommend a lightweight nightie or shorts set, with a cotton or muslin robe for extra coverage when you need.

Shape

Regardless of how you give birth your midwife will be checking how you’re doing for the first few hours after, so easy access will make things, well, easier. If you have a C-section, you’ll require a catheter for around 12 hours after surgery, so again, you’ll want something un-obstructive like a nightie. After this, anything loose like a PJ shorts set (sized up) will work.

If you’ve had a C-section you might want to skip anything with a waistband, or just ensure it’s roomy and doesn’t rub. If you’re breastfeeding, you’ll need boob access, so look for nighties and tops that can pull down easily. Some maternity styles even feature drop-down clips (like maternity bras), or you might want a t-shirt and shorts so you can tuck your baby under for more privacy.

Colour

Directly after you give birth, you might want to stick to dark colours (it’s a bit messy ngl), but once you’ve made it into a giant pair of knicks and a jumbo pad, you should be pretty safe to wear what you like.

Aesthetics

Here’s the part you shouldn’t sleep on. Bear in mind that you’re going to remember this moment forever, and you’ll probably want pictures from it, too. There’s no shame in wanting to feel nice. If I could have done one thing differently, I would have packed a nightie or PJ set that made me feel 10/10. You might not have the time, bandwidth or inclination to do your hair and makeup, but getting into a fresh, pretty outfit can make you feel soooo much better when you’re (understandably) a bit frazzed.

Why you can trust us

Glamour‘s senior beauty editor, Elle Turner, has just returned from maternity leave after having her little girl. She made a note of everything that helped make her delivery outfits (and those early post-partum days) easier and more comfortable – from the feel of the fabric to form and function.