What's Up With Hospital Gowns?

I just emailed my sister-in-law a list of things I found necessary to pack for my trips to the hospital to have a baby, and one of the items I listed was a nightgown that allowed access to her breasts. It never occurred to me when I was expecting my first child that hospital gowns would restrict breastfeeding. I delivered at a facility with a reputation of being strongly pro-breastfeeding, yet their gowns made it a choice between bottles or sitting half naked in a room full of friends and relatives. Expecting a brand new mother to choose between her family's adoration of her new baby and sitting alone nursing said baby is too much; in her condition, she might be having trouble remembering where she is ;)

In case you haven't had the pleasure of ever wearing a hospital gown, they go all the way up to your neck and tie in the back. The only way to get to your breasts is to untie the back, which leaves the back flapping in the wind, and pull at least one arm out of the sleeve. That leaves nothing covering the top of your breast. If you thought to bring a robe with you, you can get more coverage by wearing it, but it still takes two people to get you set up to nurse.

I think that hospitals should either offer nursing-friendly gowns to new mothers. Since they currently don't, your doctor should suggest that you bring your own nightgowns. I've seen them listed in some pregnancy books as things to pack, but the majority of the ones I've read didn't mention a thing.

Not all nursing nightgowns are created equal, though. My mother-in-law bought me one when I had my first baby, and I was given a similar one when I had my second. They were the type that have two large openings in the front which are supposed to stay closed because of a pleat at the top of each. Maybe that works if you're a size 2 after you deliver, but real women still have a belly in the hospital after the baby is born. That pulls the holes open, and I spent the entire time with both having to check the openings to make sure my entire sad stomach wasn't exposed to my visitors. Forget walking around in them. A quick search of Motherhood Maternity's online selection of nursing nightgowns reveals that they no longer sell that type (at least on their website). There are plenty of attractive and modesty-protecting gowns out there. With my third baby, I brought along two regular nightgowns that buttoned up the front. Underneath, I wore a soft, sports-bra type nursing bra that was loose and comfortable.

Make sure to pack at least two because things can be messy after delivery, and you don't want to end up back in a hospital gown!