When you arrive at a hospital you may be asked to remove your own clothing and put on a hospital gown. This can be demeaning for many women. The gowns are impractical and open at the back.
You should bring your own clothing if at all possible. This allows you to avoid embarrassing and uncomfortable hospital gowns. Cotton clothing is preferred as it can breathe and is more comfortable than synthetic materials.
Most hospitals have abandoned the practice of shaving the pubic area. Birth centers and homebirths don’t require this at all.
Ask if your hospital still does this and request that it not be done to you. There is no evidence for this being done and it can be uncomfortable for you when the hairs start growing back!
Routine enema has also been abandoned at most hospitals, although some hospitals still do this procedure routinely. No research proves any benefits for the mother or baby. Home birth and natural birth advocates recognize that for the vast majority of women, the process of labour will empty the bowels.
