Tuesday, December 2, 2008

You've GOT to be Kidding Me


There is apparently a new labor trend that I missed out on when I gave birth to Grayson...the designer hospital gown.

Yes, I realize the words designer and hospital gown do not go together, but I've recently discovered an entire industry dedicated to "making mom feel chic" during labor and delivery.

Really? Is this a joke or what? How will mom EVER feel chic while pushing out something the size of a watermelon after enduring hours of contractions and sweating? Not to mention if you have to have a C-section. Seriously, this is so ridiculous my fingers cannot seem to type fast enough for my brain.

There's a reason they haven't shown the "after" picture of this mom. I doubt she's looking chic after more than a dozen hours of labor. But wait, it gets better. Check out these catchy slogans the labor gown marketing folks have come up with to sell their posh product:

"Look chic when family and friends come to visit." WeberWear

"Having a baby is an extraordinary experience - why wear an ordinary hospital gown?" Amazon

B.Y.O.G. (you guessed it, Bring Your Own Gown), offers mommies-to-be "a stylish hospital gown that will make you look great no matter how your body feels."

"Why feel frumpy after your delivery?" Dear Johnnies Maternity

Too bad beauty doesn't come cheap. These gowns range from $60 to even $100 for something you'll wear once and probably get dirty if you really wear it during labor. I guess you could put it on afterward to receive visitors, but trust me, nobody is looking at the mama. They only have eyes for the baby.

I'm sorry if I've offended someone who has used one of these (that is certainly not my intent), but I just can't keep quiet about this idea. I thought the baby products industry had gotten out of hand, yet I only knew the half of it.

3 comments:

Me? A Mom? said...

Yes, so unnecessary. And if you're going to have a "designer gown" shouldn't it look better than THAT thing??

But i have to chuckle because after being admitted to the hospital for the fifth or six time before Rosalie was born, I did chuckle with the staff that I wish I had my own gown - mostly because the gowns they gave me were so freaking huge and long. Being in my second trimester, I wasn't too big yet, and well, never will be tall!!

Courtney said...

O. M. G. What will they think of next? I agree with the first commenter. How can that even be called designer???

Whitney said...

These are hot! Can I get one shipped overnight for my operation?!