What to Wear to an IV Therapy Appointment
- If you have long hair, tie it up. I prefer a bun so that there's no hair hanging around my face at all, but a braid, ponytail, or half-up would work too. There is nothing more annoying than having hair in your face when you can't reach it, and with one arm chained to an IV, you probably won't be able to fix it. The name of the game here is secure and away from the face.
- Most of my IVs were during winter, so I liked to pretend that wearing a long-sleeve shirt would be fine. It is fine, but it's also an additional annoyance that you don't have any control over at all once that IV is in. Take my word for it and wear short sleeves. My go-to is a t-shirt with a large jacket over. Once I was in the office, I would take my jacket off and use it as a blanket (because it lowers your body temperature a little bit to have cold IV fluid running through your veins).
- Pants. Trust me. Wear pants. I'm generally a shorts girl, but IVs just call for pants. I know I'm not alone in this because I never saw a single person wearing shorts at my IV clinic. Not once. Pants make it easier to get up and down from an IV chair, it provides temperature balance for the short-sleeve shirt you'll be wearing (😜) and it makes it easier and more convenient to hold things on your lap. I wore leggings for every single IV appointment I had and I do not regret it one bit. I recommend wearing the most comfortable pants you own.
- No skirts or dresses. I have nothing against skirts and dresses, but IVs are just not the time. You don't want to have your legs up without some kind of pants on, and you don't want to worry about shaving before your appointment. Skirts and dresses are also much less likely to stay put on your body than a pair of pants is. If it takes all of your energy and focus to stand up and sit down without ripping a needle or catheter out of your arm, you don't want to have to worry about arranging your skirt one-handedly so that your shorts/underwear are the only things visible. You want clothing that will stay put without any effort from you.
- No Rompers or Buttons. This one is probably obvious by now, but how are you going to use buttons with one hand?! Even worse are rompers-- it is literally impossible to take a romper off with an IV... you'd have to take the top of the romper off around the entire line, IV bag, and pole that holds it up. Then, to put it back on, you'd have to do the exact reverse.
- Close-toed shoes. Especially if the IV clinic has reclining seats, you want those bad boys strapped on tight. Again, remember to focus on comfort, but it's not like you'll be doing much walking so it's less important with shoes than with anything else.
- Limited Jewelry and Accessories. The goal here is to have as few things on your body as possible. Fewer accessories mean fewer things to annoy you and fewer things you have to mess with. When it comes to IV fashion, less is more.
- If possible, pockets. Keep in mind that you will only have one viable hand to hold your belongings, open doors, move items, flush toilets... etc. Pockets will free up your hands so that you are better capable of doing everything else.
Getting ready for your first IV is really scary. I was terrified in general, and wondering what on earth I should wear just added to the anxiety. I hope this post eases the first-IV-jitters for anyone about to start an IV. I have been living and breathing IVs, and they impact all areas of my life, even what I wear. If you're interested in IVs and what they are, check out my other posts labeled IV Therapy!
