If you had to undress in front of someone in an emergency would you be ready?

[Roggers]

Another one inspired by the emergency thread as this still mortifies me now last year I was taken to hospital unexpectedly after a car crash. I had to be topless for the ecg, and then someone helped me into a gown after. When I fake tan I usually only do my arms, legs up to the bottom of my bum cheeks, chest to nipple line and neck as that's the only bits that ever show so why would I waste time faffing doing the rest. Her face when she saw my weird tan lines was a real treat. I hadn't shaved my armpits or legs for about 4 weeks (it was winter alright) and I was also wearing the biggest, most unflattering pants you've ever seen as I'd been at the gym

Now I wonder if I should be more prepared for if something like that were to ever happen again. Although I'm sure they've seen it all and much worse before anyway so if something similar happened to you would you be embarrassed or are you always perfectly presented?

Well I'm a health care worker and I can guarantee most staff would get a kick out of your funny tan lines even though most wouldn't show it! We're pretty good at finding humour in stressful situations!

I probably wouldn't be "ready" to undress in an emergency. Like you OP, I often skip my stomach and legs when fake tanning, especially in the winter!

But honestly nurses don't even think about it. My friend is one

@Blondeshavemorefun, my friend is a practice nurse and some days are back-to-back smear tests. She says she never notices people’s grooming practices as she is focused on the job at hand, but did say that patients with poor hygiene can make the job a bit less pleasant at times! Obviously, infections happen and that’s a different matter. Emergency situations also a different matter but I was surprised to hear that some people would go for a scheduled smear without having washed their undercarriage that day!

@waterlego one would Hope if going for a smear uou would wash or shower be fore hand

My Gran always said that you needed nice knickers in case you got run over! This was in the 1970s. Does nothing change?

I once had to have unexpected physio on my knee. It was mid-winter and I hadn’t waxed my legs for months. I have very coarse, black hair on my legs that was a good inch long. I was mid-twenties at the time. When I had to change into a pair of shorts for the young man it was excruciatingly embarrassing!

Hahaha...I thought I'd lost a bit of weight before my appointment...but just looked like an oompah loopah beside this tiny wee person!😳

@Gridhopper but if you’re right isn’t the OP a victim of patriarchal oppression? And you’re blaming her for that?

you're right in a way. sexist women only got to be sexist as a self-defense when being brought up in a sexist way. I don't think its wrong to call out the sexism, but I can see that it's not entirely OP's fault.

Gosh there are some real fun sponges on here aren't there!

This is the reason why I ALWAYS wear a bra (apart from the fact that I have to or I would knock my children over when I turn around) because if I were to have an accident on the school run or wherever, the last thing the poor underpaid paramedics need is a tonne of boob flopping about all over the place. Keep them contained and everyone is happier!
I can't say I'm always shaved to perfection, I only really bother in summer, although I do do my ankles as I like to roll my jeans up and feel the breeze, so that might raise an eyebrow, I know my mum judges me for that 😂😂

@Roggers I will take your thread in the spirit it was intended.

I travel a 40 mile round trip every day for work. One of the roads is especially notorious for accidents so too right I make sure there are no holes in socks, pants aren’t threadbare and my bra is passable. I’m lucky that my leg/arm hair is very light so I can get away with the winter foliage! - all ‘just in case’!

I’ve seen too many 999 documentaries, patients being wheeled in, undressed, shoes off, socks poking out from beneath the sheets, to not think about the ‘what ifs’!

I went for a smear test recently. I WFH and rarely go out due to my life mainly consisting of kids, errands and work, so hardly make any effort with image (shave every day and wear make up though).

It occurred to me when lying on my back that I put on a nice dress and did my hair that day. Subconsciously it was so nice to be doing something different out of my routine that I dressed up for a bloody smear test ffs!

My granny always said make sure you have clean pants on in case you are in a car accident! Good advice I reckon! slight offshoot - but when I started having contractions I had a shower and faked tanned ….! (Didn’t bother with the second child, unsurprisingly! Ha ha)

My grandma used to always say its important to wear nice underwear at all times. In case theres an accident..
This stuck with me until now and I live by that rule. But i dont always shave. Maybe my nice underwear will distract from my hairy legs :)

Ha! We have the same grandma!

My mum always used to ask if I had decent underwear on when I went out in case i was run over.
When she died I bought new pants for her and ironed them. The thought of sending her off creased didn't sit right.

This reminds me of when people go for their smear test. Like most , I make sure I've shaved legs and neatened the obvious! The nurse had a cartoon pinned to the wall about the fact that people do this. We had a laugh about it and her words were " well , its not a date is it?!" I think most have to have a sense of humour about this.

When I had my son I had a gallbladder infection a few weeks later. So had lovely big boobs full of milk. I was in agony (thought it was a blood clot at the time) two male paramedics in the house went to give me an ecg. I just whipped off my top (no bra) and honestly, I was in so much pain i couldn’t give a flying duck who saw my boobs

Could you speak to a therapist about this? Severe health anxiety can cause you to try and prepare for medical emergencies this way. Good luck

i would be mortified if I had to get naked in front of anyone even in an emergency and i don’t think there’s any point shaming people who feel like that. Yes I have given birth 3 times and was mortified every time. After my 2nd home birth I had to transfer to hospital with the midwife in tow and had a major pph in the ambulance and I even though I was terrified I was about to die I was still grateful for the midwife telling the gawping paramedic ‘boy’ (seriously looked about 14!) to “get to the head end” in no uncertain terms while she was dealing with it.

This thread is interesting and I’m somewhere half way between seeing the lighthearted side and feeing really quite sad that most women are so self conscious about their bodies, their body hair and their underwear choices.

To put it into perspective: I wonder how many threads there are on male-dominated forums in which men discuss whether or not they would be ‘ready’ to be seen undressed by an emergency worker.

I remember reading a similar thread where a woman had freshened up before a smear and realised, once on the bed, that the flannel she had used had glitter on it from her toddler 🤣

I think that one was apocryphal but a good story nevertheless!

Yep, it's an urban myth which has been around for at least 30 years:
www.snopes.com/fact-check/glitter-spray-mishap/

They would see hairy leg, pits, legs: old granny underwear. Unmatched bra

Who gives a crap

Im sure men don't fret about medica seeing their skiddy holey pants

Quite. How many men would feel compelled to share their similar experiences on a thread like this? Of course it is sexist. That women’s priorities are about looks over health.

But there is much hilarity to be shared so many won’t acknowledge this. So many women mortified about their normal body hair 😐