Vaginal Topiary -how will you / did you style out your bush for birth

[Flappergirl86]

This is an absolutely ridiculous question but I am sure I'm not the only person who has pondered it: what's the etiquette for pubic hair in labour?

The logical side of me knows that on the day I won't give a flying fuck what I look like down there and the midwives / doctors etc certainly won't but the naïve vain side of me thinks that I want my vagina to look as presentable as possible whilst providing practical access.

God knows I haven't had a razor or wax near there in months and I'm not even sure I could reach at this stage in the game but I don't want to rock up to hospital looking like a cave woman earth mother either.

So what do you/I go for? a neat triangle and shaved undercarriage? Brazilian? Hollywood? a modest all over trim but otherwise as nature intended? Is a 19 year old student midwife gonna feel more awkward about me having a vagina like a modern porn star or a 1960s one?

Answers on a postcard please...and try not to judge me too harshly.

[crocodilesoup]

Shavings for c sections is definitely not a thing everywhere. I didn't have this.

[Blossomdeary]

Shaving of any sort increases the risk of infection - not something you want at such a time! Also you will be knackered for months after having the baby and you do not want to be troubled by the stubble itch - you certainly will have neither the time nor the inclination to be arsed with grooming any bit that is not on general view.

This is a time for going natural - as is childbirth.

[Itsjustaphase2016]

They shave you if you need a c section (of course unless it's a massive emergency) and I just remember hearing the woman in the cubicle next to me being shaved with the loudest electrical razor and giggling like crazy! I always keep
it neat and ready for action down there!

[Mouse14]

So glad you've asked this question. I'm nearly 37 weeks and a trim up-chain saw needed- is on the list for tomorrow!

[Snapey66]

I completely understand where you're coming from. I think I felt embarrassed of someone seeing all bush so a week before my due date I shaved , not all of it but enough . I ended up being 4 days late so it started to grow back. But you do forget once you're in the moment you don't care . But I will be the same again with my second child 😂

[Kennethwasmyfriend]

Redladybird your friend sounds very professional

[rhodes2015]

flappergirl
No judgement here, I'm thinking the same!
I'm hoping I'm able to do neat triangle and shaved undercarriage! Like algebraic I have been tidying up with a shaver anyway. I don't feel comfortable with a bush don't care what anyone else thinks.

[redladybird]

My friend is a midwife and said she feels like David Bellamy sometimes. I would definitely trim up and wash because apparently some women don't even do that!

[arrrrghhwinehelpswithteens]

I tidied the top as I knew I was having a cs (& friend had said it was easier than the bic on the ward) but none of my friends bothered. Let's face it the staff have seen it all before.

If it gives you some comfort, go for it. After all, what with everything else going on, the smallest thing can help!

[purplecoathanger]

like having a hedgehog in yer knickers

[didofido]

Back in the 60s/70s the inflexible routine was - bath, shave & enema. The enema wasn't such a bad thing, tho' undignified. One of my deliveries was so quick that it got missed, and pooping on the delivery bed was even more undignified.
Pubes growing back was described by one new mother as "like having a hedgehog in yer knickers".

[IrritatedUser1960]

Quite honestly at 9 months pregnant I couldn't reach my pubes let alone see them

[PollyPerky]

And they don't need to do anything if you have stitches. I had stitches and somehow they managed to work around a few hairs.

[PollyPerky]

It's a totally stupid question.

I gave birth in the 1980s. Women were just eternally grateful that the mandatory, barbaric shaving our own mums endured by nurses was no longer carried out.

I didn't even think about it.

It wasn't the fashion to do anything with your pubic hair except remove the stragglers when wearing swimming gear.

And yes- your vagina is not hairy.

[seoulsurvivor]

I can't believe this is a thing! At all! Am I totally naive? I can't imagine being about to create a new human and I'm supposed to worry about whether someone approves of the hair on my fanny????

How the hell are you even SUPPOSED to shave? And waxing? With the risk of infection??? That's just CRAZY.

I suppose if you need stitches, they're going to shave the necessary area, but it's hardly like they're going to need to shave the whole lot off.

It really depresses me that women are worrying about this kind of stuff. I mean, do what you like, bush-wise, but don't WORRY about it for God's sake. Not when you're having a baby.

[510lilly]

Wax

[babynoahsmum]

We don't take a jot of notice of hair styles :-)

[Kennethwasmyfriend]

I've had two elcs, no shaving by either me or hospital staff.

[Summerlovin24]

Never gave it a second thought til I went in for elective caesarean and male midwife came at me with a dry bic, closely watched by student..wish I had been told to shave.

[OhtoblazeswithElvira]

I had a bad tear and had to have surgery after DC1, have always kept myself au naturel. Never needed any jugs of water and healed very well - no stinging. Showers worked fine for me.

[ForeverDrowningInClutter]

This 34 year old student midwife literally doesn't care - I'm just interested in caring for women and their families. :-D

[BeyondThePage]

How on earth did you manage to have a shower every time you went to the loo with a newborn

Doctor's advice here was to pour a jug of water rather than wipe with stitches, and to help stop stinging, so you didn't need to shower every time, and blood didn't dry on anyhow.

[BeyondThePage]

Never been anything but au-natural down there - nothing was commented on by the midwife/consultant/other medical staff - and 12 medical students.

With DD2 I was shaving my legs when my waters broke and I knew I had to get to hospital quickly (breech) - so I had one leg half shaved and the other hairy! No one commented on that either.

[Giddyaunt18]

Pubic hair is not unhygienic! It's there to protect the inner parts from sweat and dirt, that's its function. I take exception to this notion that we are somehow dirty if unshaven especially as I have 2 teenage DDs who will have enough body image expectation on them from the rise of easy access porn without fellow women body shaming their natural state.