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.

Student midwife here! (Although have an extra 10 years on the 19 yr old one you mentioned ) honestly nobody will notice or care, so just do what you will feel comfortable with.

When I had my dd, I kept it trimmed but definitely didn't shave as I couldn't bare the itching!!

I did a dodgy home job for my first time (mad dash around when I gor my 'show'). Next two, I left it go and thought I would have plenty of time before going to the hospital but didn't have time in the end. Boy, I must have been some sight
Luckily due to my enormous bump, I couldn't see from where I was positioned but my Consultant had a premier viewing seat

A few days after birth you will get the longest heaviest period ever. You will also have a nb who will want you everytime you try to say go to the loo. I have an extremely thick bush. It can hold so much dried blood it was much quicker not to have a bush. So to shave or not is probably very personal, but nothing to do with style!

When I had my oldest kids you were automatically shaved and given an enema soon as you went into labour.Doesnt seem to matter these days.

Sam as usual. I only remove what grows out of a pair of knickers.

SAME!

For hygiene I shower, not shave!

I actually was bothered in labour!

I'd trimmed and shaved a few days before thankfully but had intended to do a daily upkeep but as baby came early, I didn't get chance.

You are 100% correct about this - shaving not a good idea - infection risk

When I gave birth to my first child 36 years ago the nurses shaved you and then gave you an enema on arrival. Very pleasant and reassuring.
If you can get down there a little trim will do, if you are that bothered.

All off here.

After 31 hours in labour I was knacked and DD was in distress, I didn't give a stuff what I had down below even though I gave birth in front of the paediatric and surgical teams, as well as midwives and an anaesthetist (probably about 17).. My midwife kindly kept me clean during labour. Go for whatever you feel comfortable, they'll have seen it all before. I had two hours of being stitched up afterwards and midwife didn't shave me, she just dealt with what was there.

Giddyaunt How on earth did you manage to have a shower every time you went to the loo with a newborn?! For hygiene reasons if I hadn't shaved I would have needed a shower with the constant heavy bleeding drying in my bush. Took ages to get out and hurt.

Premature labour so didn't have time for anything, none of the 20 people in the room passed comment 😂😂

scaredy was no different to a period. Dried blood(sorry) doesn't make me squeamish, it's natural. I showered twice a day.

Impossible

I find a daily shower works for me.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

Wax