C section and shaving??????

[cherryappl]

I'm having a planned c section on the 26th of November and someone told me that the lower the hair is the lower your incision which is what I want. I've not shaved in months so needs doing. I know that it's not good to shave as it can cause infection would it be okay for me to wax myself using something like veet strips or something??

By understanding it’s nothing to do with the hair and everything to do with the shake of your bump and where baby is lying.

I was also told not to shave myself, as they have to do it themselves in theatre anyway. My scar is extreme low and o had a problem with in growing hairs in it that no one else I know had a problem with. Then my pal showed me her scar and it was halfway up her belly

It has absolutely nothing to do with where the hair is. Please just leave alone and they will make the incision where they need to go!

They are talking nonsense!
just do whatever you normally do as a tidy up and they will do whatever they need to do.
I've had 3 c section and the scar is not noticeable... the ledge of tummy above it but that's unpreventable

@IKEA888 ledge of tummy??

@cherryappl

C sections often give you a bit of a tummy pooch

I had an EMCS and they shaved me where they needed to.

@Summerstorms can it go away ?

I had an emcs, but two weeks before my due date I had a wax in preparation. They didn't then need to shave it.
Oh, and my scar is very low down and barely noticeable now and no pouch.

I don't know to be honest, I don't really care about mine, both me and my child are alive because of it so I don't care that its there

They will shave where they need to shave - they shaved a small area at the top for me, not that I remember this happening at all, but weirdly it took ages to grow back. My scar is quite low, have had no issues with it, I forget it’s there. I have a slight shelf, nothing major but I had twins and a giant bump, and obviously scar tissue is tighter than regular skin. I’m sure if I lost the belly fat it would mostly go

I wasn’t shaved at all for either of my sections. As you’ve said it can increase infection risk and my hospital’s policy was not to. The pre op instructions included it.

Mind I was also given a big bottle of hibiscrub and a detailed showering/hairwash regime for the day and day before.

It was a university hospital so very up to date on all the latest infection control, and also had a study running about MRSA while I was there.

Ask your m/w, and/or get a copy of the preop instructions.

Personally I wouldn’t want shaving. My scar is almost imperceptible and well below the hairline.

I had an emergency c section and they didn't shave me, despite me having an entire pube forest down there. Cut is v low down and no pouch.

I'm going in for a planned c section this time round and have been asked to hair remove beforehand this time.

I'd check with your midwife and see what's expected.

I'm pretty sure I've been asked to wax or use hair removal cream and not shave though

Don't wax or shave - they will do it for you. It has nothing to do with where your scar will be.

Waxing carries the same infection risk as shaving. I think you've missed the boat if it's only 11 days away as you're not supposed to shave/wax within 2-3 weeks beforehand as I recall.

They don't shave you anyway, they use clippers. Because of the infection risk.

And surgeons don't choose incision locations based on how hairy the patient is! They just use the clippers to ensure they can cut where they need to.

Otherwise how would they do heart surgery on a man with a hairy chest?!

I was told not to do anything down there for at least 10 days before c section x

I've had 2 c sections. No pouch or overhang, just a neat scar low down. They shaved me in theatre but not that much.
It's all good! Please don't worry.

I had EMCS, wasn't shaved.

I have a pouch but suspect that if I lost weight I wouldn't. My scar is very neat and low down. I was told not to shave/wax and they did a tiny wee trim in theatre. Don't worry, they know what they're doing. You're in good hands.

The pouch tends to be related to how you are sewn up. It's not preventable and unrelated to body weight. It's entirely luck whether you get one or not. Weight again after birth can make it worse though.