I am wondering, are most people still continuing with intimate hair removal right up until just before giving birth? Or have you just left it?

[BenediktaH]

I am currently 29 weeks pregnant with my first baby. I previously shaved my fanjo regularly, but I've been slacking since bump has grown as it's been too much of a hassle to continue with it. I've not done it for over a month. I know babies don't care if their mum has hair there or not (well I assume they don't), but I'm a bit concerned about the reaction from nurses, doctors or other medical staff who might be present when I give birth. Do they care at all if you haven't shaved down below? It might seem a daft question but it's been on my mind. I'm worried about a lot of other things too, but this is definitely on the list.

I have never done mine anyway, had 3 kids and no one batted an eyelid. I would think they have seen every single possible variant of lady garden so I can't imagine it would be an issue.

Must be a bit tricky shaving it round the bump!

As a midwife, I can offer complete reassurance that midwives and doctors do not give a single hoot about what you do with the hair on your vulva. Keep it clean - that's it. Otherwise you can shave it, braid it, grow it down to your knees.

I asked a midwife about this (39 weeks now on baby 2). I continued with waxing from a salon right up to 37 weeks first time around and I don't have the time or willingness to do this again! Midwife said they really don't care and it makes no difference to delivery. It's all about your comfort level and if you would feel better with it neat and tidy, just a trim is fine. But equally, if you are comfortable with back to your natural state, they will neither notice nor care.

It's just fashionable to have a shaved fanjo (as you call it). Some people follow fashion some don't. So do what you want!

Why on earth would medical staff care?

"Slacking"? It's not like not showering or brushing your teeth, it's a personal choice. I've never done more than trim round the edges, and even then only if I'm going to be wearing a bikini. I promise no medical professional (or man!) has ever backed away in horror.

They will judge you harshly and laugh (not really, they won't gaf)

Hair is natural down there.

Who needs ugly red shaving bumps or to be waxed? No thank you!

I'm a bit concerned about the reaction from nurses, doctors or other medical staff who might be present when I give birth. Do they care at all if you haven't shaved down below?

They don't care any more than they care how you choose to wear the hair on your head.

I work in obstetric theatres. We don't care. The only notice we'll take is if we'll need to trim back a bit where the incision needs to be for a C-section. That's it. Otherwise do what you're comfortable with. I shaved right up to the day my induction was started. But that's only because I normally do, and I wanted to.

I carried on waxing but nut fur fear of what midwives etc would think, I just prefer it.

I have never removed mine. Had to have a C-section with DC1 and they just shaved a bit off where they needed to before the surgery. VBAC with DC2 and removed nothing. I needed stitches in theatre after that birth for a bad rear and it wasn't a problem for that either.

Bad tear!!

Why on Earth should you remove it? Especially now it's even trickier. Don't judge yourself. Nobody will judge you and they shouldn't. Embrace the bush.

I had my dh do it for me the night before my section 🤣🤣

They don't care at all.

But I was SO GLAD I carried on with hair removal because I tore very badly and it made it so much easier to keep clean afterwards / be able to see the stitches and recovery!

Why on earth would you shave your fanny to give birth?

I just literally don't get it.

Shaving is less hygienic and could cause you gross infected ingrown hairs and infections.

You're going in to give birth not have a fanny fashion show. Fuck sake man

Absolutely incomprehensible.

Shaving your pubes leaves you more open to infections and some of which can be nasty.

shaved skin harbours more yucky dangerous bacterium such a staphylococcus . We have hair for a reason?

www.nicswell.co.uk/health-news/many-women-think-shaving-pubic-hair-is-hygienic

Is this a joke? You think medical staff will judge you for not shaving your pubic hair? I despair of people sometimes

I had a very bad tear, had to go in to be stitched up in theatre after delivery. Had no issues keeping it clean with a fully hairy fanjo and it healed very nicely.

I didn't, nobody cared.
The medical team are more worried about the baby's heart beat and getting you both through it alive.

I work in obstetric theatres and recovery, once had a lady with a vajazzle who had come in for ELCS. That was an interesting one! But no, no one cares. It does not make any difference to delivery, it is entirely your personal choice.

I kept getting waxes all the way up to delivery. My choice. I had my first early before I was due to go for my waxing, I couldn't wait post-birth to have my waxing done & possibly went back too early.

But in terms of what medical staff will think, they won't even notice. They kind of see those parts of us as separate entities & don't think remotely about them bat what's needed for delivery.

You don’t even need to be shaved for a c-section.

i wasn’t and this was 20 years ago, albeit at a big teaching hospital so possibly an early adopter.

As pp said hair removal is an infection risk, so it’s best left, even for a section. I was given hibiscrub to shower with beforehand, and told to leave well alone.

my would healed no issues.