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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Should you book a wax before giving birth?

49 replies

daimbar · 20/04/2015 11:06

My MIL told me that the midwives shave you before birth if you are a little 'unkempt' down there? I must admit I am sporting the 'natural' look at the moment with only a few weeks to go.

Don't really fancy the idea of being shaved though! Is this true? (The last time MIL had a baby was in the 1970s so things may have changed?!)

OP posts:

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pinkie1982 · 20/04/2015 13:10

I have a wax every 4 weeks anyway, I couldn't imagine not!

scarednoob · 20/04/2015 13:14

hairs... sticking to healing stitches.......

argh, this image has properly horrified me!!!

meditrina · 20/04/2015 13:16

Some of us are old enough to remember the campaign against compulsory shaving of women in labour - something that persisted until the 1980s. There was no medical indication for it, and indeed micro abrasions could be a route for infection and chafing of regrowth wasn't pleasant.

It is worth removing hair from anywhere they are likely to stick a post-operative dressing, but better done in advance if you can (bit like men shaving chests before thoracic surgery). So shave front/top if you have a planned section.

It's generally a bad idea to wax close to due date - again micro abrasions are an infection risk, and also during PG some people find they are more sensitive (and it can change as PG advances). You really don't want a red and angry undercarriage as you go into labour.

cerealqueen · 20/04/2015 13:23

The human race has survived centuries of woman not waxing before giving birth, I think you'll be Ok. .

Roseybee10 · 20/04/2015 13:27

I wouldn't bother. I just tidied up a bit.

Original poster

daimbar · 20/04/2015 13:43

Looks like the consensus is to keep the natural look or to do a tidy up. Not sure if I can even reach around my bump to give myself a tidy up! Hmmm do I trust DP to do it?!
Thanks ladies for all the words of wisdom.

OP posts:

Purpleboa · 20/04/2015 13:55

Eek! I have a wax booked for next week. Hoping that will be enough (less than 2 months to go now). Even though I can't actually glimpse my 'bits (unless looking in a mirror which i'm not doing much of these days!) I'm aware things have got way out of control down there and do feel self conscious about it. My DH is isn't insisting he doesn't care at all, and I know that it will be the least of my worries...but I just prefer to feel tidy down there! Plus, maybe the pain will give me a practice run of labour...

Purpleboa · 20/04/2015 13:55

Oh yes and as for a DIY tidy up - no chance! I'd end up doing myself an injury and sorry, but there's NO way i'd let DH loose on it!

aliquid · 20/04/2015 14:10

I was so enormous I couldn't reach but did attempt a bit of a trim during early labour. My DH pissed himself when he saw so must have been quite an avant garde style! Ended up having an emcs and couldn't tell you if they shaved the top or not but being a bit hairy really wasn't a problem with post birth bleeding etc you get to shower really quickly

Sheitgeist · 20/04/2015 14:12

They don't shave you as a matter of course.
I have 5 DC and never bothered 'grooming' with the first 4, but tried to keep myself a bit tidier for the 5th just out of courtesy to my midwives (this was just 5 years ago, so into the new era of extreme pubic grooming!).
I had to give up at around 7 months as I could no longer see what I was doing.

Honestly, no one will care and it will be the last thing on your mind when you're in labour.

You should not feel 'self conscious' about about having a normal adult female body, Purpleboa

seaoflove · 20/04/2015 14:13

I was as hairy as a gorilla when I gave birth (I had SPD and a massive bump so shaving was basically impossible).

Nobody cared!

Micah · 20/04/2015 14:15

I had two c-sections. I was very au naturel for both- one EMCS, one ELCS.

First one I was admitted 2 weeks early so hadn't thought about it.

My hospital don't shave at all, not even for the ELCS. Just cut through the hair. It was fine.

GingerCuddleMonster · 20/04/2015 14:21

I didn't bother after about 7months. I couldn't be bothered trying. I had a jungle not a bush, nobody cared. To be honest it's pretty normal to have pubic hair as an adult woman, that's what I told myself anyway haha .

madreloco · 20/04/2015 14:27

There is no should about it, other than you should do what you want. Your midwife is talking about the 70's, not now.

scarednoob · 20/04/2015 16:02

daimbar - a long time ago, i let one of my ex's try that.

he cut a swathe straight through the middle and was really pleased with himself. i was less pleased. it could only be described as a reverse brazilian... i moved onto hollywood waxing pretty shortly after that. if you get yours to do it, hope he is much better at it than that!!!

SkaterGrrrrl · 20/04/2015 16:03

Definitely not.

Littleturkish · 20/04/2015 16:23

For my first I didn't and second I did.

I was glad I had it all off as it made the weeks following the birth so much more pleasant as I could clean myself more easily, I had a little stitch and it helped being able to be careful around this area. Plus hideous piles that I was able to sort out more easily compared to my first birth thanks to the area being bare.

Do what suits you though- no woman should feel her body isn't clean just because she has hair where it is totally normal to have hair.

EeekEeekEeekEeek · 20/04/2015 16:23

Glad to see the consensus is 'no'. I am au naturel and at 36 weeks have no intention of giving myself a raw undercarriage.

Though I've noted that on OBEM most of the fanjo shots show that the woman giving birth has had a full wax. It's blurred, sure, but it's still skin-coloured blur. Made me wonder whether it was the thing now.

Willow33 · 20/04/2015 16:44

I used to go every 4 weeks for a brazilian wax but had a emcs. They still shaved me and told me it would have been easier for them had I already been done. At another hospital while I was waiting, I overheard the midwife advising a lady who was about to have a planned c section in the next week to have it all taken off! Both London hospitals.

willnotbetamed · 20/04/2015 17:03

Willow, maybe I'm a bit naive, but I'm shocked that a midwife would advise shaving off ALL pubic hair! I thought midwives were ok with adult women's bodies being as they are, and a Brazilian is something I would never consider for political reasons (I think there is something inherently disturbing about removing natural body hair, to the point where it is culturally almost unacceptable to have a normal adult body). I can see why shaving a bit where they cut makes sense, but a full wax...??? Why? (And, for those who have a vaginal birth, why would you want to have itchy regrowth when you are dealing with scars and blood and stitches on the same spot?).

newname12 · 20/04/2015 17:10

I think as has been pointed out, some people are still sticking to old fashioned ideas- must be shaved for birth and surgery is a 70's/80's concept- presumably there are still midwives and nurses who think this is the case, or do what they've always done.

I work in a field where I try to implement current best practice in hospitals. You would be surprised how many just keep on doing what they've always done.

I had an elcs and at no point did anyone suggest shaving, or shave me. As pp said, it's under discussion if it's beneficial at all. I was in a London teaching hospital, and their procedures and equipment were all very up to date.

Christelle2207 · 20/04/2015 17:21

I'll be getting dh to do a bit of a tidyup this time. Midwives clearly don't care though and when it comes to it neither will you!

PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom · 20/04/2015 17:24

Of course you don't need a wax. If you want one, get one. If you don't, don't.

If they need to do a bit around the bikini line for a section, they will. For a vaginal birth, they'll leave well alone.

Carrierpenguin · 20/04/2015 19:36

No, don't shave or wax! They really won't mind the natural look, personally I'd feel a bit embarrassed if I had had an obvious tidy up.

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