Shaving intimate area for giving birth?

[Goofypeach]

Hi everyone,

I used to wax before pregnancy and on the first month of pregnancy (when I still didn't know I was pregnant) I actually had a bruise from the hot wax I did, which seemed really weird until I found out I was pregnant
So from that moment I discovered that my skin was ultra sensitive and I stopped shaving my intimate area, because I wondered if we were made with hair maybe we need them to protect us from infections?! Anyways, now I'm wondering
If I need to shave before giving birth?!
I saw different opinions online and just wanted to know what did you guys do and what you suggest? Now with the pandemic is even hard to find a salon open where I live.,. I'm on my 6th month

Don't do that, really don't. You will be at best a bit sensitive for a week or two. You don't need regrowth on top of that.
If it makes you feel more comfortable and you can manage a light trim or have an obliging partner then do that.
Now is not the time for a vajazzle

@FolkyFoxFace

Good god no. I'm about to push a baby out, the last thing I'd be adding to that mix is shaving rash and stubbly regrowth!

My thoughts exactly!

Its personal choice, midwives definitely don't care & plus it'll be the least of your worries. My SIL stopped shaving during both her pregnancies as she said it becone too much effort. I am due my 3rd DC & have always shaved, definitely hard work now I am nearly due 😂 I have to sit on the edge of the bath & prop up my little mirror to see what I am doing!

I just chucked a bit of veet 'sensitive areas' on in the week before I was due. To be honest I wasn't bothered about what the midwives would think as I'm sure they have seen everything! But it was very messy down there afterwards so it felt a lot cleaner to have less hair. Personal choice. You really really won't think about it when you're in labour! X

Trim only if you must give it a tidy but there really is no need.

You definitely don’t need to at all! I did shave/used hair removal cream. I just felt that I would be more confident/comfortable if I was shaved and be easier to clean up myself after the birth. I will most likely shave again when I next give birth- it’s just my personal preference but honestly If I went into labour and hadn’t shaved I wouldn’t bat an eyelid about having a full bush.

Err, no.
And I only got rid of the top section for my planned c section. It's a myth you need to shave it all off for that.
Why make yourself any less comfortable than you need to with itchy, stubbly regrowth?

Thank you all for your precious advice! Sometimes things that seem obvious are not, but I'm definitely relieved that I see lots of women don't feel the need to shave, all I found online was basically the opposite advice so I'm glad I don't have to.... I will just consider what will be easier and most comfortable

It’s entirely up to you, but you certainly don’t need to. If you would feel more comfortable then go for it, but it’s entirely a personal choice.

I’m a sonographer and I do many many transvaginal scans
Let me tell you that medical professionals really really do not care about your pubic hair. We really don’t

I had a caesarean. They specifically told me not to shave due to risk of infection and that they would do it for me.
I'd leave it. Or maybe get your partner to give you a bit of a trim! You won't be able to do it.

You used to get shaved by the midwives. Now - in this more advanced era! - it is recognised that doing so runs the risk of introducing infection, so they do not do it.

Midwives won't care. They just want to deliver a healthy a baby and make sure mum is healthy too.

Just to give you a flavour of what giving birth is like, my poor midwife wiped my bum after I pooed on the floor, then spread numbing cream on my haemorrhoids and they were giving me more pain than the contractions.
They really don't mind a bit of pubic hair.

I’ve decided not to... don’t want to risk ingrown hairs etc and the stubble.
I’ve got a Philips lady shaver thing and just give it a little trim every now and again... it’s probably not very neat as I can’t actually see it now at 8 months pregnant.

Do whatever feels best for you. I tend to shave or wax everything off when I’m not pregnant but when I am I can’t be bothered. I still trim and shave round the edges though I’m not massively hairy though.