False lashes for labour??? Trying to look somewhat normal...

[thetwocultures]

Recently saw a pic of myself in the hospital after having DS and I am

I looked like an absolute mess which I know is partially due to just giving birth but I've seen lots of new mums and pictures of them post birth and they're all somehow managing to look fresh and...not like a beaten up jellyfish.

I'm currently expecting DC2 and looking into ways to look a bit less frightening for those initial days after birth when I won't have time for anything.

I'm going to have my hair trimmed a couple of weeks before, also looking at getting my nails done to feel more put together.

On top of that I'm considering having individual false lashes that last 2-4 weeks (I think?) nothing OTT or massively long just hoping to look more defined but still natural. But I'm worried they're bad for my real eyelashes?

Once they're off/fall off do some of my eyelashes go with them?
I don't want to ruin my own lashes as it would just miss the point of trying to look ok.

Before you have your nails done I would ask the midwife whether it is advisable. Some hospitals insist on naked finger nails so they can monitor you properly.

I often get them done for holidays and they've never damaged my natural lashes. Follow the instructions properly re not using any oil based makeup remover etc and not pulling them. You can have a week or so at the end where looking a bit patchy once most of them have fallen out. Also psychologically my natural lashes look so short to me afterwards, even though they aren't really!

Do they look really weird if you have no makeup on @AccrualIntentions ?

I'm worried that it'll look odd if I have my eyelashes all nice and no makeup on anywhere else on my face? And I probably won't post labour.

I thought this and took lipstick with me to hospital. In my photos I look like a beat-up jellyfish with lipstick on. I think the natural look was actually better. Hair trim is a good idea though as you might not find time for if for a few weeks afterwards. Definitely avoid gel type nails, as Lonicera said, the midwives may want naked nails. Toes as well as fingers IIRC.

I get quite natural ones done, just enough to add a bit of oomph to my normal lashes, and I don't find they look weird on me at all. That's the reason I get them for holidays - because I don't really want to wear any makeup but they make me feel a bit more put together than being completely bare faced. I wouldn't bother the rest of the time because I can just achieve a similar look with mascara and eyelash curlers.

If you had really long or thick ones applied I think they'd look pretty strange though so it's definitely worth talking through what you want quite carefully with the person applying them.

@Oncewaswho I'm not going for gel or anything like that just want them done and will have a layer of vanish on them I can take off if need be. I just have terrible nails and awful over growing cuticles that I struggle to tame myself and whenever I get them done it just makes me feel more 'normal' IYKWIM.

I'm not going for lipstick or anything too harsh as I can never apply stuff like that properly.
I'm hoping for some tinted moisturiser to hide the redness, some Vaseline/lip balm and rather than faffing about with mascara I hoped v natural lashes would look better and be easier.

How careful do you have to be with them BTW?

I had DD before smartphones and phones with cameras, so the idea of nails and false eyelashes for labour seems a little odd to me. Just do what you feel comfortable with and make sure that it is ok with the hospital first.

I had them done. I had an easy birth but went a bit puffy afterwards (quite normal apparently). I look like the snuffaluffagus in photos. A bit grey/pale (December baby), a bit puffy and with ridiculous eyelashes!

I was going to do exactly the same thing and spoke to my beautician about it. She told me they wouldn't do lashes on pregnant women as there's a much higher risk of a reaction, and wouldn't even risk a patch test. I'm not sure about nails (planning on them too) but otherwise I'm taking dry shampoo, some moisturiser and some mascara. Simple and not too over the top.

Nails are ok re reactions, anything involving glue/dye needs patch testing because your more likely to react compared to when your not pg.

Lots of women have spray tans when pg.

Lvl is good but you'd need a patch test.

I had my hair cut and coloured and had a lash & brow tint before my ELCS.
Looked relatively human in the pics after.
I think lash extensions would drive you mad in the falling out stage with a newborn to look after.

I look like the snuffaluffagus in photos.

Interesting thread OP. I am 5 months pregnant and currently thinking about this. With my first, I had a very long labour that culminated in a large haemorrage and subsequent blood transfusion. There are no photos of me straight after the birth for obvious reasons, but even after that, I look like a propped up cadaver (I am very fair & blonde which made me look worse too). Everyone commented on how ill I appeared in the pics.

Hopefully things will go better this time as I'm having a C-section, but I think I may have a spray tan beforehand as I'm haunted by the photos of myself from last time. Apparently nail polish is not allowed, so that's out, but I will also get my hair cut and straightened too.

@BonApp I looked v puffy too!
Almost like my face went swollen, squishy and melty

But then again I did see a pic of myself a week before DS was born and realised that my face was already very swollen then too.

I always have to make sure I've got some bronzer and blusher on now so I don't look like a ghost half of the time! But I remember after giving birth the first day or so I was so exhausted I barely had the energy to lift my arms up to tighten my ponytail never mind do any sort of makeup

For my first I looked dreadful - all piggy eyed (look tiny with no mascara) deathly pale, a mixture of a winter birth so no tan and exhaustion and I hate looking back on them, it's weird almost makes me feel as dreadful as I look if that makes sense.

For my daughter born 5 months ago - I went for weekly spray tans in the last couple of weeks, had false lashes (individual) and had shellac on my nails so if they needed to use the monitor the put on your finger it was a case of just taking that off - sometimes they can't read properly with acrylics. I even put make up on during my labour.

It sounds really vain but I don't mind looking at her after birth pictures as both me and baby are looking well and healthy on it so I remember the positives of the birth, not the negatives that looking crap made me remember on my sons photos.

I'm gonna get flamed here but:

I thought I'd heard it all until now!! Fake eyelashes, makeup done and nails done for labour??? How vain can you get??? Nobody will give two hoots what you look like love they'll be too busy concentrating on the actual important things like, you know, the health of you and your baby!

I really don't get some people's obsession with looks! (And yes I probably am an ugly munter, but I have a loving husband and family, loads of friends and a very happy life so..... couldn't care less.)

I think it's a nice idea to do some general stuff in the weeks before the birth so you feel a bit better afterwards- eyebrows, hair cut etc but don't put too much pressure on yourself to look good immediately post birth. I had quite bad subconjubctival haemorrhages after my second- the whites of my eyes were completely red and I looked scary. I avoided photos because I felt so self conscious (I'm a bit neurotic after having a baby anyway to be honest). I really regret it now, there aren't many photos of me and him together and it makes me really sad.

Stuff happens you can't predict, it'd be a shame to be disappointed with the way you looked because it wasn't what you'd planned. It's probably a good job I didn't get my eyelashes done, it would've drawn more attention to my freaky eyes!

And if the thing you see most when you look at the first photos of you with your newborn baby is how crap you look..... seriously get your priorities right! I look near death in mine (as I later found out I was!!) but all I see is the beautiful baby in my arms and my happy smile that shows my broken yellow teeth from years of depression and it's the one photo I look at.... the ONLY photo I look at where I don't give two hoots about my teeth because all I see is my newborn and how happy I was.

I got an eyelash tint a week before labour, op - made me look slightly more human in the pictures! I like having pictures to look at, and they will be there forever so it seems like a small ask to try and not look dead in them

I looked green after my first. Like honest to goodness green in all the photos. It's actually pretty funny. After my second I looked fine! My SIL even said "you look like you've been for a leisurely stroll in the countryside not just given birth to a small human" just because you looked bad after the first doesn't mean same will happen next time! I'm amazed at the difference

I don't need or want a medal thanks, to be honest I think y'all do for managing to find time to fit in the beauty regime among all the other stresses of pregnancy and labour! I'm a lazy cow, my post came across a LITTLE harsher than it was in my head but - I genuinely 100% don't get it.

@DramaQueen, I don't give a fuck what other people thought I looked like - I didn't like how I appeared. When I look at those photos, it also brings back the memories of nearly dying and it was frightening.

I don't take an interest in my outward appearance to make up for not having a loving husband, lots of friends and a happy and comfortable life - I have all those things too.

I'll probably do similar. Don't really give a flying fuck if someone else thinks it's vain. Doesn't mean I won't love my baby or be concentrating on what's important

Drama I guess it's just priorities/habit. I am generally incredibly scruffy but for some reason mascara is the one thing I manage to apply religiously! It makes me feel better about myself, so it becomes important. Everyone has their thing, I think; plus in reality there is so very little that you can control about labour, that we cling to the small things we CAN influence (IME anyway).