pre-delivery "grooming" issue?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Kind of a weird situation, but I was at a party this weekend and (don't ask me why) the subject of shaving came up. One of the ladies is a hairdresser who does bikini and Brazilian waxes, and she said that she had a bunch of coworkers ask her to do Brazilians for them when they were pregnant because "the doctor/midwife told them to shave before the delivery".

???

I thought that pubic shaving before delivery went out of style 20-30 years ago. I even challenged this woman, asking if it wasn't just that these women were self-conscious and *chose* to be "bald" for their deliveries, rather than being "told to" do it by their OB/CNM. When I had my son 10 years ago, there was never any mention whatsoever about shaving from my midwife -- they didn't even shave me for my c-section. Another woman at the party has a 17yo and a 7yo and she was never told to shave by her OB. (all of these births happened in the same town, which only has two hospitals)

When I had knee surgery five years ago, I was very specifically told NOT to shave my leg for a week prior to the surgery, to minimize the chance of infection / microabrasions. I really did NOT want to go in there like a cactus, but at least I could understand the reasoning behind it.

I just truly cannot wrap my mind around this situation... it boggles my mind that anyone in this day and age would consider it "standard" or "necessary" to be shaved/waxed prior to the delivery. I know that more women than ever are shaving/waxing (pregnant or not) just as a personal grooming choice. A guy at the party said his stepmother has been an L&D nurse for eons and she had remarked a while back that shaving has become much more popular in the past 3-4 years.

But I just can't believe that there are OBs (and midwives! I *really* had a hard time believing that a CNM would say this!) out there telling women who are 8-9 months pregnant that they need to shave off their pubic hair before coming to the hospital, or else the hospital will shave it off when they get there.

I figure if anyone will know, it will be you folks here... is this really a standard procedure anymore???

Thank you for the descriptions! I am not going to google the images. :lol2: I also found it super funny that brillohead brought this up.

That was my first thought as well . ... :coollook:

Camaro - I'm copying your rant and sending it to my 27 year old son's girlfriend. :clown:

My son grew up on a ranch, works on his own car and his girlfriend's car, despises all things organic, and loves steak. He isn't superficial. Most of the guys he hangs out with are the same. I'd love to find out if he thinks your description is apt for most young guys now. :D As to the rest of your description - those are questions mom probably shouldn't ask. ;)

steph

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
My son grew up on a ranch works on his own car and his girlfriend's car, despises all things organic, and loves steak. He isn't superficial. Most of the guys he hangs out with are the same. I'd love to find out if he thinks your description is apt for most young guys now. :D As to the rest of your description - those are questions mom probably shouldn't ask. ;[/quote']

Where do you live? I am ON MY WAY THERE NOW! ;)

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Where do you live? I am ON MY WAY THERE NOW! ;)

There simply have to be other guys who can change a tire and work on an engine and change the oil . . . and all the other things you are looking for.

I met a few of the "bj on the first date" guys way back in the 80's . . . .. This was the look on my face:grn:

:imdbb: This was the look on their face as I walked away.

Give me a break :icon_roll I'm worth more than that.

steph

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I heard about it in 8th grade and was shocked :eek::confused::uhoh3::nono: . . .but I was in Southern California . . . land of "Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll". ;)

I will admit to not knowing what "BJ" stood for as those are my oldest son's initials and I thought it would be cute to call him "BJ" . . .. until his dad told me no way honey, no way. :down:

As for L&D . . .. I think it is more rare here because I haven't noticed the trend much. It is kinda pricey and something women can't afford.

I'll have to ask my OB docs about this. . . .. . :devil:

steph

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I am waiting admission into a nursing program and for the past 7 years I have been employed as an esthetician - especially BRAZILIAN WAXING SPECIALIST. my life is hair

I have been told by some VERY pregnant women that they were told to shave or wax beforehand otherwise the hospital would shave them. I too thought this was odd.

here is the stranger thing - girls as YOUNG AS 15 are coming in for brazilian waxes (waxing hair from the top of the pubic line, to the tip of the butt crack including the labia often leaving a "landing strip" or small triangle in the front)

I ask them why and they say they hate hair. they think its gross and can't stand it. often these girls aren't even sexually active yet (you get close with your brazilian waxer and divulge a lot of personal information when you're half nekkid!)

Older girls feel they have to stay clean for the chance of hooking up with a new boy, what if he finds *GASP* a pubic hair?!!?! what will he do!?! what will he say! she will SURELY be ostracized.

I TRY to knock sense into these people. We have pubic hair because once upon a time we walked around buck-a$$ nekkid and needed natural blocks to keep the bugs and dirt out of our ladybits. Also since its the most covered up area on our body, other bodily hair has evolved lighter and softer due to friction from clothing. (I think, just my theory, but the keeping out the bigs bit I saw on discovery channel)

Its just amazing that MANY women cant bare to wait 2 weeks to grow out their hair for a wax. Why all this hatred? I try to talk people out of the "full monty" and to leave a strip at least. And I try my hardest to talk people out of a strip that no thicker than two toothpicks next to each other. That just looks silly. Boy o boy.

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

or watch "harold & kumar escape from guantanamo bay."

this gave me the giggles because i went to college with a pre-med student named kumar who was the most uptight, hidebound, conservative, stick-in-the-mud guy you could possibly imagine. i'm not even sure the kumar i remember even knew about pubic hair...:D

kathy

shar pei mom:paw::paw:

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My wife had a baby this past winter. She stopped grooming down there due to the obstacle of her belly a couple weeks before she gave birth. She went through a couple hours of attempted lady partsl birth before they shaved the top of her pubic hair for an emergency c-section. No mention was made of shaving her or her shaving herself before that.

But yes, even guys in our 30s expect very little to no hair down there. "The Amazon" as one poster put it would not be attractive.

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.

Wow.. all the answers to questions I was always afraid to ask! Informative thread :lol2:

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
Thank you for the descriptions! I am not going to google the images. :lol2: I also found it super funny that brillohead brought this up.

Me too......:p

(heheheheheheheheheheheheheheh....)

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Specializes in Cardiac.
Wow.. all the answers to questions I was always afraid to ask! Informative thread :lol2:

Agreed! Only one more..how much are girls paying for this Brazilian wax?

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EIGHTY DOLLARS! i however work for an up-and-coming franchise (over 40 locations nationwide) called European Wax Center which is kinda related to Massage Envy in a way. All we do is wax, and we do it quick - 15 minute brazilian wax, 15 minute lower leg wax...u get the drift. We charge $39 for the brazilian wax. When i waxed clients out of my home i charged between $25-40 depending on the "area" of the hair (area as in a math term like perimeter)

If you REALLY think about it...certain intimate situations with a partner work better for them if pubic hair is not involved. Disagree? try it out, and thank me ( and Dr Ruth) later lol.

If this prompts ANYONE to get waxed DO NOT GO TO A NAIL/HAIR SALON! those girls are not trained correctly, they DOUBLE DIP the wax stick ( and then proceed to wax someone else's upper lip or eyebrows with the same wax pot they were double dipping during your brazilian wax) and often cause traumatic experiences, pain, and ingrowns. use sites like citisearch.com and yelp.com to find a spa with good reviews and one thats clean. You want to see your waxer use a brand new stick each and every time, and SHE MUST WEAR GLOVES!! (many places they don't because they get in the way how GROSS)

Anyone have any private waxing questions, please feel free to PM me :-)

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best

thread

ever

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