You are approaching your due date and understandably you are a riding a roller-coaster of emotions – nervous about the experience, excited about the baby, worried about the life after, ecstatic about the wait being over and so on. As if you did not have enough to worry about, someone talks about having to remove the pubic hair before going for the delivery. If you have always got a bikini wax done, then this new piece of information should not worry you much. However, if you have never shaved the area, or if you are embarrassed about getting your pubic hair shaved by someone else, then the news might give you an additional reason to be terrified about, especially if this is your first child.
Why Is It Recommended To Remove Pubic Hair Before Delivery?
There are multiple reasons why it is common for hospitals to insist on a shaven vaginal area. They are:
- A sans-hair vagina enables a more hygienic birth with reduced chances of infection
- A shaven pubic area will enable easy maintenance post partum when you are bleeding, but not yet very mobile
- It makes it easier for your obstetrician to make a perineum cut to assist you during a difficult vaginal birth
- As with any surgical procedure, if you are having a caesarian, then you need to shave the area. On similar lines, if you were trying for a vaginal birth, but have to go for a unplanned c-section, then it saves a lot of time if your pubic area is already shaven
- Psychologically, an expecting mom might be worried what the nurses and obstetrician might think about her if her vaginal region is bushy. Having a shaven pubic area helps one escape this unnecessary, but understandable embarrassment
Although these reasons seem reasonable, you might still be uncomfortable with the idea of a nurse shaving your pubic region (because you cannot practically do it because of your bulging tummy). So here are:
5 Ways To Ease Your Concerns Around Shaving Pubic Hair Before Delivery
- Talk to your doctor in advance about your fear and anxiety. If you have a friendly doctor, she will put your fears to rest right away the way she has done throughout your pregnancy. Some doctors might also decide to not ask for it, if they feel you are being overtly anxious about it. This is because there is very less evidence connecting pubic hair to infection
- Talk to your friends/siblings/cousins who have been there done that. You will be reassured to hear about their first hand experiences and how it is not a big deal at all
- Talk to other expecting moms. It is calming in many ways to know that you are not isolated in this fear. Ask them how they are coping their anxiety
- Read about it (like you are doing right now!) and understand that shaving is only a very small part of your delivery experience and you need not give it more significance than it deserves!
- If a nurse shaving the area is what is bothering you, think about getting it done at home. Your mom or husband will have to do it for you, as you won’t be able to do it yourself due to the belly. But if you do decide to get it done at the hospital, you need to pay attention to some points such as listed below
5 Things to Remember When Getting Your Pubic Hair Shaved Before Delivery
- Ensure that a new razor is used on you. Insist on seeing the razor being opened from the pack in front of you
- Tell the nurse if the shaving is hurting you in any way. Ideally, it should be painless, but if it is causing you discomfort, then there might be a risk of cut which needs to be avoided
- Ensure that the pubic region is first cleansed with an antiseptic
- Do not be ashamed about it – the nurses are trained to do things like this and they would not and should not pass snide remarks or judge you
- Shaving will not hurt as such, but as your hair grows back, you may feel itchy
As a concluding note, we would again like to reiterate that this is in fact really not a big deal and you should not waste your resources worrying about this!
Is it safe to get a bikini wax done during pregnancy? Find out here!
Hope you have a safe delivery!
