From choosing a doctor to making a birth plan to packing the perfect first outfit for your little one to wear after they're born, there are a lot of things to think about when preparing to give birth. But according to one midwife's PSA about birth and pubic hair on Reddit, here's what you should do regarding intimate grooming when you're expecting.
This weekend, a midwife took to the BabyBumps subreddit with a post titled "Birth and pubic hair. From a midwife." The post already has almost 2,000 upvotes — probably because readers are loving the advice.
"Please don't worry about pubic hair. We don't even notice as long as you have showered in the last week," the midwife wrote on Reddit, confirming that women need not concern themselves with grooming pubic hair before giving birth. "As long as the baby can come out, we don't care if you're full bush, bald as a baby, or something exciting like a lightning bolt/vajazzled. I don't even notice any more."
She also acknowledged that some expectant mothers may groom themselves for reasons other than vanity; for example; some women may think it's necessary to be bare in case of a C-section. "It doesn't affect stitches or anything to do with our work," she continued. "If you have a C-section we can shave the important part for you with a sterile razor."
And just in case some readers had not yet gotten the message, the midwife stressed that it's not worth reaching around your bump to shave for your doctor or midwife's benefit — with an A+ analogy, to boot. She concluded her post by declaring:
Please don't get yourself into an uncomfortable position trying to do something for us, cause we won't even notice. It's like getting your hair done and your husband/friends not even noticing.
To get a certified medical opinion on this issue, Romper spoke with Deena Blumenfeld, who is a (get ready for an impressive list of credits) birth doula, Prenatal Yoga instructor, "Childbirth Maven," and Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator who founded Shining Light Prenatal Education and Shining Light Doulas in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Blumenfeld tells Romper that as a doula, she has seen "many variations as to what women choose to do, or not do with their pubic hair for labor. I've seen fully shaven to neatly trimmed, to full body hair."
And just like the midwife behind the Reddit post, Blumenfeld concurs that the appearance of pubic hair doesn't matter to her or her staff. "From my perspective and that of medical staff, it really doesn't matter what a woman's pubic hair looks like," she says. "It's all about her personal preference. Medically, it makes no real difference what she looks like."
However, she notes that medical professionals generally advise that women do not shave, due to a slight infection risk. "Though, shaving pubic hair does come with a small increase in the risk of infection. So, generally, women are encouraged not to shave," she tells Romper. "Ultimately, a woman should tend to her body hair as she usually does. There is no reason to worry about what staff, or your doula, thinks about your pubic hair."
And in case all that wasn't enough to convince you, a Redditor claiming to be an OB-GYN chimed in, adding a few other things that don't phase medical professionals. The doctor wrote: "As an ob/gyn - 100% agreed. And it’s not only pubic hair... hemorrhoids, interesting tattoos and piercings in your nether areas... anyone who’s been delivering babies for a few years has seen it all."
And another commenter, whose post implied that they work in delivery rooms in some regard, even quelled people's fears about pooping while giving birth. "Serious question— farting and/or pooping. Is it as bothersome to providers as it can be for some of us delivering babies? (I can only speak for myself)," a user asked on the Reddit thread.
The self-declared "poop ninja" responded: "Nope. We call ourselves poop ninjas for a reason. Some women don’t even realize they’ve pooped because we can usually catch it as it’s coming out (into a wipe), then do a quick wipe before they’ve even noticed. Pooping is totally normal though and is a good sign because it means the baby’s head is coming down."
This is not a topic that mothers usually talk about — but for Cardi B, who welcomed her first baby last year, nothing is off the table. Last June, Cardi tweeted a devastating pregnancy update. "SAD NEWS: I can’t see my vagina anymore," she posted, followed by a sad face emoji.
The tweet quickly garnered 200,000 likes, and Cardi was not amused. "SMH 200K likes on this tweet? I guess ya love when I’m miserable. You know how hard it is to shave my vagina?" she tweeted. "I literally have to put one leg up in the sink while I look in the mirror facefront. I hate all of yaaa," she tweeted.
But Cardi wasn't willing to get too uncomfortable. When a follower recommended that she go get a wax, she replied: "Hell f*ckin' nooooo. I cannot take that pain." Brava, Cardi!
So if you're planning to give birth anytime soon, feel free to take personal gardening off your birth preparation list.
After a very frustrating first birth experience, this Deaf mother wanted a change. Will the help of two Deaf doulas give the quality communication and birth experience this mom wants and deserves? Watch Episode Four of Romper's Doula Diaries, Season Two, below, and visit Bustle Digital Group's YouTube page for more episodes.
