Most of us consider having a tidy up ‘down there’ at the pointy end of pregnancy – we just assume the whole birth thing will be far more pleasant for everyone without pubes to deal with. But according to a nurse and doula, there’s a very good reason you shouldn’t shave the bush before birth.
Nurse, doula and lactation consultant Angela Grant made a TikTok explaining why you should ditch the razor in the final few weeks of pregnancy.
“Did you know that it’s actually NOT recommended to shave public hair after 36 weeks of pregnancy?” she explains. “Shaving pubic hair can INCREASE the risk of infection at the time of birth, even with a cesarean birth.”
“Waxing isn’t necessary either and is usually more painful during pregnancy. (Doctors DON’T care!). Leave the bush alone.”
After her initial video went viral, Angela decided to expand on her recommendation, after some negative comments on the first video.
“In the field of medicine there are a lot of things that people get confused that, just because it’s done, doesn’t mean that it’s actually the best practice. All I did was share the research, research shows that it’s actually not necessary or recommended to shave before you give birth. It was very common for many years, and apparently still is in some places.”
@nutmeg_lc Don’t shave your bush PART 2! #birth #labourandbirth #pregnant #pregnancy #laboranddelivery #obgyn #rn #birthplan #doula #momsoftiktok #prenatal #lc ♬ original sound – NutmegBirthBabiesBreastfeeding
The nurse explained that micro abrasions happen from shaving, which can lead to infection. She said that if it’s really necessary, a doctor can trim public hair.
“Clipping is fine and is preferred over shaving. Waxing is fine but might hurt more,” she added.”
Why shouldn’t you shave your vagina before giving birth?
While it used to be common practice for women to be shaved before giving birth, more recent research has found it can increase the risk of infection for women who end up needing a c-section. Micro abrasions on the skin surface can become infected.
A 2015 study found that fewer infection occur with clipping, using hair removal cream or just leaving the hair as is, rather than shaving.
Did you tidy up ‘down there’ before giving birth?
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