When should pregnant women stop shaving? There is plenty of guidance provided online and by nurses that suggests that pregnant women shouldn't shave beyond 36 weeks gestation. This is because shaving pubic hair can increase the risk of infections during labour.
Our current advice is that you don't shave or wax your pubic area just prior to giving birth, as this increases your risk of infection, especially if you have an operative procedure like a caesarean section.
A professional salon wax or sugar wax may be the better hair removal option for your bikini line during pregnancy. Make sure the salon you choose is clean; the technician should wear gloves and use a new spatula between applications to prevent sharing germs.
It is generally considered to be safe to get a Brazilian wax while pregnant. While your skin may be more sensitive, and you should always tell your technician that you are pregnant, even if you think it's obvious, there is no medical reason to avoid a Brazilian.
Hormones are the one causing this change just like many others your body will undergo during this period. Normally, the hair grows in many body parts. During pregnancy, the hormone levels change and become higher than normal, often leading to more hair growth, as well as, a darker and thicker body hair.
Verdict: Safe
It's safe, but because you have more blood flowing to your skin during pregnancy—especially in your pubic area— you'll probably be more sensitive to tugging on your skin. Apply a soothing antiseptic lotion before and after waxing to help prevent stinging.
If you've heard the exact opposite—that you should shave before labour—that's understandable because it used to be the recommendation. In fact, hospitals used to shave your pubic hair for you—and in some areas, they still do.
The Royal College of Midwives will tell you that no midwife would tell or expect a pregnant woman to shave or wax her pubic hair before turning up in the labour ward. If you want to, that's fine; if you don't, that's also fine.
Never mind that the Royal College of Midwives has repeatedly stated that there is no need to do so, that no health professional will even notice and that pubic hair will have absolutely no effect on your baby's health. If you need a C-section, they will shave whatever needs to be shaved.
We've heard that some OBGYNs will advise against shaving or waxing down there for at least 30 days before your due date to avoid the risk of infection. Others have no issue with it, kind of like the whole solids vs. clear liquids during labor debacle. It all depends on your doctor.
Shaving pubic hair in the early stages of labour is a standard procedure in most hospitals in India. It is done for both normal deliveries and c-sections. It is thought that shaving the pubic hair makes birth more hygienic and reduces the chances of infection.
However, you may be surprised to know that the current medical advice given is that you don't shave or wax your pubic area at all just prior to giving birth. The reason for this is it increases your risk of an infection especially if you have an operative procedure like a Caesarean section.
When do you lose your mucus plug? Most people don't lose their mucus plug until after 37 weeks of pregnancy. In some cases, losing the mucus plug happens days or weeks before your baby's due date. Some people don't lose it until they're in labor.
It's no longer standard procedure to shave pubic hair, because it could permit unwanted bacteria into the body. (Nor should you shave or wax your own bikini area or abdomen right before a scheduled C-section, also due to the infection risk.)
“Routine perineal/pubic shaving prior to giving vaginal birth is not recommended,” they say, the concern being for nicks and scrapes potentially being a trigger for infection. They also make it clear that whilst the situation for C-sections is different, it's ultimately a woman's choice.
Pubic or perineal shaving is a procedure performed before birth in order to lessen the risk of infection if there is a spontaneous perineal tear or if an episiotomy is performed.
An anonymous midwife gave all of the hairy details and the truth is, they don't care at all. As long as the baby can come out and they can safely put in stitches, she wrote, "we don't care if you're full bush, bald as a baby, or something exciting like a lightening bolt/vajazzled. I don't even notice any more."
For decades it was true that pregnant women were shaved in hospital before delivery but research and medical studies have shown there is no clear benefit to shaving before going into labour. Shaving down there before delivery can actually increase the risk of infection at the time of birth.
A: It doesn't happen to everyone who's pregnant, but sometimes a growing fetus in the uterus puts so much pressure on your abdominal wall that your normally “innie” belly button becomes an “outie.” It typically happens in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, most commonly around 26 weeks.
In a video that has more than 3.7 million views on TikTok, Grant Buechner, who is also a registered nurse and lactation consultant, explains that grooming is not recommended beyond 36 weeks gestation. “Shaving pubic hair can INCREASE risk of infection at the time of birth, even with Cesarean birth,” she wrote.
The reasoning behind it is that body heat is lost mainly through one's head and that a new mother needs to preserve her body heat to recover. Keeping your head covered is believed to prevent any body heat from escaping.