Wax, shave or trim your lady bits?

Ha ha - this thread is entertaining indeed. I ended up getting DH to give me a neat trim the other day and its just as well - I was feeling very swollen down there (more so than last pregnancy) and my midwife confirmed that I have a pregnancy-induced varicose vain running down my right labia toward my perenium, and that it is twice as swollen as the left side!!!:rolleyes: Probably would have been very painful to wax - especially as I am not accoustomed to waxing in that area.

Kelly - I would love a water birth!! At present the birth centre here in WA only allow women to labour in the birthing pool, but not deliver. There is a petition going to have this changed. I might just try pretending that I am not really that far along and when I get the urge to push just refuse to get out of the bath- lol!!

i think the hospital i am also birthing at (warragul) has a policy on not delivering in the water, but labour is okay.... however i looked up the policy on it and basically they cannot make you get out of the water, they just try to discourage it.... i say you just don't move out of the water, what are they gunna do????????????????

Well, we've wandered a little bit OT, but hey, water birth is always a good discussion. :) I'm totally in favour of water birth, having had a great one myself, but I wouldn't recommend putting your caregivers into a position they are uncomfortable and stressed about. At least discuss it with your midwife before hand and try to get an idea for how she feels about it.

I'm still waiting for more info on hair removal cream.... anyone? :)

after reading the other hair removal thread, i tried the hair removal cream very close to sensitive areas down there..... hard to describe where i did it, kind of underneath where your leg meets your bits, and right back very very very ultra close to ummmm here goes, rectum area, and had no problems at all.... my only disappointment was that after a day of being smooth as a baby's bottom, the regrowth started straight away, so i was a bit disappointed i didn't get longer out of it. after my experience i can't see it being a problem using it on labia etc, as long as its not an 'intricate' area, and is just your normal every day skin..... hope that helps! wow can't believe i used the words labia and rectum at 7 o'clock in the morning.

It's after 5pm here Emma - does that help? ;)
Any itching issues? That's what drives me mad.
Thanks for the info! :)

It's years since I used creams but I found that I got itchy within a very short period of time. Not sure if that's because I'm prone to ingrown hairs or if it's to do with the cream. Have ultimately given up and just get waxed all the time now with less itching resulting.

i didn't have any itchiness, just *****liness, as i felt the hairs growing back and kind of sticking into the opposite area if it makes any sense, probably doesn't.... i can't stand the *****ly feeling, like stubble!

I'm booked in for a wax on Wednesday - I'm off on holiday with DH and haven't done any "maintenance" work for a while, DH usually does it but he's away with work atm. It's my first professional waxing, long story but I bought an at-home kit last year put the strips on then pleaded with DH to pull them off because I couldn't bring myself to do it. It was messy, uneven and left a rash. A disaster!

Cricket, I used the hair removal cream for the last few summers. I would go for one for sensitive skin, takes a bit longer but gentler on the skin. Usually works best after you've had a shower. I would get DH to apply because it can be awkward and I'm no gymnast. The most uncomfortable part is waiting the half hour or whatever it is for the cream to work because it feels all gooey down there!

OK, I've gone brazilian for a while now and just did some 'self-maintenance' on the weekend with my epilator, so feeling very smooth again. I just prefer the feeling, especially for a planned waterbirth (so it's for me alone, as no-one's gonna see much!).
I have found MooGoo Post Wax cream to be really effective and I just made up my own product the other day because my last professional wax job was a bit dodgy (the second last one was ACE and was done somewhere a bit further away that I didn't want to drive to a few weeks ago!) and left me with some stubborn ingrowns. It's a pot of aloe vera gel (that I already have from my aromatherapy supplies) with loads of tea tree oil, some lavender and chamomile. In the 3 days I've been using it I've nearly rid myself of the buggers! My supply of MGPW cream is down to a couple of finger loads, so being frugal with it wasn't working very well. Glad to report that my DIY gel is effective :)
As for self-epilating - not for the faint hearted. With the extra blood flow I have to wash the epilator head and leave it to dry for a day on the wood heater - follicles just release blood I never knew existed when they're yanked out at this stage of the game!

Mayaness, isn't lavendar something that should be avoided during pregnancy? early part anyway? I'm sure i read when I was preg first time that it could bring on miscarriage during early preg. (not that you're early preg...!!)

I am wondering what to do also. I have never been for a professional wax. I have very sensitive skin and it reacts to almost anything I do. I sometimes shave but usually get a nice rash (as I do now) that is really itchy. About half the time when I wax I get lumpy and itchy regrowth (and a few ingrowns) and creams don't seem to work that well. Usually I just go for a short all over trim unless I'm going swimming (but usually wear boardies anyway!).
Any suggestions? Not sure if I'm bold enough to go to a salon...

Lavender used to be on the restricted list - it's not really, anymore. I don't really like lavender as a scent and use it for remedial purposes (burns, skin healing etc) :) I don't put it in moisturisers for my face cos of the smell that puts me in a bad mood! I tended to avoid oils that are more known for regulating hormones and cycles earlier on (fennel, geranium for example). Tea tree is supposed to be debatable, too, but I made my own call on it - still no labour symptoms, three days on ;)
I'm not an aromatherapist, so check with someone who has something resembling more formal training...I'm just a backyarder!

crack up, my words got beeped out, and i was saying (i will spell it wrong so you know what i was saying)

prikkly

good one, thanks Mayanes, I was hyper paranoid during my first pg about it. Like you, I don't much like the scent either so it wasn't a problem from that perspective. Just a paranoia... like, I won't eat licorice when I REALLY want it because it's on the list of what not to have!

emma - can't understand why it would beep out that word?!!!! how amusing!!

Jleigh - I reckon wander into the salon, I've alwys had a much better result from a salon wax than a home wax, every time. Occasionally get an ingrown but a lot less itching and a lot less rash. To them, seeing your bits is just the same as a gynae - they see them all the time and think nothing of it (doesn't stop a little modesty creeping in but still...!) Good luck!

I did it! Went for my first ever waxing today in a salon. It was (relatively) painless and now I'm nice and neat! I will definitely be going again. Heaps easier than doing it yourself.

Ha with DS I was in full blown labour in the bath trying to shave my downstairs with my then DP holding a mirror for me so I could see. I refused to go to the hospital until I was done :D
This time Im unsure if I even still have a vagina, havent seen it in weeks so I assume its hibernating lol.
Does anyone know if it matters with a c section?

good on ya! I'm too chicken to get a wax after a professional's not so professional efforts. not only did she burn me but she missed half of my hair. had huuuuuuuuuge blisters and then she got jacked up because i refused to pay for her botched up job. went into same place a week later to get my hair done by my very reputable hairdresser and she informed me dodgy waxer was fired after doing a repeat performance on a lady's bits. said i was well within my rights not to pay! at least it was only my legs i got done but i had tears in my eyes for other lady!

I like to give myself a good tidy up with the home hot wax tub and trim up what 's left with some hair clippers but I'm not a fan of the 'all off' look, more a g-sting wax. Last time when I was preggers I did a good, thorough wax at about 39 weeks for my own sake. I used a mirror and went by feel! Even though when you're in labour you couldn't care less about what your bits look like, I felt that if I felt uncomfortable about my hairiness, my self consciousness might affect my concentration and outcomes. Midwives are used to seeing all extremes from 70's bush with 3 inch long hairs to porn star waxings! -What ever you present them with, they'll work with! I think a lot of anxiety comes from the fact that the current fashion seems to be for minimal pubes and women feel judged for being out of fashion.

I'm thinking of going for a pro-wax this pregnancy when I'm bigger (I'm 21 weeks now) as the extra bloodflow makes the skin extra sensitive and I'm no sadomasochist! The thing that puts me off going to a salon is the thought of being all trussed up like I'm at the gynie with a bright light on my bits and someone staring intently at them!

I've also heard that if you're waxed (vs shaved or haired) and you have to be extensively stitched up, you have a better outcome so that's my only 'practical' arguement!