Ladies - a question about shaving/waxing... and hygiene

[Alan]

HI girls
Pregnancy will increase your chance of getting thrush.
The amount of hair has no bearing on thrush.
Excessive use of soap will increase your chance of getting thrush.
Tight pants or undies will increase your chance of getting thrush
Nylon, lycra will increase your chance of getting thrush.
Try to spend some time without undies and let the area breathe
Midwives do not care or comment how much hair you have. We see everything from bald to platable.

[nagromeyk]

Leasha - I am usually quite susceptible to getting thrush but surprisingly havent had it since I fell pregnant.

I found a product at the chemist called 'Vagisil' which is absolutely brilliant. It is PH balanced and soap free, maybe give that a go instead of soap. I know I definitely cant use soap "down there" - upsets the PH level.

Yoghurt that has live cultures in it usually does the trick for me too

[Zee]

Thanks for that Alan!!

I have never had thrush but had heard its quite normal in pregnancy or over cleaning.

[Cricket]

OK, I've got a somewhat related question - mind if I borrow the thread for a sec? How on EARTH do you guys tolerate the itchiness of shaving?!?! I've tried it, and it drove me around the bend! Waxing was a whole other disaster... Perhaps some of you remember the thread - but believe me, there was blood, sweat, and tears. And DH had to finish the job.
Anyways, I like the idea of being neat and tidy, but I have yet to find a workable solution - what do you do?

[Snacks]

I agree with Trillian water is all you need to freshen up the area. Soap of any kind will upset the balance and that's how the nasties grow.
In my antenatal classes the midwife told us to be hairy and proud, LOL, because waxing and shaving will only increase the chance of cuts and ingrowns that can get infected, and possibly cause bigger issues that way. She said Middies just DON'T CARE if you're hairy or otherwise. Seen one, seen 'em all.
Cricket, if you're really concerned about being tidy, how about just trimming with scissors?

[Kitt3n]

I love that post alan, to the point!

I used to get thrush often, but now i ......

- Dont use soap - i use a soap free wash and ensure all dry before i put anything back on
- Only ever wear cotton undies (you can get some kinda sexy ones!!)
- Never wear undies to bed, just my jammie pants
- Take a pro biotic (ever since i started inliven i have not had thrush, not even when on antibiotics!)

GL with getting rid of it hun - might sound yuck, but try putting yoghurt (natural style) all over "down there" and leaving it for a little while, its supposed to get rid of the thrush!

Hope the UTI isnt too uncomfortable.

[Curly]

Hi Cricket

I always used to wax but I have so much trouble getting the time to get to the salon now that I just maintain it the best I can with my epilator (which really hurts so only the bikini line gets done and I just trim the rest). I have the epilator for my underarms. I've tried shaving and depilatory cream on the bikini line and I get horrible itchies and redness as well. It's great for the first day and then I have to spend the next few days resisting the urge to scratch in public, what a nightmare.

Just the other day I heard about a gadget called the Seiko Clean Cut which is an electric razor specifically designed for the pubic area. It only works on stubble so you have to trim right down first but the reviews for it have been amazing, everyone raving about how smooth and irritation-free the shave is, it's been called the pain-free Brazilian. I am seriously considering getting one.

Back on topic, while pregnant I have been using Sebamed Feminine Intimate Wash which is specifically pH balanced for the female genital area so I can just generally feel as fresh as possible but I am not troubled by thrush anyway. Believe me if hair caused thrush I would be continually plagued by it.

[LimeSlice]

Cricket - I use a remmington hair trimmer like one you get for shaving heads and stiff, just a "Lady" version lol It is ace! no itchiness, and it is short enough....then I just use hair removal cream to do my edges ....lol sounds like mowing a lawn...

Leasha - Soap is not your friend. Do not use soap on the girls. Soap and mucous membranes do not agree (one of the reasons soap stings your eyes). Also, I reccomend cotton undies and none if you dont have to wear them....oh and yeah, the drying thing.
Also, go to the chemist and get some Ural - the best invention ever

OMG I cannot believe you are 36 weeks already!! So excited for you and Shel!!

[Jacksta75]

Hi Leasha,

you poor thing, it must be so frustrating. I get thrush every time i have antibiotics. The thing that clears it up for me is Inner health tablets. They are just capsules with 25 billion good bacteria in them. I'm sure they would be safe to take whilst pregnant. Ask your obs or pharmacist - they will tell you if ok to take. Guaranteed it will clear up in a day or two!!

[Phteven]

Cricket, you could get a men's beard and moustache trimmer/clippers - it will tame the jungle but not so short that there's any issue with ingrown hairs etc.
They usually sell them near the hair-dryers in k-mart etc.

[smiles4u]

Yeh, just as ALAN said

... my midwives said the same thing & just go without knickers when at home ... which was nice as it was a hot Summer when I was pregnant & I was happy to shed any clothing

[didispunk]

i would say get waxed.... you will never go back!!

[Olive]

i think pubic hair acts a little like nasal hair, keeps forgein things out!! its also there to prevent chaffing during DTD!! we have it for a reason!! i also like to be trim and neat too!!

[Cricket]

I've actually got a clipper for DH's hair. (I cut it for him.)
.....hmmmm..... I wonder if I should try that. I've got all different length attachments for it. It could be STYLISH!
Of course, he might not like the idea of me cutting pubic hairs with his hair clipper.
Maybe I'll try it and see how it goes. Sounds like a much nicer option than the waxing or shaving.

[MissWingBat]

Hi All, OMG this thread just made me LOL - everyone is so different with their personal preferences. I agree with everybody who said it is the anti-biotics - they not only kill the bad bugs, but all your good bugs, and put your whole system out of whack. They cause thrush really badly. Try eating more yogurt.
I wanted to share a funny story in relation to your question about the mid-wives caring about the jungle. I too, had the hugest belly and I was really concerned with 'trimming the bushes' before my big debut... Anyways, I asked my hubbie if he could have a go, and he said he would get the whipper-snipper out... So that was a NO.
So, in the birth suite, whilst jacked-up on their wonderful drugs, they had to break my waters. The mid-wife got out a 'knitting-needle' and I said, "Hey, I know I haven't trimmed lately, but it's not that long to make a scarf out of it!"
All my labours were a comedy fest, I cracked everyone up. I wish we were allowed to be on gas everyday...

[Phteven]

I've actually got a clipper for DH's hair. (I cut it for him.)
.....hmmmm..... I wonder if I should try that. I've got all different length attachments for it. It could be STYLISH!
Of course, he might not like the idea of me cutting pubic hairs with his hair clipper.
Maybe I'll try it and see how it goes. Sounds like a much nicer option than the waxing or shaving.

Do you mean hair clippers for his head? They might be a bit big for the pubic area. The beard and moustache trimmers are much smaller and designed for wirier hair.