Told Not to Shave

I went to the hospital for my first visit last week and with all the info that they give you I found a pamphlet. This pamphlet said:

Please do not shave 4 weeks proir to delivery.

My question is why?

With my previous pg and births I've been pretty much bald (sorry if TMI) :oops: , so I don't see why I can't be this time.

Just wondering if anyone knows the answer.

Thanks :p

Wow, never heard of that before. I wonder why? I've always had a brazillian done just prior.

I was under the impression that if it was a bit tidier down there it was easier to stitch up (lets hope it doesn't come to that). Back in the old days they used to shave women rourinely (and give them a compulsorary enema :shock:) before labour.
Have you checked out this article about Waxing For Labour? (its not shaving ;) LOL).

Hi Ladies,
I have heard that your not supposed to shave prior because of the little nics and cuts you always get when shaving (even when you dont notice) can get easily infected. Id personally prefer to have everything neat and tidy before having a lot of people standing around looking at that area for several hours but would reccomend waxing over shaving. also i have heard that some waxing places wont wax that area on a pregnant woman so before booking your appointment i suggest asking if they will do it. I honestly dont know why they would refuse or if they can legally refuse but there may be some underlying medical reason that i havnt heard about.
Anyways have a great day all
Mel :D

ok whoa - who else is brave enough to have a brazilian? I know bikini line is hard enough right before your period, because the area is sensitive - I would imagine close to birth it would be the same!

I definitley don't want old growth forest happening - but I don't know if I'm brave enough to go the brazilian!

( I would think waxing would be better than shaving, if nicks and cuts are the issue though)

I really had no choice but to go professional after about 30 wks....I dunno about you girls but I found it hard to shave my legs or even see my feet for that matter....actually getting right under the bump to trim up the area was pretty much impossible! My DH offered to shave me brazilian at 38 wks but I said....Hmmmm no thanks!!!

As far as I can think, logically, what Mellon23 said is prob the best reason....but then again if you do nick yourself it's healed like the next day! I think that Hospital went a bit overboard with that request perhaps to cover their own ars*s.

I was wondering about this before I had Gabby too!
There's no real ettiquette as far as I know.
In the end, I don't think I really cared. I just wanted the baby out - forest or not! LOL

Any chance you're going to the Logan Hospital Amanda? Just wondering, because that's the same phamplet I got given. I was a good girl and didn't shave....never thought to ask when I was in labour what the reason was for this. I just assumed it was to lower any chance of infection if you were to have open pores maybe?

Yes Beckibee that is where I will be going, I might ask at the 36 week check up.

Good luck Amanda....I hope you find the Logan as positive an experience as what I did! :)

I've already had my two boys there so it's not so new to me anymore. How's your little one?

I have been told not to shave or wax - I did ask the midwife about it and the shave thing was incase of a nick or cut that could lead to infection - she also said that the waxing rule was because your pores stay open longer when you are pregnant - making it easier for baceria to get in.

Thanks Jacci, the thing is I've done the previous 3 times and touch wood I haven't had any infections. So who really knows.

I think it is just to cover them!!! - I will still be having my bits waxed - i don't want anyone looking down there when my maintenance isn't done

I've noticed some women saying they were still being waxed just before.... How did this go pain wise? I got waxed early in my PG and it hurt like hell compared to normal!!!! Hence I've gone to shaving at the moment. But I do want to be "neat" when this baby comes so I'd like a wax if nothing else!!!

I think that I might still either shave or get a wax done before the birth, I don't want to look and feel like a woolie mammoth.