The Hair Down There

[Dichotomy]

Okay mamas...help me out.


Prior to getting pregnant, I kept the hair in my nether-regions pretty tamed. I would typically shave down to nothing most of the time, and never let it get more than maybe a centimeter long before I was cleaning it up again.


Fast forward to being pregnant....and this becomes pretty hard to keep up with! At almost 25 weeks, my belly is beginning to get in the way. I cant seem to position myself just right in order to get a clean shave. I can cleanly shave the pubis mons, and thats about it. Everything else I need to go at blindly. I know Im missing spots and things of the sort.


As silly as it might sound, just "letting it go" really isnt an option for me. I dont particularly care for the way it feels when its long. And while I know its pretty ridiculous for me to care about the appearance of my labia...I just prefer to keep it bare.


Just wondering if any of you have any tips or tricks for maintaining that area while pregnant??

[WifeofAnt]

I don't keep mine totally clean, I prefer to have between a centimeter and an inch just so I don't look 'naked' but at the rate it grows I need to shave it about every 3-4 weeks. Usually either squatting in the tub or putting one foot up on the soap holder gives me enough space but I too feel like I'm missing a lot.

[TheDivineMrsM]

What about waxing? It's painful (esp the first few times) but you don't need to get it done as often as you'd need to shave.

[St. Margaret]

Waxing is supposedly way more painful when you're pregnant-- like, some places won't even do pregnany mamas, unless they're regulars I think.

I think it's time for some daddy-duty

I used to clean up here and there, but with DD I decided since I wouldn't be able to see, I'd just let it go from the get-go, so when I was birthing it wouldn't be all partly grown in and itchy. Now I hate shaving, but it IS a little too long in places (getting in the way, tangled in TP) but I'm scared to trim in case the edges make it itchy...

[nintendork]

I have made my husband swear to help me shave my legs and clean up "that area" before we leave for the hospital to have the baby. lol.

[wholewheatchick]

I have horrible, awful eyesight and can't wear contacts, so I shave "blind" on a regular basis...I call it shaving by Braille and it makes DH cringe, but hey, that's what it is, kind of, since I just check by touch if an area is stubbly or smooth.

I figure shaving my legs is good practice for stretching and flexibility, but I haven't decided how I am going to take care of "down there" becuase I am like the OP in how long I ever let it get. I might try squatting, and if that doesn't work, I'll see how DH feels about taking care of it.

[bella99]

Here's what I did with my first pregnancy (probably this time around too).

I have one of those battery powdered nose hair trimmers (I don't use it for that though!), and use that instead. I would sit down on the bathroom floor, pretty much spread eagle, with a mirror in one hand and the trimmer in the other. Than I would use the regular razor for general clean up in the areas where having direct vision wasn't important afterwards.

I tried to have my husband do it, but without being able to see what he was doing, I became a bit of a back seat driver if you know what I mean and he said he wouldn't do it again if all I was going to do was yell at him and tell him he was doing it wrong .

[kalamos23]

This totally made me remember shaving before DD was born. I thought I did a great job, shaving by Braille (btw, that is awesome!). I think I shaved the day or 2 before she was born. Anyway, after we got home, and I took my first shower, I happened to be able to see that area again. I was shocked to find out that I had a nice swatch right down the middle where I obviously couldn't reach (thought I was shaving it all off!)!

So yeah - I think it's pretty much a lost cause, girls.

[NewMaMaZenLovin]

LOL this is a great thread. I have seriously never gone this long without shaving(underarms legs and "down there" lol i mean MY VAGINA) And i tell you waht its awesome. I put cacow butter and coconut oil on after every shower and my baby's daddy causght me petting my underarm like a cat he said. Its so soft i think i would miss it if i shaved, and being pregnant makes my hair grow even more so i was like, hmm shave everyother day only to have stubble in half a day(itchy ugly stubble) or just let it go and if anyone has a problem with it they're probably not much worth my time anyway. I do trim the down there part cause it gets a little ridiculous(im German through and through) and trimming dosnt make it itchy or anything (just keep up on that oil) Im thinking about waxing my legs and or bikini area before the birth (im 21 weeks) just to make everyting "smooth" for the water. I think it would feel nice. But then again I might just leave it. It still feels nice and Im not trying to impress anyone. Believe it or not some men find hair on a woman to be WOMANLY! Go figure. is there a hairy mama emoticon anywhere out there? I am woman, hear my hairy vagina ROAR!

[lillymonster]

I have a battery powered razor/bikini trimmer (I think it's marketed as a trimmer) and it has different "levels" so that you won't knick if you get too close. I used it for DD, but I also shaved full leg until I delivered. I think I must be pretty flexible because I didn't have any issue with missing sections.

It it gets bad enough, I use a mirror for help.

My razor looks like this
http://www.amazon.com/Remington-BKT-.../dp/B0000BY85E

[loonar]

I just went and got a bikini wax yesterday -- not something I usually do, but upkeep was getting tricky. It was painful but not prohibitively so, and I'm really looking forward to not worrying about it for a few weeks, especially with all the swimming I've been doing!

[MrsBone]

by 37 weeks I couldn't shave anymore. I was so miserable, DH and I weren't even having sex anyway, so it wasn't a big deal. I don't like being unshaven either, but I dealt with it.

[MaryLang]

I just can't let things go either. DH offered to help, but I never took him up on it.
I was almost in tears trying to figure it out this time! I just couldn't reach. I usually use a razor and scissors.
A personal trimmer like pp posted has been a life saver! It's soooo easy and I don't have to worry about hurting myself

[MaerynPearl]

I shave by feel, pregnant or not.

And I cant just let it go while pregnant. Way too much discharge to get all up in my hair and make it icky in the 5 minutes between when I put on clean undies and when I have to pee again. (Has nothing to do with sex, looking sexy, etc. and everything to do with not wanting dried vaginal discharge clumping in it or to feel my undies pulling on hairs. Ow!)

Which is sort of funny because I dont think Ive shaved my legs in about two weeks... but goodness I can NOT go without shaving between them!

[mumma cop kaz]

Im definitely a waxer, every month. I wish I could shave but if i do i get ingrowns and i figure that the 20 minutes of pain at the salon is better than painful and itchy ingrowns!!

[Lady Lilya]

You aren't supposed to get a wax while pregnant, because there is a risk of bleeding from it.

There was a similar thread going around 3 years ago when I was pregnant the first time.

I did mine by feel last pregnancy. I'm ok with that.

[Lucy&Jude'sMama]

Mirror, razor, and trimmer. :-) I try to keep trim but 9 weeks away from d-day. Ugh I just don't feel bothered anymore.

[Erin77]

Huh, I didn't see any prohibitions on waxing, so I just did my bikini line and legs (I'm 37 weeks) and I actually didn't find it any more painful than normal. The waxer did tell me that Tend Skin is not safe for pregnancy, so I opted for aloe and it seems ok regarding ingrown hairs. Just in case I do want pictures at the birth, I'd rather have it a little tidier!

[~Adorkable~]

I can not see one single reason not to get waxed during pregnancy

I can not see one single reason not to get waxed during pregnancy, if you are bleeding from it then they are doing it way way wrong.
In the worst of times I will get micro red dots of blood, too little to even wipe off.
The only possible reason is the stress of pain in early or late pregnancy.

I have waxed for ever so i feel comfortable doing it now too, if I had never done it I might start with just the bikini line and not a brazalion.

I was finally getting lasered when I got preggo so did stop, since I will not be able to finish till a while after the birth, i totally plan on getting waxed as soon as stuffvstarts growing back a bit and staying waxed till I can get back to a laser.

I hate shaving and only once in a blue moon put up with it on my legs, I haven't shaved my vaginal area in probably 10 years. My armpits are totally layered too.

For me smooth skin is all about me, if my dh likes it (and he does) that is a bonus, I kept up with it when I was totally single.

[Lady Lilya]

Adorkable, I think the issue is that your blood supply increases so dramatically, and that is an area that is both very vascular and very thin-skinned, so more easily damaged.

I am only 10 weeks along, and I can tell I have a lot more blood in that area. (Like being on viagra full time!)