As if women don’t have enough to worry about before going through the life-changing labor process, a doctor has revealed that women should also avoid shaving that whole ‘area’ before giving birth.
In a video uploaded to TikTok, doula and registered nurse Angela Grant Buechner explains why grooming is not a good idea before giving birth.
The nurse films herself alongside insightful captions offering pregnant women some friendly advice.
Check out Grant's insightful video below:“Did you know that it’s actually NOT recommended to shave pubic hair after 36 weeks of pregnancy?!” Buechner wrote.
She then elaborates: “Shaving pubic hair can INCREASE risk of infection at the time of birth, even with Cesarean birth! Waxing isn’t necessary either and is usually more painful during pregnancy (doctors DON’T care!)”
“Leave the bush alone!” the nurse advises.
The video has received 3.9 million views and over 209,000 likes at the time of writing, however, it caused some controversy in the comment section.
One TikTok user commented: “Heck no I’m waxing mine.”
While another quipped: “Guess I’ll have an infection then.”
One TikTok user apologized for all of the "awful" comments and thanked Buechner for her advice, to which the creator replied: “Thanks for saying that. I understand that people shave and it still happens. Just trying to share the research but people seem VERY pressed.”
As someone who works in the nursing profession, Buechner’s advice seems pretty sound. And, she is not alone in wanting to spread this message.
Dr. Kate White, an associate professor in OB/GYN at the Boston University School of Medicine, told Today Parents: “Research and medical studies have shown that there is no benefit to shaving - only clear risks.”
The doctor explained that while it was true that, in the past, women were shaved in the hospital before the delivery of their child, this is an outdated practice and it no longer happens.
White also said that shaving can cause razor nicks in the skin, which could promote infection after delivery. Other risks include folliculitis, ingrown hairs, or cellulitis.
“With Cesarean section - about a third of women will end up having one - shaving has been shown to increase the risk of infection,” the doctor added. “Recovery from C-section is hard enough. You don’t need to add an infection on top of it.”
Finally, White stressed that doctors don’t care what it looks like ‘down there’, instead, they are entirely focused on the baby being pushed out of the body safely.
Think about the number of times a doctor has seen it all before, so ladies don’t worry about what it looks like 'down there', because your doctor definitely isn't.