The Hair Down There: Does My OB Care?

As your body changes during pregnancy, and your baby and belly grows there are parts of yourself you just cannot see anymore. 

Ahem, your vagina to be more exact.

Don’t be shocked if suddenly you can no longer see your vagina or bikini line once your belly has rounded out. This might make you feel a little, or a lot self conscious about what your hair down there is doing. 

Women find themselves asking:

“Should I wax?”

“Maybe I should just trim it down?”

“Vajazzled maybe?”

“What if I don’t do anything to my pubic hair before I deliver?”

CAN WE TELL YOU A SECRET?

Your doctor hardly notices your pubic hair.

Same goes for your nurse and your Doula.

You might catch some attention if you have a fancy designed pubis zone, but otherwise we simply have no opinion about your pubic hair or lack thereof. To us, it’s just hair that has a function in the grand scheme of things. 

HERE ARE THE FACTS-

-Pubic Hair serves a purpose! The hair that grows over your vagina helps keep out bacteria and other unwanted pathogens.

-In the event of a Cesarean birth your nurse or provider will prep the pubic area by shaving down the pubic hair to accommodate for surgical purposes.

-Your provider will request that you do not shave ahead of time for a planned Cesarean, as any knicks can leave you vulnerable to possible infections.

Over the years pubic hair or lack thereof has waxed and waned (pun intended). In our current decade, less pubic hair is trending, and often women worry about the hair down there and whether or not it is flawless in appearance.   As delivery approaches you may feel apprehensive about many things as you prep for labor, pubic hair being one of them.

Rest assured that pubic hair really isn’t that big of a deal in the delivery room. Your care team really has already seen it all.

Cre’shea Hilton is a Labor Doula, Postpartum Doula, and Childbirth Educator with Pacific Northwest Doulas.