I’ll let you in on a little TMI secret about me. I don’t shave (much). Nope. Not there, not there, and not even down there. And yes, my husband still thinks I’m sexy.
Ok, I lied. I do actually shave down there every once in awhile, but usually only when I’m going to be seen in a bathing suit, which is typically only once a year.
Every year, during the 3rd week in March, my family heads to the beaches of sunny Florida. We’ve been doing it for 25 years. Rough life, I know.
So every year, during the 2nd week in March, I shave the region so it’s suitable (no pun intended) for public consumption.
Ok, let’s take a leisurely sunset stroll down memory lane for a minute, shall we?
I was 6 months pregnant. I hadn’t seen my toes in day, so needless to say I hadn’t seen the region in quite some time. I wasn’t about to be a big beached whale with her wild and hairy region on display for all of Spring Break to see. I knew I needed the help of grooming professional one that was well versed with dealing with regionscaping. Lucky for me, I had a gift certificate saved up from Christmas to a very posh day spa in my city.
I had a brilliant idea! While I really wanted to spend the gift certificate on a pedicure, I would take one for the collective team and get the region waxed! All my friends swear by the results, and get it done all the time to impress their husbands!
This was going to be so great.
So I make the appointment, waddle into the salon, and get ready for some pampering.
The very nice wax lady (is that politically correct title? Wax lady? Really, I obviously have no idea) calls me back to my private torture chamber procedure room.
And this is where the details get really fuzzy, because I block out bad memories.
She asks if I’ve ever waxed the region before. Um, no I have not.
She gets a worried look on her face, says that they never ever recommend being a wax virgin while so grossly pregnant. To easy my mind, she assures me she’s “the best”.
Here I am, bottoms bare, except for a poor excuse for a paper thong, laying exposed and feeling very vulnerable.
She slathers on the hot wax, tells me to take a deep breath in, and rips with all her might.
HOLE. EEE. HELLZ.
You guys, I started to cry. I pretty much begged her to stop, but she convinced me I’d look rather funny walking down the beach all lopsided and all. So the torture continued.
Honestly, I generally consider myself quite a trooper when it comes to pain. Natural childbirth? Bring it on. Waxing the region? Not a chance.
So ladies, I’m here to tell you. When you’re pregnant? DO NOT WAX YOUR REGION. And if you do, don’t say you weren’t warned.
Take it from me, you got a lot of stuff going on down there. Senses are heightened! Blood flow is higher than average! The region is sensitive!
And you think since I was curly hair free in the region I could get over the pain, right. Nope. Let’s add a little insult to injury, shall we?
Instead of pubs sneaking out of the region, the region was covered in whiteheads a few days later. Something the professional wax lady assured me would not happen. Bazinga!
Emily Elling is a corporate interior designer who lives in central Indiana with her 4 rugrats and drug making husband of 9 years. When she’s not taking care of the monsters, she can be found barefoot in the kitchen or hiding in the isles of her favorite thrift store buying other’s peoples crap. You can read more from Emily on her blog, DesignHer Momma.
I’m not pregnant and waxing scares me! You were brave!
not brave. More like stupid and unaware. I learned a hard lesson.
I have to weigh in here-I have been getting Brazilian waxes for years including during 3 pregnancies-never had any complications. I will say the bikini line is more sensitive then the more private areas (i know i wouldn’t have believed it if i hadn’t been getting waxed for years) I will agree that trying waxing for the first time while pregnant may not be a good idea-the first time is always the worst and since you are more sensitive that is amplified. Maybe since i had been getting waxed for a about a year before i got pregnant was why it didn’t bother me. Does make things feel cleaner post labor.
Ouch!
In college, a gal pal perplexed me when I saw her feet under the next bathroom stall pointing in the wrong direction. What the heck she was doing? Well, I asked.
She was shaving. It was an ingenious, simple method for grooming the nether regions of a coed, sure, but it was an absolute lifesaver later on life when pregnant!
Sit pantsless on the open toilet– except, sit backwards. Lean a large hand mirror against the bowl in front of you, which results in a rather revealing look at the necessary girlie parts (you’ve been warned). Then, you should be able to shave fairly easily with or without a fetus in the way!
Good to know!!!
but will you be beach appropriate? That was my whole issue. Didn’t want to be “that girl”.
LOVE the story! Never been brave enough to wax “the region” even when not pregnant so cuddos to you for trying. I barely seem to get my eyebrows waxed enough, let alone anything else!
since this episode, hot wax has not touched my skin. Not ever again.
Once when I went in a for leg wax, the lady grabbed hold of a few stragglers in my bikini line area and I almost went through the roof! Getting my eyebrows waxed when I’m pregnant hurts more than normal so I can’t imagine a bikini wax! You’re a braver woman than me!
stragglers. They will make you cry every time. And you get your legs waxed? I never knew. And now love you even more.
I didn’t wax until after my son was born, but: about a week before I gave birth, it occurred to me that I hadn’t shaved the “region” in weeks, maybe months. So I begged my husband to shave it for me, since I couldn’t even see it, let alone attempt to shave it, and I was suddenly mortified at the idea of being in labor with an unkempt “region”. Don’t ask me why, since by the time I got to labor, I didn’t even think about it.
Right before giving birth to my first, I, too, asked my husband for help tidying up. Mistake. He thought it would be fun to shave a HEART and pretty much leave me bare everywhere else. Yeah, I am sure my doctor appreciated it. I, on the other hand, did not.
And no, I did not ask for his help for my twins’ birth. I went natural. Sorry Doc!
So did you know you were getting shaped like that? Or was it more like you found out postpartum? It’s kinda funny though, you must admit.
It’s hysterical now – I was not amused at the moment though
My husband told me about it as he was finishing up the design. I thought he was kidding, realized he wasn’t and then spent too much time and energy trying to “see it for myself”.
Huge pregnant belly + wall mirror = one sweaty momma to be
Dude.
Oh. just….Oh.
I feel like I probably didn’t need this warning, but I am glad you reaffirmed that no, I do not want my lady bits waxed and ripped whilst preggo.
or maybe ever.
ack!
Pregnant or not, I’m not messing around down there.
right on my friend, right on.
See, that’s why I don’t get waxed. I even shave a little on the sides to avoid grossing folks out at the pool and I end up with itchy bumps. I can’t *imagine* the disaster that waxing would be for me. :: shudder :: You are very, very brave!
or very, very stupid. Whateves.
Oh Emily that was VERY brave of you. (and stupid.) I used to be an esthetician and did bikini waxes….I NEVER had a pregnant woman come to me…I thought it was a “known” thing that you just don’t do it when preggo! lol!
yeah, nobody let me in on that little secret. And I can’t believe you used to clean up ladies WooHoos! I love you so much more right now!
YOW! have actually self-inflicted this sort of pain several times however never whilst pregos. i decided it’s totally not worth it (what with the initial skin irritation and then later ingrown hairs).
yep, i’m saving my pennies and watching for an electrolysis groupon.
electrolysis groupon. Yes. I want discount hair removal.
OMGoodness! Thanks for the advice although I don’t know that I would be brave enough to wax, without being pregnant!! I have always been curious about how it’s done, tho, so thanks for clearing that up!
It wasn’t that I was brave enough, it was more like I was just that stupid.
Thanks for sharing. I am a no wax girl. That story makes me sad for u!
crystal, I would think of you as a wax girl. I bet you are a plucker.
wow. just…wow. i can’t say that i’ve ever braved it while pregnant, but i did take the plunge once AGES ago. never since. i wasn’t even pregnant and it hurt badly enough to make me feel nauseous. never again.
I only took the plunge once. And you guessed it, will never ever be going down there again.
I used to get waxed every four weeks but have never done it pregnant. I imagine there would be much more sensitivity. Oh and the “wax lady” would be generally be referred to as an “aesthetician”.
After an unfortunate run in with self-waxing in my younger years, I decided that from thenceforth, I would simply shave any “outgrowth” so as not to flash the hairy spider when wearing a bathing suit. Here’s a trick I read on another site. To avoid the red bumps, after you shave, use deodorant on the area. It really works.
you called it a hairy spider. I love you.
Oh Em, you know I’m so a groomer but have never and will never do the wax thing. I think if I ever get prego, standing on the bathroom counter in front of the mirror with razor in hand will do just fine! I tear up when they wax my eyebrows and I always break out from that I can’t imagine what I would look like if I ever got waxed in the “region”! I’ve heard the deodorant thing works and fyi it also works between the “girls” if you tend to sweat between them!!!
Ok, I’ve waxed. Can’t remember if I did it while pregnant, but I did do it myself (which leads me to believe that I couldn’t have been that pregnant if at all).
Which brings a whole other dimension into this masochistic practice: inflicting that sort of pain upon yourself. Makes it really, really hard to rip that paper.
But truthfully — I kinda think that 5 weeks of no shaving is worth the pain.
I religiously get waxed every six or seven weeks and I am 8 1/2 months pregnant. But I did it before I got pregnant so I am probably numb to the pain. Right now I am trying to time it so I can get it done before the baby is born and again when it’s not such a post labor disaster down there. But it’s all what you’re comfortable with – or without
h ah ah ah ah a! i am due in 9 weeks and will make sure not to schedule ANY waxing anytime soon! thanks for the funny post!
I attempted to do this myself at home once, and I really don’t recommend that either. the lamaze breathing and the fact that no one was home so they couldn’t hear me cuss like a sailor when I took the wax off was one of the reasons why I don’t still have wax down there anymore.
Man, do I wish you would have told me about this LAST year. I tried a home kit in Myrtle Beach when pregnant with Baby Jedi. Not. Pleasant. Only did two strips and quit.
Thank you! you’ve just confirmed my fear of waxing! lol All my friends shave their area, but I never have, just tidy up! although I don’t do it too often as the irritation and ingrown hairs just aren’t worth the bother in my opinion!
Although after reading the comments i might just try the deodorant trick!!
great post
Same thing happend to me…don’t do it. Ever!
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