This is why you should never shave your pubic hair before giving birth

Giving birth may seem daunting, but there is a very important reason why you should never shave your pubic hair before giving birth.

TikTok user @sovereignparenting, who offers birthing tips, said a lot of women sadly are conditioned to think that body hair is “really gross”.

In a video, she said that society had led to some people believing that showing natural body hair is “shameful”.

She continued: “But removing your pubic hair before labour can actually harm you.

“Shaving your pubic hair past 36, 37 weeks actually increases your risk of infection.

“This is even true for women who get Caesareans.

“When it comes to giving birth, don’t shave, don’t wax, just let it go au naturel, I promise you no one cares.”

Speaking to BabyCentre, Dr Cate Bell, who is a midwife and a hypnobirthing practitioner, backed up this claim.

She said: “Our current advice is that you don’t shave or wax your pubic area just prior to giving birth as this increases your risk of an infection, especially if you have an operative procedure like a Caesarean section.”

According to a 2015 study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, which aimed to update research about hair removal and incidence of surgical site infection, significantly fewer infections occur with clipping, cream depilation or going au naturel than with shaving.

Many TikTok users were relieved, with one saying: “I can’t reach anyways so.”

Another said: “I stopped when I got too big to even do it myself I think that was 4 to 5 months along, but this is good info to know.”

This story originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced here with permission.

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