Here’s What It’s REALLY Like to Get a Bikini Wax When You’re Pregnant

Welcome to Wax On, Wax Off Week! Over the next seven days, we’ll be looking at body hair from all perspectives—whether you want to embrace it, get rid of it, or just want to talk about it. (You do you.) Get in on the conversation by tweeting us at @get_lipstick.

There was a time when, like most people, I would say that the concept of using hot wax to tear out your pubic hair while you’re pregnant sounded 100 percent insane, for a number of reasons. I got enough Brazilians in my 20s to fully comprehend the unique pain and physical contortions associated with this particular form of hair removal. Factor in a beach-ball-size obstacle and increased sensitivity in the nether-regions, and I’d give this one a wholehearted oh, hell no.

But then I had three babies of my own. This has enabled me to understand the many valid reasons why some women—such as those populating the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where I birthed my first two—choose to wax on right up to their due dates. Let me lay some of them out for those of you who remain (understandably) skeptical.

Shaving is not an option.
(Well, unless you’re comfortable having your partner shave your bikini line, but that’s a whole other topic.) I was in a shaving phase going into pregnancy number one, and for a while, that continued to get the job done. Then around seven months, things got borderline dangerous. I could no longer remotely see what I was doing down there, but during my rushed shower before each OB checkup, I would attempt to blindly tidy things up. Somehow I managed to never incur any serious injuries as a result, but a wild ’70s bush would have been much more aesthetically pleasing to those hack-job trims.

Closer to eight months, I decided to suck it up and get waxed. Despite my (Upper East Side female) doctor’s reassurances, I was ever-so-slightly concerned that such pain might induce labor. Plus pregnancy = more blood flow to that whole area = increased sensitivity = will I actually die from the pain? But I’m happy to report that the experience went smoothly enough for me to honestly not recall all the gory details now. Note that I’d gotten waxed routinely in the past—I would not recommend trying waxing for the first time while pregnant, when you are not already well-acquainted with how you personally handle this unique form of torture.

It gives you some illusion of control.
As the reality that this baby is going to—somehow—actually exit you sets in, nesting and preparing are what keep you sane. Things like overanalyzing nursery paint colors, aggressively assembling a changing table, or reading 1,456 car-seat reviews on Amazon. Then comes the meticulous packing of the hospital bag—and for some, the last-minute beauty procedures. Many of my friends have gotten pedicures, blowouts, and yes, bikini waxes, right before checking into the hospital.

Some view these forms of preparation as vain. Do you think the doctors really care about your symmetrical landing strip? Shouldn’t you instead busy yourself with meditation and visualizing healthy, happy babies? My answer is no. Any seasoned mom will tell you just how psychologically important prioritizing self-care is. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you my bright, glossy toenails were downright empowering as I stared up at them in the air during labor. As for my bikini line, well, I mercifully could not see that. But I can see how getting it waxed and crossed off the to-do list can make a woman feel at least slightly more prepared for an experience nobody can really be prepared for. Whatever helps. (Oh, and the happy-baby visualizations are good too; not knocking them!)

Your hooha will never be viewed by more people at one time.
Or so I’m guessing. You might have a much more colorful lifestyle than me. But back to that bit about doctors not caring about your landing strip or soul patch or whatever you have going on down under. I have no doubt that this is true. However, if my doctor, plus a hospital intern, an anesthesiologist, an anesthesiology intern, two nurses, and, oh yeah, my husband and his camera phone, are going to be standing around in a room staring at my crotch for a couple hours, having it look its best can only be a positive thing. For some women, that means a sleek wax. Although I realize a strong argument for the coverage of a full bush could be made too.

It lasts longer.
If you can manage to book a bikini wax right before going into labor, you’ll buy yourself a modicum of aesthetic orderliness that could be quite comforting amidst the batsh-t crazy of the weeks to come. When you’re wearing granny panties and your pedicure is chipped, and you’ve been rocking the same messy bun for three days, you can say, hey, at least my bikini line is pulled-together AF.

Moms are frickin’ badass.
Pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood each have a unique way of putting pain in a new perspective. Let’s just focus on the childbirth part for the moment. (Warning: I’m about to get really real here.) Once you’ve had your membranes stripped, felt somebody miss your spine a few times with a gigantic epidural needle, experienced contractions, torn while pushing out your child’s ginormous head, watched a doctor sew you up with a needle and thread, and then have been unable to sit for two weeks without a special donut-shaped pillow, bikini waxes still hurt like a bitch. (Sorry.) But you know what’s way worse, they really don’t seem so dramatic anymore. I’m willing to bet more women get them during their second pregnancies than first for precisely that reason.

In the end, I was only well-groomed during one out of three childbirths, primarily due to exhaustion and just not caring that much in the grand scheme of everything going on. But for those who DO care and find the energy, I applaud you. I would not be surprised if you turn out to be an excellent mom.

And on that note, watch In Defense of Dad Bod: