Shaving before a C - division can in reality increase your risk of infection .
Meghan Trainor is no stranger to getting into the details of bodily functions, but her latest interview about husbandDaryl Sabarashaving her before her C-section runs the risk of normalizing something that can actually be harmful.
“He shavedeverything,” Meghan toldPeoplein a recent interview. “For the C-section, I don’t know why, but I was like, ‘I want a clear path. I want nothing in the way, so make sure it’s gorgeous down there,’ so they could see everything. And he did that for me.”
Now, usually I would let this slide, but it’s worth noting that 1) this is being written up uncritically, and 2) Meghan literally has a book about “pregnancy, birth, and new motherhood” coming out calledDear Future Mamawhere she wants to “help” people.So here goes: It is not recommended that you shave before a C-section.
According to theUniversity of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, you should “not shave your abdomen, pubic area, or upper thighs for at least 1 week before your C-section.” Why? Because it canactually leadto infections. Yep, shaving createssmall nicksin your skin. If hair is going to be an issue, the medical team willclip itfor you.
I appreciate the sentiment behind what Meghan is saying, which is that Daryl is a supportive partner through the less glamorous side of giving birth. She said of her last postpartum experience, “He changed my diapers, he would take the bloody underwear for me and throw it away. … I had a C-section; how do I bend down to pick up my underwear and my diapers? Because you have to wear diapers after.”
She continued, “And some husbands, some couples we talk to, they’re like, ‘He did what?'” There’s a depressing side to this: Your partner helping you after literal surgery should be a given, IMHO! The idea that some “husbands” can’t even handle a couple of adult diapers after their wife has had their uterus cut into is so utterly pathetic that I’ll get off my soap box before this post turns into even more of a rant than it already is.
TL;DR: I hope Meghan’s birth goes well, and you probably shouldn’t shave before your C-section.
