When it's time for me to go the hospital, if I have time I plan on taking a shower, fixing my hair, and putting some make-up on before we go no matter what time it is. I know that sounds completely shallow but I want to at least feel clean and look halfway decent for any visitors and pictures. I of course plan on repeating that after I deliver as well. Is anyone else going to try this?
Re: Getting Ready Before Going to the Hospital?
If I have time I will probably take a shower since I know it could be a couple of days before I would have time to shower again. I don't normally blow dry my hair, unless I am needing to dress up, and I'm not a traditional make up wearer. I do understand the need for a shower.
FWIW, if your water has broken it is probably best to not take a shower. I would think you would want to do as little as possible to reduce the risk of introducing bacteria to the uterus and baby. Would anyone agree with me on this?
I probably will too. I'll try to shave my legs, for sure (if I can at that point :-) I had to go to the ER in January for a really bad virus and I refused to go until I took a shower and shaved (even though I almost fainted and got really ill afterward). Although I will tell you once I was in the ER feeling the way I did I didn't care how the heck I looked.
If you have time and that's what you want to do, go for it! My advice would be to not put a lot of make-up on because when you are laboring and pushing, obiously, you will sweat and it will run off. Maybe just some concealer and mascara. I showered and did my hair before DD was born, but no makeup and I'm glad I didn't because it would have been gone (and I had an epidural). You should do what you feel comfortable with though.
As for after baby is born, you will probably not be able (or wanting) to take a shower until the next day, especially if you have had an epi because they make you wait a certain amount of time before they let you walk on your own. You won't even care at that point, you'll be so happy to have LO in your arms!
As long as I have time, I'm going to make myself as presentable as possible! I wear makeup every day so I will feel so awful if I go to the hospital that way. I probably won't care once I get there and have to start pushing but I'll be hiding the after pictures if I look twice as bad as I could! I'm sure DH will wonder what the heck I'm getting ready for though!
Really? I think it depends on the person and the type of birth. My cousin was in the shower about an hour after each of her babies were born.
My hospital's policy is when they take the baby away to the nursery for bood work and first bath, the mom gets to shower during that time before they take her to the post partum room.
I didn't shower before I went to the hospital in labor with DS and my legs were kind of hairy but I really didn't care. I was in the shower about 1.5 hours after I gave birth and since I tore delivering my doc wanted me to do sitz baths 3x a day for the first week. All in all, I think I was in the tub/shower 6 times during my hospital stay.
'Til He returns, or calls me home,
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That sounds reasonable, as long as you're ready to abandon your plans and GO if you need to! I labored at home for about 30 hours before going to the hospital with my first, so I had time for a couple of showers! You will want to feel fresh, though, because you may not feel like getting out of bed much for the first couple of days after birth. Oh, and even with a shower, I didn't look too great after delivery! You'll have time to freshen up before visitors, though.
This! I will probably shower 2X a day and make sure I'm not hairy. I don't usually leave the house w/o makeup... but looking good for a picture isn't my priority. I'd like it to be real anyway. If I look like I was just in labor for 20 hours, then it will help me remember the true experience I'll get done up the day after for sure.
With my first, I didnt really get ready too much before I left, and I ended up in labor for 24 hours and going through so much and then dealing with a csection. I look tired and swollen but very happy in the pictures,
the second time had to be a scheduled csection and i got ready and did my makeup and stuff beforehand and the pictures look like i didnt go through anything.
this time it will have to be a scheduled csection but i will probably skip the makeup. i will end up crying it all off anyway ?
I hope to be able to take a shower before we go.
In Belly Laughs, Jenny McCarthy writes about going for a blow out when her contractions started.
I was able to do this with my last two deliveries because they were inductions and I knew ahead of time. I'm not so sure that I'd be up to it in the middle of labor (or even care for that matter). So, it will depend on how things go down this time.
This...I totally agree.