Ask any woman who has been through childbirth and they will tell you that it is a very painful and tiring ordeal. Most of them would describe it as messy, to say the least, but very few would say that it was glamorous. That is no longer the case, however, because women from around the world are now applying makeup before they give birth. It isn’t just a little bit of mascara here or there to help freshen things up, they are glamming it up big time so they are ready for Instagram.
This might seem rather strange to some people but for those who live their life in front of the camera, it is a very normal thing. According to recent studies, over 60% of women between the ages of 18 and 31 get beauty treatments prior to going into labor. This includes 65% to get hair removal, 50% with a manicure, 43% with a pedicure, 37% with a spray tan or a blow dry, cut and styling, coming in at 32%. When you think about this being a life-changing occasion, women have different reasons as to why they do it.
Women prepare for childbirth by applying makeup today.
Childbirth has been stigmatized for hundreds of years and women have always felt pressure to keep up appearances with society. It has gone to a new level thanks to social media and some women are saying that they are so concerned about looking their best, they will go out of their way to be glamorous in the delivery room.
Diana Chavez ensured that her contouring was on point
Lee Ann Jarrell did her part to look her best and she said she ‘refused’ to give birth until she finished her makeup.
Some women use pre-birth makeup as a distraction and to keep their mind off of the contractions. Others do it for Instagram pics.
This California mother was in the hospital for a false alarm and she did some makeup in the delivery room.
Alaha Karimi made sure that she was ready for pictures in 2016 when she was in labor. She said it gave her a distraction from her contractions. “I went to the hospital at 7:30 a.m., and I was in labor for a total of 10 hours that day,” she told ABC News. “I had an epidural around 8:30 or 9:00 a.m., so when it started to wear off, I needed something to distract myself from the pain.”
Her beauty photos went viral in 2016 when she shared herself in the process of getting makeup in the middle of contractions.
This British mother decided she would have some ‘labor lashes’ before delivery.
When it comes to the safety of these products, women should always make sure. “Lists are always ordered from largest to smallest in terms of ingredient quantity,” New York–based makeup artist Mary Irwin told The Bump. “Remember, the first three things listed will be the most active. Also, the smaller the list, the less likely you are to have a reaction.”
Breanna Lynch said it was difficult to apply makeup while she was wearing a blood pressure cuff.
“During pregnancy, the skin is often turning over more quickly, so you can accumulate dead skin and sometimes require more foundation,” says Shilpi Agarwal, MD, author of The 10-Day Total Body Transformation and board-certified family medicine physician in Washington, DC.
Some women didn’t want to go it alone. Teagan Woodford from the Queensland’s West Coast had her sister-in-law come in for a makeover.
“I got a phone call from my sis-in-law at 2am saying she had her first contraction,” recalled Tegan, and said she immediately jumped on the next flight to Adelaide.
Some women had to plan their deliveries ahead of time so they could get a lash appointment in.
According to the Arizona OBGYN Affiliates: “Most makeup products, such as powders, foundations, mascaras, eyeliners, etc. are safe to use during pregnancy, as long as you avoid those makeup products that contain retinoids or salicylic acid.”
People had mixed reactions on the subject.
Some thought it was over the top:
