Elephant WHO-WHO and Adventures in Hair Removal

Okay,
I realize we often post serious topics, but since we are all quite anonymous here, I have to ask on a funny, personal topic: Does anyone else feel as if their "stuff" looks like it belongs to an elephant or some type of bovine!!!! I'm SOOOO puffy, and swollen, and PURPLE down there. It doesn't look like it belongs on me! What makes it worse is that I usually like to keep the area "cleaned up", I've even done a fair job during my other pregnancies; but shaving and trimming the area has become impossible!

First of all, obviously, I can't see my stuff. Secondly, the last time I shaved I got a tiny nick and I swear it look a month to heal! Between the excess blood flow and puffiness and the fact that everything is rubbing together like never before; a tiny nick turned into a blister-like sore!

So anyway, we live 2hrs from the Florida Panhandle and DH would like for the family to do a long weekend at the beach sometime in the next month. That would be great and super relaxing. So it brings me to my questions:

1) Any hair removal tips? Is having it waxed super painful when you're swollen? Also is it embarrassing when you are pregnant and have Elephant Who-Who? Do you trust DH to shave what hangs out of the bathing suit and leave the rest alone?

2)This is personal, so I have to ask my anonymous pregnant sisters; Am I the only one who feels that her stuff looks warped? The belly goes with the territory; and it isn't that large or foreign since I've been pregnant before. But below the belly is scary; I swear it looks like it belongs to an elephant!

LOL,
Jennifer

 

Have your husband do it. Honestly, with my last pregnancy my husband did it all for me. I couldn't reach my ankles or the backs of my legs either, so my sweetheart of husband helped me out. I can almost guarantee that your husband will LOVE doing it for you.

 

:rotflmbo: This is the best post! I have been wondering the exact same thing!

i can definately say that i have to agree with you on the elephant thing! i personally have done mine by touch without sight. :huh: well i haven't messed with it for about a month but i believe that i will be getting my hubby to help with my maintenance sooner than later. especially if we are not allow to video tape our c-section. (i chose c-section for the tubal) if we can't video i just might go natural with a tubal within 12 hours. and i don't want my STUFF to scare the doctors let alone the nurses and the babies--lol. but yes i would trust my hubby to do the job if it needs to be done. he has to shave his face and he knows what works for him so i don't think that he'd be too out of practice on the shaving experience--lol. and he may get it better than i ever did--who knows!

thanks for the morning laugh!
Lots of love!
Meshell

 

OMG! I nearly spit out my water when I read your post, LOL.

First off, yes, the swelling down there is freaky looking. And, the only way I can see it is to prop my leg up on a chair, and look in the full-length mirror in my closet, heehee.

Which brings me to my second point -- I'm managing to keep up with the grooming the same way, using an electric shaver while looking in the mirror.....it's not the best, but I don't trust myself -- or DH, egad -- with a razor down there. I'd be petrified of getting it waxed right now....

And in terms of a bathing suit, well, my thighs/legs look just as pregnant as the rest of me (and it's not pretty, LOL), so my solution is to wear a one-piece tank suit, and add a pair of men's swim trunks below the belly, to cover everything up. That way, my bikini line doesn't have to be anywhere near perfect....

 

Geez I love it when someone posts something I didn't have the nerve to myself - :lol:

Yep yep, about 3-4 weeks ago I had to start shaving my bikini line by Braille, as there is no way to see below my ever-expanding gut. I'm still somewhat able to shave my own legs, my told my hubby he'd probably have to take over here real soon. Luckily I'm not a very hairy person, so even if I miss a few here and there it's hard to tell, hehe.

I don't quite have the elephant look yet, but 'it' is definitely getting there! Probably more like a babboon at this point in time- HA But on the bright side, only a short few more months to go!

Great post, I laughed so hard...I needed it

 

lol!!! this is great! i'm not very far along, but my husband and i have already had this conversation of how i'm going to be able to keep things "neat and tidy" down there... he offered to do it for me, but i'm still getting used to the idea of someone else using a razor on me!

 

:rotflmbo: I know the feeling. I can't see to keep up the grooming, but I have tried to make sure the top line is pretty neat before I go to the doctor. Well, the last time I did that I didn't check it to see if I had a straight line. Thank goodness I didn't get checked that visit because when I looked in the mirror that night I noticed the line was crooked.

Another story....the other night when dh and I went to bed I sleep in my birthday suit (sorry if TMI) anyhow how dh touches me and says " wow it feels like we are in the 60's again" and starts laughing. I told him I can't see anymore and he is more than welcome to help me take care of the problem. He passed on the idea. :nea:

 

I know what you mean... when I was preggo I didn't know how I would do it. But, I would get a mirror and take it into the shower with me and had pretty good luck with it. Hope that helps!

 

I suspected something was up as I could feel it a bit when I walked. Anyway, I did not know that I was swollen until I went to my ob and she said "did you know that your la... are swollen". I really didn't even think of it too much until she said it and then I realized it must be a disaster. I still haven't looked for myself as I don't have a full length mirror or the desire to check it out.

I am shaving completely blind and am sure to do it every week so that it doesn't become too difficult. I actually shave that area two days in a row so that I can get what I missed the day before. I have never looked but every once in awhile I will ask my husband how I did and he will sort of giggle.

When I mentioned him helping me shave, he said that he would be happy to hold the mirror for me .

On a similiar note, I have also been getting quite a few pedicures and I hate to spend the money on it (soo often) and I told my husband it is either that or you can do it and he said "carry on then".

Amy
32 weeks and growing everyday!

 

:rotflmbo:
i was just thinking about this yesterday in the shower as i fumbled to 'tame the beast' ha. i've been using the guess and feel method. i'm not nearly as thorough as i was before but hey, im tryin!
im not the only one who calls it a who-who!!!
i have kind of the same beach delimma. since we're going to jacksonville on tuesday for my peri appointment mike suggested we spend a few hours at the beach before we drive back. the bathing suit is more of a concern for me! i've always hated wearing swim suits. i've never been fat but never looked great in swim suits. i told him if we do end up going to the beach that i am not buying a black suit, i dont want anybody mistaking me for a beached whale!!!

 

LOL I had a good laugh reading all these posts, and glad you brought this up. At my last appt. I actually asked about the swelling. I've never had it this bad. I guess with twins its totally a different story down there, then if you were prego with a singleton. Mine is kinda like more swollen on one side than the other, yes very elephantish. Its really hard to keep that area neat and tidy, but I too use a small mirror and it helps alot. With the legs, I use a slik epil, and only use it about once a month because it pulls from the root and keeps it nice and smooth for a long time.
Amazing what mama's go through.

Netty

 

I am not pg anymore but totally remember feeling this way!!! In fact the day I went into labor I had not showered and def had not shaved in over a week (which being a brunette is BAD!). I remember when I got to l&d the dr came over to examine me and I kept apologizing bc I hadn't shaved. They kept laughing at me and telling me that they are really not worried about hair on my legs....but I was so embarassed about my bikini area bc I knew it had been a while since I had shaved down there!!! SOO embarassing. I think I apologized 20 times during labor.

Also, when I was pg with my oldest dd I thought I would let dh do it so it would be nice and trimmed...after one time he left me with a nice "design" down there I decided I would do it myself from then on out!!!

 

A good esthetician shouldn't wax you without your doctor's permission. Even if you got the ok from your OB, I still wouldn't suggest it. I'm a licensed esthy and even waxing during your period is more painful. I can't imagine the pain at this point!

I had that elephant swelling when I was sitting all day at work. It was freaky. Now that I'm on bedrest, I'm not swelling anymore, which means I still have my ankles for now and I think my other parts aren't too bad yet.

The mirror in my hospital bathroom is high so I really can't see much below my belly button. I don't get much time to shower, so I haven't attempted to shave anything for the last 3 weeks. Luckily the hair under my arms and on my legs is light so it doesn't look too bad. Dh has a list of things I need from the store and disposable razors are on there! As for the hair down there, I'm not worried about it. I'm just going to assume that the doctors/nurses have seen worse then me!!

We went to the beach in March when it was spring break. I refused to buy a maternity swimsuit for just one day, so I wore the only bikini I had which my boobs would still fit in. I wore a tank top over the top and a pair of beachy drawstring pants on the bottom - both of which I only took off once I was sitting down. Most people didn't even notice me, though with all the skinny spring breakers around I told dh that I looked like a walking billboard for birth control - "This could happen to you!"

 

Hilarious! I know the feeling, and as I get closer to my due date I am starting to freak out about my OOC hairstyle! I even tried to wax myself one, and was stuck in the bathroom for an hour trying to get that gunk off my hair! I would not recommend it to anyone. Finally the otherday I just took the clippers to it, and gave myself a #1, hahaha. Then I razored the bikini area the best I could. Atleast I know that if I do end up going to the hospital early, my babies don't have to go through the jungle to get here.

I would recommend that your husband tends to your elephant, if he wants you at the beach.

Juli

 

lol - luckily my hubby will do it for me - i cant see it, so part of me doesnt care what it looks like! i am in need of a buzz cut though - maybe i'll have him break out the clippers this w/e b/c i can feel that it is very unruly in my nether regions!!!

 

Yes, i am in the same- my hubby shaves my legs beause i cant reach them anymore and trims my whoo hoo because i cant see it. Surprisingly enough he does a very good job on both.

 

ha ha - i've been trying to get the nerve up to ask my DH as I've stopped doing it myself. Luckily, my ob has a lot of mennonite patients, so i'm telling myself they probably go au naturel themselves and I shouldn't worry so much :blush:

 

Seriously, this is great! I am laughing at this stuff. I have had an issue yet, though I cannot see down there anymore. I shave the main deal with a trimmer....always have. Cannot imagine shaving with a razor down there. I shave the bikini area, but not worried about that right since it cannot seem to hit 50 degrees around here. We have a pool, so either I need to get a whale suit, or just buy a pair of shorts and a cheap tank top to use so I don't have to shave the kini area too much.

I never had an issue shaving my legs with my DD. I have to shave everyday or they itch like crazy. Plus, they are dark hairs....not cool. So hopefully I can do it or DH can.

I don't think my "down theres" are swollen. I might not be far enough along yet. Interesting though.

April

 

I have been told to never, never wax when pregnant, especially if swollen, apparently it can tear the skin and cause major problems. I guess that leaves the best solution is to leave the work in poor hubby's hands.

 

:rotflmbo:

This thread had me rolling! When I was pregnant with C&C DH made a comment about how swollen I was - well I didn't believe him. He busted out the mirror and I thought I was watching some kind of sci-fi/horror film! I figured if that's what it looked like, I wasn't going to shave with the hopes it would help disguise it.

Thanks for the laughs ladies!

 

:rofl: I don't miss those days. I would usually just have DH help me before my doctor appointments. A little advice for you expecting ladies, always keep it "presentable." I went into labor at 35 weeks 3 days and I was not "presentable" down there. I was so embarrassed that I hadn't shaved. I had been to the hospital so many times with PTL that I figured I would get a shot and be sent on my way. Well, they couldn't stop labor and I ended up having the babies. I wish I would have been better prepared. Lesson learned. My DH even made a comment about it after we got home. He said he was shocked at how long some of the hairs were. :laughing: He's use to me being perfect "down there." But after seeing two babies being delivered vaginally I don't think much could shock him. Great post!

 

OMG!!! You ladies have me rolling!!!! My DH came in while I was cracking up at the posts and asked what was so funny. I told him and the look on his face was priceless... Like, women really discuss these things??? He's never heard it called a "Who Who" before so I've now been serenaded with "Little Bunny Who Who". When I was PG with my daughter it was summer and I asked him to help me. He declined. I wound up perched on the side of the tub with a mirror in front of me trying to shave so I could go swimming. This time around I've been doing the "random shave" where I basically shave a bit every few days and hope that I got the bulk of it. I also take a small pair of scissors to it now and again but since I don't have access to a pool yet, I am not altogether concerned about it quite yet. I must say though that after seeing Borat last night I think his country could make a fortune off of PG women... In answer to the swelling... Yup. I am swollen too. Varicose veins down there are not fun.

GREAT topic! I needed a laugh as I get ready to go for the one-hour glucose test!

 

when i got pregnant with my first, i gained 80 pounds. shaving was an experience, but i did the shaving blind thing. cover up the important bits and you'll be fine. i didn't swell during my previous pregnancies, but i did swell AFTER. it was fifty times the size it should be. it was so gross. i really hope that i don't swell during. think i'd rather have 'roids.

 

Ahhhh I just informed my husband last week I would be needing his help in this area. I do know what you are refering to with the elephant who-ha. I was thinking.... what happened to it. I did want to share with you I got a personal trimmer for christmas this year, and I love it. It was inexpensive, and works fantastic. I love my husband to death... but he's not taking a razor down there, but the shaver... oh yea. Panasonic ES246AC Bikini Shaper and Trimmer.

Thanks for the giggles... I really needed them today.

 

When I was still prego, I had my hubby help me. I used 'Surgi-Cream Bikini & Leg Hair Remover'. It is really easy and works great. Just be very careful where you get the cream on you, because ALL the hair will come off. I speak from experience.
BTW, a friend of mine that is an OB nurse said she doesn't even notice if her patients are shaven or not. I think its really more for our own personal comfort than for the dr or nurse.

Julie

Dean (6/5/04)
Max (2/14/07)
Eleni (2/14/07)
Sophia (2/14/07)

 

Ok, here's some advice from the other side. I can't shave (bad skin) so generally, I wax, but my lady would not do it when I was pg. I also have found some creams that work great. You may have to try a few & get a little help.
I wish I had stayed on top of this issue towards the end of my pg, because the c-section would have been a little easier if things had been trimmed!! Not to scare anyone, just in the realm of full disclosure.

 

I had my boys in mid-September so I was huge all through swimming season. I mostly did the blind shave and only the minimum required for my swimsuit. I wasn't concerned with impressing the doctor Oh, and no way would I go anywhere near a wax because the skin was so much more sensitive.

I didn't notice any swelling but the color change was quite shocking. DH teased about it which didn't help matters at all. Oh, and that all goes back to normal afterward... which is much more than I can say for other parts of me.

 

:rotflmbo:
Starting this thread has given me such a great laugh. I'm glad I swallowed my pride and asked the question!

Thanks for all the stories and tips. DH is declining the responsibility, but he did say he would "oversee" any procedures!

It is fun to know that we all share this common problem!

Jennifer