How good did you look for your baby's birth?

[Liv]

I just saw something on the news about women who put on full makeup and do their hair before delivery so they will look good for pictures. They also bring their own gown to wear while giving birth. These things never crossed my mind leading up to any of my deliveries. I had on tinted moisturizer and my hair in a ponytail.

[Sunrise]

You've just been sweating naked for hours with random people sticking their hands up your hoo-hah and probably pooping on the bed while pushing. Is it really the time for vanity? Seems silly to me. (I don't mean "you" in the personal sense, of course).

I always braid my hair to get it out of my face. But makeup would be a lost cause. Maybe the women that do this are the ones who get the epidural at like 2 cm and sleep through their labors. I'm told such people exist.

[nuthinbutpink]

I know bringing your own gown is popular lately(I remember seeing Tori Spelling on TV have her own gown with her DD) but I was induced with 2 kids and I did shower and wash my hair. I am not a sweater - lol - and I always had an epidural so labor was really no big deal for me...a couple pushes and they were out. I never wear that much makeup and never wear lipstick but looking back on a couple of pics, I kind of wish I had looked into a mirror first!!

[pinksapphire]

I guess it depends on the situation. For DS1, it was the middle of the night that I went into labor and so there was no makeup or anything like that. I did, however, take a shower before going to the hospital (but didn't wash my hair). I didn't look terrible in those pics but I looked tired (I hadn't slept at all that night!) & didn't look my best. For DS2, I was out and about that day so I had my hair done and makeup on when my water broke and so I looked nice for his labor/birth! If I get PG again, I hope I can plan it so I look pretty for those pics! Hahaha! Hard to really plan if you're don't have a scheduled birth though!

Also, if you plan on nursing your baby right away, then you'd have to bring your own nursing gown or one that buttons down the front for easy booby access!

[Liv]

I just found it interesting because "looking good for pictures" was the farthest thing from my mind. FWIW, I love my pics of all three of my labors/birth. I love that I look I just accomplished something remarkable. For me, having eye shadow and lipgloss would have felt silly.

[Lilian78]

I went into labor with all of mine in the middle of the night. Things were a little slower with DS1, so I think I took a shower and made some effort to tie back my hair LOL. Flew out of the house to the hospital with the other two so there was definitely no primping--but looking back at the video/pics, I wish I had the time to do some!

[atomic sagebrush]

I'm sure I didn't look too good! Two were natural and two were epidurals that didn't really take so my appearance was kinda the last thing on my mind. I got a couple nice pictures of myself after the births so I guess I looked ok.

What I always hate is the pics that are from the next few days when your face gets swollen for whatever reason (Maybe that doesn't happen to other people but it sure does to me! So all the newborn pics I look like a total stranger.)

[xnicolax]

I looked like I had been dragged through a hedge after giving birth to all 4. That being said, the camera is not allowed anywhere near me until I have sorted myself out. Atomic, I get that too, it seems to get bigger and bigger through pregnancy then deflates in the few days after delivery.

[Orchid]

I looked like a ghost. The pregnancy had made my neck and lips darker than normal. (Dont know why). I had extremely high blood pressure and I was swollen all over. Not a pretty site.

[LolaInLove]

I looked like ass after both, and I do get the puffed-up face (and body) after delivery also. When my 1st was born, I labored unsuccessfully for 33 hours and then had a section, so with all the fluid they put in me, I had massive cankles and looked like a water-balloon version of myself. I can barely stand to look at my legs in those shots! Not to mention I had a bolus of demerol during repair (as my stinking epidural wore off and I could FEEL the section pain!) so I also look like a crackhead. It was horrible, but hey, she came into the world and was fine.

I have known more than a few women who opted for c-sections JUST so they could A) look pretty in the photos and B) didn't have to "deal with labor and mess up my vagina." I had to bite my tongue, but the photo part was always mentioned as a reason.