Childbirth is painful, messy, tiring and now, glamorous? Women across the world are blending contouring and contractions with the ongoing trend of applying makeup before giving birth. We are not talking about a touch of mascara or undereye cover-up to freshen up your face – no, these moms-to-be are doing full face beats, that are Instagram ready.
It may sound bizarre to some to prep for the camera during this strenuous time, but a study from Cosmetify revealed that 64% of women aged 18 to 31 get beauty treatments before going into labor, such as hair removal (65%), a manicure (57%), pedicure (43%), spray tan (37%) or a blow-dry, cut or styling (32%). While glamming up for that life-changing occasion is not exactly a new thing, women have different reasons as to why.
The real picture of childbirth has been stigmatized for centuries, and women have felt pressure to hide the unpolished reality. Social media has presented a new pressure to that equation for some. In the same study, respondents were asked why they were concerned about their appearance following childbirth. Among the top reasons were looking good in pictures (31%), looking presentable for visitors (26%) or to avoid looking drained, ill, and tired (22%). A different study showed that the average woman applies makeup within two-and-a-half hours of giving birth. In the picture above you can see beauty blogger Alexis Jayda in California that recorded a makeup tutorial while waiting to give birth to her kid.
Another beauty influencer Dana Chavez checked to ensure her contouring was on fleek and her eyebrows shaped up for her labor.
Lee Ann Jarrell she said she ‘refused’ to give birth until her makeup was all done in 2018.
For several women, the pre-birth makeup ritual served as a distraction to keep their minds off the pain of the contractions, while others selected to apply their makeup post birth for Instagram pics.
This mother in California had a false alarm that sent her to the delivery room early, that gave her a chance to play around in some makeup.
New York makeup artist, Alaha Karimi, went viral for the three makeup prep pictures she shared back in 2016. When interviewed by ABC News, she said that the glam-up provided a much-needed distraction from her contractions. “I went to the hospital at 7:30 a.m., and I was in labor for a total of ten hours that day. 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,” she said.
Alaha had her beauty photographs go viral in 2015 when she shared images of herself in the process of applying her makeup followed by another pic of her experiencing contractions in the middle of it.
Alaha, known for her bridal makeup looks, made a joke that if her makeup could last through a wedding day filled with tears, it could hold up during labor.
The British mother-to-be primped herself with some ‘labor lashes’ before her delivery.
Women should always consult with their doctors concerning product safety. “Lists are always ordered from largest to smallest in terms of ingredient quantity,” said New York-based makeup artist Mary Irwin. “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.”
US blogger Brianna Lynch struggled to apply her make up wrapped up in a blood pressure cuff around her, that took true talent to achieve.
“During pregnancy, the skin is often turning over more quickly, so you can accumulate dead skin and sometimes require more foundation,” said Shilpi Agarwal, MD, author of The 10-Day Total Body Transformation and board-certified family medicine physician in Washington, DC.
Not all women that want to get dolled up do it themselves. Makeup artist Tegan Woodford, from Queensland’s Gold Coast, was called in to do a makeover for her sister-in-law as she was going into labor.
Even before they make it to the hospital, several women plan ahead of their scheduled deliveries and make lash appointments like expectant mother Christine from Northern Ireland.
As reported by 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 reacted in different ways:
Some even thought putting makeup on in the delivery room was a bit too much:
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