Piggy-back to Pedicure Before Gyn Visit...

Updated on March 07, 2014
J.B. asks from Dayton, OH
21 answers

To answer the earlier question, no, getting a pedicure is not part of my routine before going for a "visit" to my gynecologist. But this question got me to thinking because this unfortunately is on my schedule soon. What is your usual routine before going? I'm feeling a bit guilty, because I don't typically do anything over and above my daily routine..shower, shave my legs/underarms, deodorant. So..there's more I should be doing? Sorry..I don't have anyone else to ask & I know you ladies will enlighten me :)

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T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Like any other DR apt, being clean and wearing clean underwear. But I do that every day so there's really no extra "prep" involved at all.

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B.B.

answers from Missoula on

Why do we worry about this stuff? What a waste.

I don't mean any offense to you personally--I think lots of women wonder what is "normal" to do here, I just don't think most guys worry about this stuff, ya know?

Just be clean and on time. That's really all you need to do.

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M.F.

answers from Phoenix on

Wash.
With soap.
Wear clothes.

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O.O.

answers from Los Angeles on

It's a medical appointment and procedure.
Be clean. Be on time. Have your health insurance card ready.

Don't skip yearly check ups.

Ask any questions you might have about your sexual health, cycle, etc.

That's about it.
We can skip the glitter glue & sparkles. 😜

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D.T.

answers from Muncie on

Shower and shave.

Trust me with two kids this is an accomplishment to get both done in one showering.

6 moms found this helpful
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Z.B.

answers from Toledo on

I've been wondering what people mean by "proper grooming."

I take a shower in the morning. I do make sure I clean everything. I usually get the mammogram first, so I use the provided wipes and put on deodorant. Then I take another wipe with me to do one more cleaning just before the doctor comes in.

Am I missing something?

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A.C.

answers from Washington DC on

I shower and put on clean clothes ... end of story for me.

I'm NOT a girly girl. I don't shave my legs pretty much ever. I don't shave my underarms except in summer. I never wear makeup. I brush my hair and up it goes either in a clip or pony tail LOL

I certainly hope they are more concerned with what I'm seeing them for and if it's all in proper working order over froo froo stuff :)

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Shower and shave like normal everyday stuff I would do normally everyday.

I ain't going on a date.
I shower and shave wherever I have to and normally do. Everyday ANYWAY.
Just normal stuff.

When I was pregnant with my kids, I could NOT shave or reach anywhere where I normally could have. I mean, my tummy was HUGE and I could not bend nor reach nor shave every darn area! I told my Doc. And he couldn't care less! He knows, he understands, it was NO big deal! As long as you are showered/clean.
And this is a well known top Doc in my State and very high up the totem pole in his field!

5 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

I don't worry about it.
My daily cleaning routine is it.
Do you think guys worry about anything like this before they see a urologist?
Do they ever worry about whether their feet or any other part of them is presentable?
Is there a counterpart to feminine deodorant spray that advertising has missed out on - masculine deodorant spray?

5 moms found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

i am a little taken aback at how much people overthink this.
i doubt many of us are trying to romance our medical professionals. heck, i actually DO wear glitter lotion (the world needs more fairy dust, dammit!).
but not on my britney.
i don't wax or trim or shave my nether regions either.
i do what i do on any other day- wash it, and put clean undies over it.
i don't want my ob to admire the dang thing, i want her to assess its overall health.
khairete
S.

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K.D.

answers from Dallas on

Please. Just be clean, that's all! You're doing enough! I am sure there are plenty who don't shower first...ugh!

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M.C.

answers from Roanoke on

Please don't worry about "prepping" before an OB/GYN appointment! They won't notice, so it's a waste of your time and/or money.

I am a labor and delivery nurse. I can be taking care of a woman in labor all day, and at the end of the day if someone were to ask me if she was shaved or not, I'd have no idea. We just aren't thinking about hair.

The only thing I'd recommend is to shower that morning, but don't worry about cleansing your privates before the doctor comes in the room. If there's a funky smell, the Dr needs to know, you may have a yeast infection or something. They aren't going to judge you by the way you smell! It's part of the info they need for accurate diagnosis.

If you're pregnant and close to delivery, the only part that may be beneficial to shave is your upper pubic hair line. That would only be important if you end up needing a c-section, because the incision line would need to be shaved. If it's not already shaved, that's fine. They will shave it there in the event of a c-section.

4 moms found this helpful

V.S.

answers from Reading on

I shower and shave my legs and underarms. Shaving and trimming of more delicate parts did not become routine in my generation, thank god! It's bad enough we all think we need to drag a razor over half our body - I will never put razor to those parts of my body to please a man or because society tells me I have to. Awful!

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G.D.

answers from Detroit on

When I went into labor with my first I was at work. I had my supervisors keys and was in charge of an open recieving area. I blew up her phone. She finally relieved me and I waddled out to my car, and drove home. my little bother happened to be there shoveling my snow (huge snow storm the day before and of). I told him I had to take a shower then asked if he would mind driving me to the hospital.
I showered, shaved, etc.
He was gone.
I drove myself and dad etc. Joined me later.
So silly. Really. I should have went straight to the hospital.
I'm lucky I made it to te hospital and my poor son wasn't born in the shower I had to take!!
Visits, just a shower as usual.

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D..

answers from Miami on

You know what? Gyn's and ob's have SEEN IT ALL. From nether regions that have never been groomed, not once, to brazilian waxed ones that have nary a hair on them. And everything in between. There is not one "right" look.

One thing to consider is to not wash minutes beforehand because if you have a smell that is unusual, the doctor should know that so that he or she can diagnose it. An unusual smell means that there is something wrong. If I know I'd be waiting a half hour before my appointment, I go freshen up in the bathroom then so that I was more "natural" for my exam. Back when I had a period, I tried to make sure that my exam was not when I was supposed to be bleeding. That's not a good time for a yearly, for sure.

I don't have to shave anymore (laser hair removal worked really well for me), but I admit that I shaved my underarms and legs mostly because I did that several times a week anyway for other reasons. I NEVER thought of a pedicure, though. I'm stilll laughing about that idea!

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D.K.

answers from Pittsburgh on

MommyJen - that is pretty much what happened to the mother of one of my employees. She went to her exam and was telling her daughter that her dr was a little odd that visit. He commented that she had gotten 'all gussied up' for the appointment. My employee asked what she had done differently. She said she had just used employee's feminine spray. Employee has no feminine spray - she has glitter hair spray. For year the phrase 'all gussied up' caused hysteria in our office.

To answer the question - what Missy F says.

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J.C.

answers from New York on

Doctors and nurses have seen it all and then some. But I do groom for the appt. I do like to look well kept in ALL areas.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.M.

answers from Chicago on

This reminded M. of a funny story I had read long back ... I don't remember where I read it maybe it was just a funny story or it could also be some mom's real life experience , don't remember exactly.. but here it is -

One day a mom of a little girl was getting her ready for school. She had to drop her off and then head to a gyn appt. So at the last minute she remembers she forgot to shave down there , so she rushes to the restroom does it as fast as she can and she doesn't see a towel in there , so borrows her little girl's washcloth that was in the restroom.
Then she goes on and gets to her appt. Her doctor - male - looks and comments that she did make sure she was ready for her appt today. The doctors comment made the mom uncomfortable but she left it at that.
Later in the evening , she was back home with her girl. And the girl asks her where her washcloth is and the mom tells her she had to borrow it because she was in a hurry that morning. And the little girl goes - 'But mom I had all my glitters in that!!!!'

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K.F.

answers from New York on

When my cousin was an intern doing his rounds, he was all excited about the GYN portion of his final phase of becoming a doctor. What he discovered surprised, amazed and disqusted him? He was single at the time and it was so bad he went celibate. LOL. Even after doing his rounds, he still says he has never been able to look at it the same again.

With that knowledge in hand, I do all I can do to make it a pleasant experence for both myself and the doctor. Yes I groom thoroughly and nails are polished. You would be surprised what doctors do and don't care about.

FYI - my cousin is an anesthesiologist.

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S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

The usual shower and shaving (or waxing), but also make sure I am freshly trimmed.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.B.

answers from Boston on

I shower and do my normal shaving that I do whenever I shower - underarms, legs, and bikini line. I'm hairy person and if I don't clean up the bikini area on a regular basis, I'll have hair creeping everywhere (TMI?). I also check for stray hairs elsewhere (sometimes I'll get a random dark hair on my stomach, breasts, etc.) and pluck those.

I have a friend whose mother fell and broke her arm while she was walking the dog one morning. It was an obvious, bad break (the kind where the arm literally looks broken) and she was on the verge of passing out from pain and couldn't drive to the hospital but instead of calling an ambulance, she called her daughter to come over and help her do her hair and make up first before going to the ER. When my friend got there her mom was showing signs of shock but insisted on putting on some make up while they waited for the ambulance, which my friend called for because she realized that there was no way for her to get her mom in the car safely. I'm amazed at what concerns people in times of medical need!

1 mom found this helpful
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