Serious question: Why can't I wear makeup to my c-section?

[bisous]

This is a new one for me. I just learned I can't wear "lotion, deodorant or makeup" to my appointment for a c-section.

This is laughably small in importance in the world, and I realized that but one of the ways I try to make my c-section births more tolerable is by being a bit of a glamour queen. And I absolutely refuse to be photographed without a full face (or at the beach or pool) when I am this large.

Is there truly a medical REASON for this? I cannot imagine what it can be!

Thank you for clarification!

[SnuggleBuggles]

So they can keep an eye on your color, probably. If you all of a sudden went ashen they would want to know, for example.

Beth

[sste]

Get a pedicure! That is my practice for anything inpatient . . . I do think the overwhelming majority of med/nursing folks are professionals and either not bothered or not willing to show they are bothered by physical sights/smells/etc. But hey it is human nature to be more willing to handle a nicely polished hoof and inpatient there often is a fair amount of moving of your feet and legs . . .

Most importantly though it will make you feel better. :)

[Green_Tea]

Hmmm... I wore makeup for sections #2 and #3. My doctor made fun of me for it :).

[jerigirl]

So they can monitor your color and be sure that any electrodes they need to stick to you will stick. And if for some reason they need to put you under general anesthesia they don't want any makeup to be on or near your eyes because they usually tape your eyelids shut (to keep eyes from drying out) and they don't want eye make up to get in your eye and scratch or irritate your eye. This is standard procedure for most surgeries but some hospitals are more lenient with the c section patients.

ETA:The NO lotion and deodorant thing is more to be sure for the electrodes/bandages/tape to stick.

[Minnifer]

Huh... I just had a section in June and I was able to wear whatever I wanted (makeup, deodorant, contacts etc)...

[Melbel]

Huh... I just had a section in June and I was able to wear whatever I wanted (makeup, deodorant, contacts etc)...
:yeahthat: for all 3 of my C sections. I figured a "perk" of a non-elective CS was that I looked decent for the pictures and the baby's head was not squished. I have never heard of these prohibitions, but they make sense as explained above. I wonder if there is an alcohol based deodorant would be OK.

[AnnieW625]

No and it just sounds like another silly Kaiser rule as they have rules and recommendations for everything, and those sounds like the standard surgery rules, ie: if you are having knee surgery they don't want the skin all slimy from lotion. I would fine wearing no lotion, perfume or deoderant though. I would just act like you misread that part of the forms. I mean if a woman goes into labor in the middle of the day and has a full face of makeup, deoderant, lotion, or perfume on they can't turn her away.

[ThreeofUs]

Our hospital was pretty strict, too. No makeup or any other substances on the body that could compromise/interfere with medical procedures.

[bisous]

:yeahthat: for all 3 of my C sections. I figured a "perk" of a non-elective CS was that I looked decent for the pictures and the baby's head was not squished. I have never heard of these prohibitions, but they make sense as explained above. I wonder if there is an alcohol based deodorant would be OK.

Exactly! I'm looking for any and all "perks" at this point since I'm unhappy with so many aspects of this birth! I've always thought that the ONE benefit to a surgical birth is you could look like a beauty queen!

[bisous]

No and it just sounds like another silly Kaiser rule as they have rules and recommendations for everything, and those sounds like the standard surgery rules, ie: if you are having knee surgery they don't want the skin all slimy from lotion. I would fine wearing no lotion, perfume or deoderant though. I would just act like you misread that part of the forms. I mean if a woman goes into labor in the middle of the day and has a full face of makeup, deoderant, lotion, or perfume on they can't turn her away.

Annie I might do this. Or I might email my OB and ask her if it is a big deal. Then again, the whole "easier to ask forgiveness than permission" thing.

But if it is unsafe...then I don't really know! Could eye makeup or blush really cause physical harm and make the difference between a successful surgery or not?

[ShanaMama]

What happens if you show up all glammed up? Preggo brain, forgot to read the rules, whatever. Do you think they'll make you take it off? I am a rule follower but I think in your position I'd come with makeup. Worst thing that happens is they make you wash it off (make sure to use waterproof!:icon_twisted:)

[amldaley]

Get a pedicure! That is my practice for anything inpatient . . . I do think the overwhelming majority of med/nursing folks are professionals and either not bothered or not willing to show they are bothered by physical sights/smells/etc. But hey it is human nature to be more willing to handle a nicely polished hoof and inpatient there often is a fair amount of moving of your feet and legs . . .

Most importantly though it will make you feel better. :)

Except that many hospitals require you to remove toe nail polish before a c-section as they monitor the color of your toe nails for blood circulation.

[amldaley]

I had DD by planned C-section at a military hospital and was told no makeup or nail polish or toe nail polish specifically because the anethsiology nurse will watch your skin color. Also, if they have to intebate quickly, tape anything to your face, etc, it is cleaner/easier to do so without make-up. No lotion is, again, because they will be poking you, taping things to you, etc and they want to ensure good adhesion/clean skin.

And good lord, who would wear perfume to surgery?

ETA: I guess I am of the mind set that I am there to have a baby, not look good. What's the big deal? Show up clean and prepped and ready to go. I vomitted twice during my c-section. I was glad not to have make-up to worry about.

[Melbel]

Except that many hospitals require you to remove toe nail polish before a c-section as they monitor the color of your toe nails for blood circulation.

I had pedicures before each of my 3 CS too without any issue. Even if they take off the polish, it is still nice to have the nails cut/filed, feet smoothed and massaged. The other "me" thing I did before each of my sections was to get my hair cut since I new it would probably be a good long while before I could get one post baby.

[TxCat]

Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, I am an anesthesiologist, and was previously an OB. I have also had a c-section. To which I wore full make-up and looked great for the pictures, frankly.

I have never, ever, ever heard this "rule" at any hospital I've trained at or worked at, and there have been several.

First off, the "monitoring your color" line is just... I'm speechless. Unless you have a complete idiot monitoring you in the OR, it's easy to tell if you go from "normal" to pale due to blood loss to ashy due to poor oxygenation even if you are made up like a Kardashian for a black-tie event. Make-up just doesn't hide that stuff, plus you can look at the oral mucus membranes, the conjunctiva around the eyes, the shoulders, the chest, the arms, etc. Not to mention you have standard monitors which are constantly checking your blood pressure, oxygenation, temperature, heart rate. And that's standard for any anesthetic and a requirement by our governing board.

Make-up doesn't interfere with a possible intubation in the case of an emergency. Your make-up might get smudged, but it's not going to interfere with my ability to keep you safe and do whatever I need to do to keep you and your baby safe, in terms of placing a breathing tube, using tape as needed, placing monitors. Period.

The adhesives for the tape that is generally used and the monitors is pretty crazy sticky. As in, it can overcome lotion and make-up.

The one thing that can be problematic is dark nail polish because it interferes with the oxygenation monitor. But, the OR usually has nail polish remover available.

Keep in mind, patients come in for "stat" cases all the time - they may have lotion, make-up, dirt, bodily fluids on them, and we still take care of them just fine.

Honestly, I can't give you any justification for the "rule" that the poster mentioned. The one thing I can think of with the lotion or perfume is that it might actually be an employee protection issue - people who are really sensitive to scents, etc. For instance, we're instructed to not wear perfume and lotions to work so as to not possibly irritate any patients who may be sensitive to it. So, maybe your hospital has decided that should be a two-way street. Dunno.

[bisous]

TxCat, I love you. Thank you for giving me the real low down. I'm going to skip lotion (just in case and not that big of a deal) and don't wear perfume (or perfumed products, really) so that isn't an issue. I won't make myself up like a Kardashian but I'm going with subtle makeup that will look good in pictures. I already have a pedicure scheduled and the literature actually doesn't say "no nailpolish" so I think we're good there. :)

I'm a happy lady!!

[BayGirl2]

The one thing I can think of with the lotion or perfume is that it might actually be an employee protection issue - people who are really sensitive to scents, etc. For instance, we're instructed to not wear perfume and lotions to work so as to not possibly irritate any patients who may be sensitive to it. So, maybe your hospital has decided that should be a two-way street. Dunno.

That is the case at my Kaiser. No scented lotions or perfumes in any of the buildings, even the medical offices. Its for patient/worker sensitivity issues. Now that I am super sensitive to smells I kind of appreciate it, but 10 years ago I would have been annoyed by it.

No idea about the makeup though.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Keep in mind, patients come in for "stat" cases all the time - they may have lotion, make-up, dirt, bodily fluids on them, and we still take care of them just fine.


That was allways my counter argument to not allowing eating during labor. No one ever knows when they will need emergency surgery and they aren't turned away if they just ate. I can understand if it makes everything easier for the medical providers if they know what the patient ate and when but I always felt confident that if a c-section under general became needed they could still operate. I'd have lost all oomph if I couldn't eat and drink during labor. Sorry for the tangent!

Beth

[bisous]

ETA: I guess I am of the mind set that I am there to have a baby, not look good. What's the big deal? Show up clean and prepped and ready to go. I vomitted twice during my c-section. I was glad not to have make-up to worry about.[/QUOTE]

I know. I'm vain and I'll probably feel awful afterwards. But looking good is one way that I increase my enjoyment of a process that is just really, really hard for me. I KNOW it is silly but it has been interesting to read everyone's opinions nonetheless!

[TxCat]

I know. I'm vain and I'll probably feel awful afterwards. But looking good is one way that I increase my enjoyment of a process that is just really, really hard for me. I KNOW it is silly but it has been interesting to read everyone's opinions nonetheless!

ITA with this. I mean, "full" make-up for me was really my regular "work-day" make-up - under-eye concealer, bronzer, a little blush, and some eye "highlighter" to look more awake, less red in the eyes. But, it made me feel better, and I'm much happier with the immediate post-birth pictures.

[TxCat]

That was allways my counter argument to not allowing eating during labor. No one ever knows when they will need emergency surgery and they aren't turned away if they just ate. I can understand if it makes everything easier for the medical providers if they know what the patient ate and when but I always felt confident that if a c-section under general became needed they could still operate. I'd have lost all oomph if I couldn't eat and drink during labor. Sorry for the tangent!

Beth

Okay, tangent-response to the tangent.

The no food/liquids during labor argument is a really interesting in anesthesiology, actually, and I think the rules, at least for liquids, are going to change significantly in the very near future. The main reason anesthesiologists ask/suggest not to eat anything during labor is due to the increased risk of aspiration pneumonia/pneumonitis, should a pregnant patient require general anesthesia for say, a stat c-section. Pregnant patients are generally considered to have a "full stomach" regardless of the time of the last meal, because of the normal changes of pregnancy (decreased muscle tone of the sphincter muscle that closes the stomach off from the esophagus, which results in more frequent reflux of stomach contents; increased pressure on stomach contents due to the pregnant uterus; slowed emptying time of stomach contents, etc.). Aspiration is a well-established complication of general anesthesia, occurring about 1 in 3000 cases and it accounts for anywhere from 10-30% of anesthesia-related deaths. So, it's a condition that carries a not insignificant risk of mortality and morbidity and it's often preventable, or greatly reduced, by not eating at least 6-8 hours before a general anesthetic.

[amldaley]

I have only two pics from in the OR after DD was born. I am bright red in the face, crying and laughing (right before I vomitted). No make up would have fixed that. I was in recovery for so long after, that I washed my face etc when I got back to my room and cleaned myself up.

I just figure that they asked me to do it that way for a reason, so I did. It does not seem to be an unreasonable request.

[joules]

I ignored the no makeup rule for my scheduled c/s. :bag

But I didn't go in like KK. Just some eyeliner and a tiny bit of blush and mineral foundation. I have one picture of DS next to my face (my face is upside down of course b/c I'm laying on the table)...one of my friends commented on how great I looked. woohoo. Vain I know, but really I looked SO horrible those last few months. I love having that ONE picture where I look nice with DS. All the other ones we took afterwards, I was a sweaty bloated mess.