Moms Are Applying Makeup Before Giving Birth, and There’s Some Backlash to the Trend

A new trend among mothers to make sure they look amazing when giving birth at a hospital is gaining steam and causing a stir on social media. While some have praised the new trend, others are not happy about it. Some find it an effort focused on looks for social media posts at a time when you are welcoming another person into the world.

Back in April, a survey by Cosmetify of 2,000 U.K. women found that 64 percent of women between 18 and 31 will get a beauty treatment before going into labor, reports Harper’s Bazaar. The study found that 57 percent get a manicure, 43 percent get a pedicure while 32 percent get blow-dry, cut or styling.

When respondents were asked why they were concerned with their looks at that moment, the top reason was looking good in photos (31 percent). Other mothers said it was to look presentable for visitors (26 percent) or to avoid looking trained and tired (22 percent).

The trend has inspired varying social media responses.

Photo credit: BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images

What it Says About Society

“I wanted to look back on the photographs,” Susy Bernardo, who had a make-over when she gave birth to her daughter in September 2018, told the New York Post. “It was important to capture those intimate first moments.”

Bernardo said she did not want to go “over-the-top, but I wanted to feel good about myself.”

So Vain?

“It’s a little bit of self-care,” New Jersey photographer Marina Ferreira, who took Bernardo’s photos, told the Post. “Everyone always wants to look good.”

Ferreira works for To The Moon Portraits, which charges $350 for a “Fresh 48-hour Birthplace” photo session.

Looked Better Than a Bridesmaid

“I’ve seen a lot of atrocious, sweaty pictures posted on the Internet just after people have given birth,” Christina Polazzo, who made sure she was camera-ready when her daughters were born in 2012 and 2014, told the Post. “Obviously, the baby’s health is the most important thing, but that doesn’t mean you have to look bad.”

Polazzo took photos within 24 hours of her first daughter’s birth. She even had a portrait company style her hair between contractions.

“I wanted nice pictures before, during and after the birth,” she said. “Everyone who knows me would expect me to be wearing my makeup.”

Why the Makeup?

The trend is not completely new. Back in March 2016, Alaha Karimi caught the attention of ABC News after her delivery room photos went viral on social media.

“I went to the hospital at 7:30 a.m., and I was in labor for a total of 10 hours that day,” she said. “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.”

Karimi did the styling herself. She had her husband bring in her make-up kit.

“I did my makeup in between my contractions,” she told ABC News. “I had to keep pausing whenever I’d get a contraction, and I had to catch my breath. But, honestly, doing something I loved helped the time go by so much faster and made everything so much easier.”

Makes My Blood Boil

“Makeup and fashion are two of my biggest passions,” Karimi told Inside Edition. “And after being in labor for over 10 hours, the only thing to help keep my mind off of the pain was to do something that I love to do.”

Karimi said she got comments from people calling her vain, but she shook off the criticism.

“These comments are rude and uncalled for, especially since any one who knows anything about labor knows that labor is a waiting game,” she explained. “What better way to make the time pass by than doing something I love? It worked!”

No Desire for it

“I only decided to do [my makeup] after receiving the green light from both my doctor and my nurses. There was one side effect — looking glam in all my photos before, after, and during delivery,” Karimi told Inside Edition.

She said she was getting questions from moms who wanted her to do their makeup, too.

“I’ve had many saying they would like me to be on call for their due dates,” she said. “However, given the fact that I’m a mommy now, my schedule isn’t as flexible as it once was so I told them I would try my absolute best to make it happen for them!”

Not Realistic

“Anyone who’s gone through labor knows you can’t do anything for hours except wait,” Karimi told ABC News. “Some people walk around, some people read books, some sit and watch TV. I did my makeup and I shouldn’t be shamed for that.”

Why Care About Looks at a Time Like This?

Karmimi told ABC News she had the full support of her doctors and nurses.

“I would tell expecting to find a couple things you love to do and to bring that with you to the delivery room,” she explained. “For me, I love makeup. It’s a way of expressing myself and it’s always been a passion of mine.”