2 Facts for Pregnant Hairdressers

Many expectant stylists want to continue to do hair right up to the time they give birth and pick up where they left off not long afterward, but they’re not sure whether their body will cooperate with that plan. If this is your first baby, you probably have questions—and no question is a bad one! Here are two things you may not know:

Your water probably won’t break without warning. If you’re concerned that you may be holding a hot curling iron and deep in conversation with your client when you’re startled by a splash of water coming out of you, Dr. Peggy Jacobs says you can probably relax. Jacobs, DNP, childbirth educator and certified midwife with Advocate BroMenn Medical Center in Normal, Illinois, puts the chances of water breaking spontaneously prior to labor at 10%. “More likely, your water will break during labor, during pushing or once your health care provider decides to break the water to help labor progress,” Jacobs says.

When it does break, Jacobs advises going straight to the hospital, since the bag of water protects both mother and baby from outside infection. Try to report the color of the fluid, any odor, how much there was (think gush vs. trickle) and when the fluid broke.

Your pelvic floor can be repaired. Although childbirth can cause trauma to the muscles in and around your pelvic floor, leading to urine leakage, you still should be able to return to your normal routine of doing hair, jogging or even jumping on a trampoline. You may just have to go to physical therapy to strengthen the weakened area.

“Your pelvic floor acts as a valve to keep urine and bowel movements in,” explains Stephanie Kates, physical therapist at Advocate BroMenn Outpatient Center in Bloomington, Illinois. “Most often, these muscles can be damaged with childbirth. Pelvic floor physical therapy can assist in strengthening these muscles in a variety of ways so you don’t have to avoid running/jumping the rest of your life. Don’t be hesitant to ask your physician for a referral to physical therapy if you are having issues post-delivery.”