'Birthing makeup' divides women on TikTok as moms go 'full glam' for labor and delivery
Women have been sharing TikTok videos of themselves doing their makeup from their labor-delivery room hospital beds
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Some mothers appear to be getting their makeup done before the birth of their children, and the decision has stirred lots of discussion on social media.
On TikTok, entering the term "birthing makeup," "labor makeup" and "delivery makeup" yields dozens of viral videos that show women applying full faces of makeup from their hospital beds while they wait for their children to enter the world.
Reality TV star and media personality Heidi Montag, 36, went a step above and hired a professional makeup artist when she prepped for the birth of her son, Ryker Pratt, in November 2022, which she documented on TikTok.
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The 15-second video has been viewed more than 6.9 million times and showed Montag had a photographer present with a lighting kit while her husband, Spencer Pratt, 39, spoke into a tripod-equipped phone.
Pregnant women who are prepping to give birth have documented themselves applying makeup, and have shared their before and after looks on social media. (iStock)
Fox News Digital reached out to representatives of Montag for comment.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Thousands of TikTok users were divided about Montag’s choice to get primped and polished before birth with some writing that it was "too much," while others thought the moment was "iconic."
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"Cracks me up how opinionated & judgy people are. You’re absolutely stunning!" one TikTok commenter wrote to Montag. "This is epic!"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Me as a nurse walking into this and just turning around and walking out," another TikTok user wrote, which received more than 15,600 likes.
"As a nurse, if I walked into this I'd be so happy my patient was calm, relaxed and in good spirits!" A different TikTok user countered.
Other moms who have opted to participate in the birthing makeup trend but didn’t hire a professional, have brushed on their own foundation, concealers, smokey eyeshadows, liners and mascara.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lae Harris, a TikTok content creator who has more than 57,800 followers and curates shopping lists on Amazon under the name "Momma Lae," shared a minute-long video of herself doing her own makeup, on Oct. 2, 2021.
"I did my makeup before birthing my baby," Harris wrote in a text overlay she placed over the clip. "I wanted her to meet the queen in full face."
In the comments section, Harris noted she was 8.5 centimeters dilated when she recorded the video.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The video remains one of highest viewed birthing makeup videos on TikTok with more than 12.9 million users having watched the sped-up tutorial, according to the app’s documented video analytics.
The thousands of responses that have been left under Harris’ video have been overwhelmingly positive.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Gone have them birth photos lookin righttt," one TikTok user wrote, which received 224,300-plus likes.
"First impressions are important," another user joked.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I mean what better way to pass the time while you wait," another TikTok commenter reasoned.
Oreopepper, a verified TikTok content creator, wrote that Harris’ viral video "is proof" that women "don’t do" their "makeup for the boyz." The comment has received more than 135,300 likes.
In a TikTok direct message, Harris told Fox News Digital that she chose to do her makeup for the birth of her second child.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I just wanted to do my makeup because I felt like the pictures with my son were not as beautiful as I thought birthing would be," Harris wrote on Tuesday, Jan. 31. "When I was having my daughter I chose to be as beautiful as I wanted to be."
Makeup is a term that's used for color-based cosmetics, such as lipstick, eyeshadow or powder, which is applied to the face for appearance enhancement or alteration. (iStock)
Dvtsroxii (AKA RoxiiThaDon), a TikTok content creator who has more than 110,500 followers, shared a 15-second video of herself applying eyeshadow while wearing an oxygen mask, on June 1, 2021.
"Throw back to the time when I did my makeup before giving birth," she wrote in the video’s text overlay at the time.
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The brief clip has been viewed on TikTok more than 2.5 million times and generated more than 4,430 comments.
Much like Harris, TikTok users have largely viewed the video favorably.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I had a c-section with a full glam of makeup lol," one user commented.
"I mean ... besides that, doing my makeup is something relaxing for me and it distracts you a little I guess so why not," another TikTok user wrote.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}At least one TikTok user shared they prefer makeup-free birth photos.
"[I don’t know] if I’m old school," the user wrote. "But I feel like the exhausted look in the delivery pictures just gives them a better meaning when u look back…"
Fox News Digital reached out to Dvtsroxii for comment.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Labor and delivery times can last for several hours. (iStock)
A report published by Cleveland Clinic – an Ohio-based hospital and health news source – states the average duration of labor is between 12 and 24 hours for a first birth.
Subsequent births reportedly have shorter labor times that are between eight and 10 hours on average.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Some parents choose to have labor and delivery photo shoots, which are a niche documentary service that's offered by photographers around the world.