Women going through childbirth might as well check their modesty at the door. Depending on how you handle your own labor experience, any number of medical professionals, friends, and family members may be privy to parts of your body that you yourself need a mirror and an awkward angle to see.

Then, afterward, the cameras come out. The baby is cute and the husband is dressed and well-rested, but mom? Well, if your pictures look like mine, you look sweaty, pale, and exhausted.

According to the New York Post, some moms -- influenced by today's celebrity mom lifestyle -- are taking steps to look their best in their post-labor pictures. Some are even planning appointments around their due date, making sure that they have fresh manicures, pedicures, hairstyles, and even bikini waxes.

I don't think it's a terrible idea, really, if that's the kind of thing that makes you feel good. Labor is hard work; if looking good makes you feel like a superhero, then why not? Vanity aside, new moms don't get much time to pamper themselves, so you might as well take the time while you can.

I'm not ashamed of my post-labor photos, but they definitely aren't pretty. What about you (or your wife/partner if you're a man) -- did you primp for labor, or was beauty the last thing on your mind?