Vault: OBGYN Etiquette

Summary

The Bert Show: "Vault: OBGYN Etiquette" (June 8, 2026)

Theme:
This episode dives into the often humorous, awkward, and relatable etiquette questions surrounding OBGYN (gynecological) appointments. The hosts (Burt, Jen, Sheila, Rebecca) and callers share their rituals, anxieties, and personal quirks—covering everything from folding panties, shaving, and sock decisions, to the pressure of making a good “impression” at the doctor’s office.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Folding and Hiding Underwear

• The conversation begins with an email from a listener asking whether it’s normal to neatly fold and hide underwear under jeans during gynecologist appointments.
  • “I always feel compelled to fold my panties up and hide them under my jeans, all folded nicely on the chair.” (01:02)
• Across the board, the female hosts agree: This is extremely common, with Jen and Sheila confirming they both do it.
  • Sheila: "That's normal." (01:31)
  • Jen: "I do." (01:34)
• Despite the logic that “the doctor is about to see everything anyway,” the act of tidying and hiding undergarments is seen as a gesture of personal politeness and a desire to uphold some semblance of decorum.
  • Sheila: “You don’t want people to see your panties.” (01:38)
  • Rebecca: “It’s like flossing before the dentist—just making things more pleasant.” (01:51)

2. Cleaning, Grooming, and The Battle with Socks

• The email writer wonders if preparing for a gynecological exam demands more effort than getting ready for a date: shaving legs, trimming, wearing matching underwear.
  • Burt: "Does anybody else shave their legs? ...I even make sure that my bra and panties match. Am I crazy?" (02:42)
• The hosts admit to various degrees of personal grooming before appointments:
  • Jen: “I do.” (when asked if she shaves before) (03:51)
  • Sheila: "I just don't want to look all like a hot mess and nasty hairy legs and all that junk going on." (03:56)
• Another unexpectedly stressful question: socks or no socks during the exam?
  • Jen: "I always am concerned about my socks." (04:06)
  • Rebecca: "Because they're right up next to the face. That's a good point." (04:08)
• They debate whether it’s weirder to have socks on (potentially smelly) or take them off (bare, cold feet), with no clear winner.
  • Jen: “Then you look ridiculous with just socks on...I never know what to do with the socks.” (04:27)

3. Callers Share Their Routines and Anxieties

• Multiple callers echo hosts’ experiences: extensive grooming, folding clothes, worrying about feet, and wearing “special” socks for confidence.
  • Caller 1: "I will go the whole yards...wash my feet, and I even wear rainbow colored socks, just so...I don't feel so completely stupid." (05:04)
  • Caller 2: On preparing: "You're in there and you're waiting butt naked with just like this huge paper towel covering you up. And you're like, that paper towel thing is awful." (06:05)
• Some callers and hosts debate dressing up for the appointment itself, not just grooming intimate areas.
  • Callers & Jen: Wearing “nicer” outerwear to the doctor or dentist, versus others (like Sheila) who opt for comfort like sweatpants.
    • Sheila: "I'll wear sweatpants. ...you want to make sure everything else looks decent." (07:46)
    • Jen: "I'll wear a nicer outfit on the days that I'm going to the doctor or the dentist." (07:52)

4. The Medical Perspective

• Rachel (Pediatrician/OB experience): “It is refreshing to see people who do take care of themselves and do trim and, you know, make a little bit of an effort...We appreciate it.” (09:30)
• She emphasizes that while medical professionals see everything, they do notice “effort”—but aren’t judging either way.
• Burt playfully points out that men also prep for their yearly checkups:
  • Burt: “I manscape for my doctor.” (09:22)

5. Worries about Being Judged and Cultural Expectations

• Some callers feel anxious that being "too groomed" could invite judgment.
  • Jessica: “The first time I went...I trimmed everything...and the doctor kind of treated me like I might be kind of loose...ever since then, I never trim before the gyno...” (10:18)
• Others purposely avoid being fully hairless to sidestep assumptions about their sexuality or lifestyle.
  • Rebecca: Shares an anecdote: “...a friend would be bald, except for the month before her appointment because she didn't want to be judged as a kinky weirdo.” (11:15)
  • Jen: Ponders about laser hair removal and childbirth, questioning if total removal might appear odd to medical staff. (11:41 – 12:12)
• The hosts poke fun at these worries with jokes about childbirth, baby “easy access,” and “landing strips.”
  • Rebecca: “The baby shouldn’t be able to grab onto anything and try to force itself back in.” (12:24)
  • Jen: “You gotta at least have something. No. A landing switch.” (12:36)
  • Burt: "Think about when your car goes through the car wash, the last thing...those things are hanging down that go on your windshield..." (12:39)
  • Rebecca: (joking) "And then what happens when you pull the baby out and in the first picture you notice there's a pube on your kid?" (12:54)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Burt: “He’s about to check out your hoochie…why should I care if he sees my underwear?” (02:09)
• Jen: “Then you look ridiculous with just socks on. I never know what to do with the socks.” (04:27)
• Rebecca: “…when we in there, we're like butt naked. I mean, who wants to be in there?... you're waiting butt naked with just like this huge paper towel covering you up. And you're like, that paper towel thing is awful.” (06:05)
• Rachel (pediatrician): “It is refreshing to see people who do take care of themselves and do trim...We appreciate it.” (09:30)
• Jessica (caller): “...I got all dressed up and I trimmed everything...the doctor kind of treated me like I might be kind of loose…” (10:18)
• Rebecca (on cultural grooming norms): "…a friend would be bald, right? Except for the month before her appointment because she didn’t want to be judged as a kinky weirdo.” (11:15)

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:02–02:10: Listener email, hosts agree on folding underwear and “gyno etiquette”
• 02:42–04:27: Grooming habits and the lingering sock dilemma
• 05:00–06:36: Caller experiences—grooming, folding, “paper towel” indignities
• 07:00–09:10: Dressing up for appointments: outerwear as etiquette
• 09:22–10:00: Male perspective on prepping for exams; insight from a pediatrician
• 10:18–12:54: Anxiety about being judged for too much grooming; laser hair removal; hosts joke about childbirth “etiquette”

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Tone & Takeaways

The tone is open, warm, and playful; hosts and callers share moments of honesty, insecurity, and laughter about a universal but rarely discussed experience. The show highlights:

• Everyone, regardless of gender, feels a surprising amount of pressure and self-consciousness going to the doctor.
• Personal rituals—folding panties, shaving, sock choices—are as much about comfort as about perceived etiquette.
• Medical professionals notice grooming but are not judging; most are just grateful for effort.
• Despite being a routine medical procedure, cultural anxieties and societal expectations linger—often to humorous effect.

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This episode is a must-listen for anyone who’s ever felt weird prepping for a doctor’s appointment—or just enjoys a candid, funny take on life’s little indignities.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

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[Burt]

The email reads like this. Says, this is more for the women on the Burt show than it is for the guys. It's one of those am I crazy? Questions that I'm too embarrassed to ask my own friends about, but can the women be totally honest with me? Maybe it's just me, but whenever I go for my wonderful, quote unquote yearly, yearly gyno appointment, I always feel compelled. Compelled to fold my panties up and hide them under my jeans, all folded nicely on the chair.

[Sheila]

That's. Yeah, that's normal.

[Burt]

Everybody does that.

[Jen]

I do.

[Sheila]

I do. You kind of want to keep everything nice and neat.

[Burt]

Why?

[Sheila]

Because you don't want people to see your panties.

[Burt]

But he's your gynecologist. He's about to check out your.

[Jen]

I have a she.

[Rebecca]

Yeah, but isn't it the equivalent of.

[Jen]

I don't know, it's just like a politeness thing.

[Rebecca]

Before you go to etiquette, before you go to the dentist, you floss like you've never flossed before. Same idea, right?

[Jen]

No, the folding up of the pennies is just like, I don't know, courtesy. Yeah.

[Sheila]

You don't leave your panties Hanging out in your bedroom. Polite for everyone to see, but it's all.

[Burt]

That's so strange because they're just about to take a look at, like, what?

[Caller 1]

I don't know.

[Jen]

It's your underwear.

[Burt]

It's about to take a look at your hoochie.

[Jen]

Yeah, you're worried about your underwear.

[Rebecca]

It's all the same category, you know, It's. There's not going to be anything because we are in the medical profession. Gynecologist, dentist, at least, you know, by degree. We.

[Podcast Host]

It's.

[Rebecca]

The whole thought of it is gross to us. So, like, when you go to the dentist, you try to make it as pleasant as possible. Right. So aren't you doing the same thing at the gyno?

[Jen]

Mm, yeah.

[Rebecca]

Just try to make it plenty, you

[Jen]

know, big old drawers, as civilized as possible.

[Rebecca]

Yeah, big old drawers hanging around. It's not polite.

[Burt]

Okay, again, she says she always folds up her panties and hides them under her jeans, all folded nicely on the chair. Do any of you do this? He's about to look at the most private parts of my body, so why should I care if he sees my underwear? Also, does anybody else shave their legs? And she writes trim before their exam. I do not. Only if anybody else. Not sure if anybody else does. Does anybody else clean up for their appointment? I think I put more time into getting ready for this exam than I do when I'm going out with a guy. I even make sure that my bra and panties match. Am I crazy? Sheila, the bra and panties thing, I don't understand.

[Jen]

Yeah, that's a little odd.

[Sheila]

But I can see cleaning well, because you don't want to go in and look at a mess.

[Jen]

Well, I don't know. Because I have a female doctor, I don't think about it in that same way. I think it's because her doctor's a male. I would probably think about it more or put more time into it if it was a male doctor.

[Rebecca]

But you still make sure you're all in order, right? Like, you don't go in there all.

[Jen]

I don't think about it as much.

[Burt]

So you wouldn't like that the couple of hours leading up to your exam, you wouldn't go and shave? Or the night before, you wouldn't shave.

[Jen]

No, I do.

[Burt]

You do.

[Sheila]

See, I don't think that's abnormal.

[Burt]

Man or woman? Kind of.

[Sheila]

I have a woman woman, so I'm not trying to impress her with anything, but I just don't want to look all like a hot mess and nasty hairy legs and all that. Junk going on.

[Jen]

I always am concerned about my socks.

[Sheila]

Really?

[Rebecca]

Their socks? Cause they're right up next to the face. That's a good point.

[Burt]

Oh, really?

[Rebecca]

You don't want your feet to sting?

[Caller 2]

Yes.

[Rachel]

That's awesome.

[Rebecca]

Did I think of this?

[Sheila]

I didn't think about that.

[Jen]

Yes, because you're like, you know, gonna get in the.

[Sheila]

She's got a mask on.

[Jen]

Stirrups, and your feet are right there. Do you take your socks off?

[Caller 2]

No.

[Jen]

Because then you're bare feet and it's cold in there and then your feet might smell, so you leave your socks on. And then I'm like, well, then you look ridiculous with just socks on. So it's like I'm always. I never know what to do with the socks. Leave them on, take them off. Do they smell? Would your feet smell worse if you do? Take them off is hilarious.

[Rebecca]

I have the same issue with the

[Jen]

dentist and your socks.

[Burt]

Do you keep your pants on or pants off when you go to the dentist?

[Rebecca]

Pants off.

[Burt]

Right? Yeah.

[Rebecca]

Normal.

[Sheila]

Yes.

[Burt]

Hey, Rebecca. Good morning.

[Rachel]

Hey, how are y'?

[Caller 2]

All?

[Burt]

Okay. How are you?

[Caller 1]

Oh, I'm such a big fan. Thank you.

[Rebecca]

See you later.

[Caller 1]

Okay. Well, I'm definitely one of those women who definitely, like, I will go the whole yards. I will clean down there, I'll trim, I'll shave my legs, I'll make sure I wash my feet. And I even wear rainbow colored socks, just so, you know, it's okay to leave my socks on. And I don't feel so completely stupid.

[Burt]

That's the same struggle you had, you

[Caller 1]

know, And I definitely fold up my clothes and that's even, you know, if I go to just the regular doctor and just for regular, you know, other crap that's still, you know.

[Burt]

And you put the underwear underneath your pants so your doctor can't see your underwear.

[Caller 1]

Yes, I do. I do that with my bra, too.

[Sheila]

Yeah, my bra. Well, you don't do that too normally. Take off your bra anyways.

[Burt]

But how long is one of those exams?

[Jen]

It's pretty short. And maybe 10 minutes.

[Sheila]

Not too long.

[Rebecca]

It's 10 longest minutes of the year. I'm imagining.

[Jen]

Well, and that portion of it is even faster. It's like maybe 60 seconds.

[Sheila]

And now get on with your life.

[Burt]

Hey, Nicole. Good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Rachel]

Hello.

[Rebecca]

You just equated your vagina to Chili's.

[Caller 2]

I totally agree with her because I guess it's in our mind. We know that the doctor's not paying us any mind, but it's still the fact of when we in there, we're like butt naked. I mean, who wants to be in there? And you're thinking, okay, did I lotion up enough? Okay, did I trim this enough? Okay, are they looking at this? Okay, did I fold this up properly? You're in there and then you're waiting butt naked with just like this huge paper towel covering you up. And you're like, that paper towel thing is awful.

[Rachel]

Yes.

[Caller 2]

It's so bad.

[Rebecca]

You should bring a Snuggie.

[Caller 2]

Yeah. I mean, the process is quick itself, but it's just a whole. You have just feel like you have to get ready for it and you have to put that time into it. Just because someone's looking at you, whether they're looking at you in that way, they're still looking at you.

[Burt]

Will you dress differently? Your outerwear different Also, like, it's almost like you're going out on a date. Like, will you wear nicer clothes?

[Caller 2]

I mean, I'm not gonna go in there sloppy. Cause I feel like if you're like in some jogging suit or something, you still kind of feel like, eh, but you know, I mean, nicer. Yeah, but not too nice, but kind of comfortable where I can get in my clothes, get out, you know, and kind of not. You don't want to go in there and like sweat. Like, you're in the office and you're like, don't want to break out in a sweat or anything because you don't want to feel like you made yourself dir.

[Burt]

You'll avoid sweating.

[Caller 2]

Yeah. I mean, come on. When you're sitting in the office, you don't want to feel like, okay, I've just went through this whole process of lotion and cleaning just to get in the office and be like, damn, did I just wet a little bit?

[Burt]

Look, what you're saying is the same thing this email says is that she says that she's putting more time into getting ready for the exam than she does when she goes out with a guy.

[Sheila]

See, I'll wear sweatpants. Like, I don't care about my outerwear, but you want to make sure everything else looks decent.

[Jen]

I'm with her on the outerwear, though. I'll wear a nicer outfit on the days that I'm going to the doctor or the dentist.

[Burt]

Really? Yes. Fascinating.

[Rebecca]

But isn't that just.

[Sheila]

See, I don't care about that.

[Rebecca]

See, to me, I think that when

[Jen]

I fly, I still do that. It's kind of old fashioned, isn't it?

[Rebecca]

I don't think it's old fashioned. I think it's just that, you know, because we work in a room with each other and have for so long, we don't really care what each other looks like. And by the way, I have to tell you that it's really throwing me off and weirding me out that Jen just put on all of her makeup during this break. Cause I'm wondering what is about to happen.

[Jen]

I just put on lip gloss because my lips were.

[Rebecca]

Then you did that thing with the little thing.

[Burt]

You know, you're okay until she changes her socks. Then it's gonna completely get weird.

[Rebecca]

But what I was. But, like, related to that, like, we all come in and looking like bums in, you know, different ways. But if one of us has a doctor's appointment or something, or now I'm gonna, you know, start checking Jen socks. Like, if one of us comes in.

[Jen]

Please don't.

[Rebecca]

If one of us comes in looking a little more dressed up, it' what are you. What do you got going on after the show? Because so.

[Sheila]

Yes, that's true.

[Rebecca]

So I guess my point, which you really threw me with the lip gloss. My point is just I think that we dress down for our jobs, so we do dress up to go to other places where if you wear a suit to work every day, you probably don't dress better for the dentist.

[Burt]

I know most guys won't agree with this, but I've told you guys before, if I'm going in for the yearly exam, you know, and I know he's gonna, like, do the hernia test and check my junk and all that cough.

[Rebecca]

Brother.

[Burt]

I'm trimming the night before.

[Jen]

I'm doing a little manscaping.

[Burt]

I manscape for my doctor. Hey, Rachel. Good morning. You're on Q100.

[Rachel]

Good morning. How are you guys?

[Burt]

Good. How are you? Good.

[Rachel]

Well, being in the medical profession, and I've actually done. I'm a pediatrician, but I've done, like, all. You have to do all the prep, and you do two months in ob. I have to say that it is refreshing to see people who do take care of themselves and do trim and, you know, make a little bit of an effort, because it can. I mean, we see so many that you kind of get really. You get so used to it. But when people do take care and they shave and they look good and they've shaved their legs, it's nice. I mean, we appreciate it, Rachel.

[Burt]

Imagine being a gynecologist in the 60s.

[Caller 2]

Oh, I know.

[Rachel]

It's scary.

[Sheila]

That's all over the place.

[Burt]

That must have really stuck

[Rebecca]

One of those little minor lights on your head.

[Rachel]

Gross.

[Rebecca]

A machete in one hand.

[Burt]

Hey, Jessica. Good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Rachel]

Morning. This is kind of embarrassing, but I just wanted to call and say that I do not trim before the gyno. And I don't think any girl should trim before the gyno.

[Burt]

Sounds like most do.

[Rachel]

Well, the reason why is because the first time I went, you know, I was a teenager, I was 17 and I was all nervous and I did what all these women are talking about and I got all dressed up and I trimmed everything and tried to get all groomed up. And the doctor kind of treated me like I might be kind of loose. Like a loose teenage girl. You know, I was all trimmed up or whatever. And ever since then, I never trim before the gyno because I'm just worried that they're gonna look down on me. Like maybe I'm.

[Sheila]

Did your doc. Did your doctor say something to you?

[Rachel]

Well, I had my mom with me because I was a teenager. And we both agreed when he left the room that he just kind of talked down to me. And he asked me all these questions about birth control and I was not active sexually or anything. And he just kind of talked to me like maybe some kind of loose girl. And the only reason I could think is because I was, you know, all hairless.

[Rebecca]

The. It's funny you say that because Brittany, who comes on at 10 o', clock, just sent an instant message and she had a friend who would like to go. Would. Would be bald, right?

[Burt]

Yeah.

[Rebecca]

Except for the month before her appointment because she didn't want to be judged as a kinky weirdo. So when she would go to her doctor, she would let. Let everything fill in and then clean up again after the appointment.

[Jen]

And I've had that same thought with laser hair removal. People who get the whole thing taken care of. I have always thought, well, what happens when you go to have a baby and like, everybody's all up in there all the time, but you got like, nothing. Like you're totally bald, but you're like having a baby. So, like, to me, like, you're looking like, yeah, I don't know, like a

[Rebecca]

12 year old having a baby.

[Burt]

Yeah.

[Jen]

That's why I would never be able to do that permanent hair removal, the whole thing, because it's like, really?

[Burt]

But you want your baby to have easy access to oxygen too.

[Jen]

You should be a mother at that point. To me, you should be a woman and you should sort of look like a woman when you're having a baby. And if you can't.

[Burt]

No, I think you should shave it. And the first thing the baby should. It should be like an easy access.

[Rebecca]

The baby shouldn't be able to grab onto anything and try to force itself back in.

[Caller 2]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jen]

But still, that's just weird to me.

[Burt]

Entering the world in one of those, like, phases with all that in her face and stuff.

[Sheila]

That's just so way to come into

[Burt]

the world right there.

[Jen]

You gotta at least have something. No. A landing switch.

[Burt]

Think about what your. When your car goes through the car wash, the very last thing those things are hanging down that go on your windshield right there. That's what happens to the baby if you're not shaved.

[Rebecca]

What do you mean?

[Jen]

Like, there's no triangle car wash. Like zero triangle lift. And you're having a baby. What is that? I don't know.

[Rebecca]

And then what happens when you pull the baby out and in the first picture you notice there's a pube on your kid Here, Birch show.