Why Nara Smith, Beyoncé and more rely on box braids to get them through pregnancy.
This is Texture Talk, our long-running column that deep dives into the dynamic world of curly hair, from crowns of curls that are free flowing to strands that are tucked away in a protective style.
Model, amateur home chef and expectant mother Nara Smith recently ditched her signature bob haircut and debuted long, knotless box braids in a video asking followers to share baby name suggestions. While it’s not uncommon for women to change their look now and then, many Instagram and X users had suspicions about this particular aesthetic shift. After her husband Lucky Blue Smith’s sister commented “When the braids come out, I know it’s almost time!!” she seemingly confirmed what others suspected: The soon-to-be mother of three is super close to her due date.
Women are no strangers to pragmatic styling (see: the going out top or the subway shirt), but end-of-term pregnancy calls for even more meticulous planning and coordination. On top of packing a hospital bag and prepping the nursery, expectant mothers with textured hair have an extra task to complete before they welcome their baby: having their “delivery braids” installed.
“I just don’t want to be dealing with washing my hair or combing it out or doing anything,” Nara explains in a TikTok documenting her transition from blunt bob to long braids. “So I always get braids or a different protective style before I go into labour.”
“Delivery braids,” also know as “pregnancy braids,” “labour braids,” and “maternity braids,” are a hairstyles that many Black expectant moms opt for in preparation for giving birth. Along with Smith, celebrities like Beyoncé, Rihanna, Serena Williams and Halsey have all been pictured braided up at the end of their third trimesters.
“Often, pregnant clients will say ‘I need my hair braided because I won’t have time…
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