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Original poster

Some interesting facts about the vagina...

213 replies

ResistanceIsNecessary · 26/06/2018 12:56

Inspired by this thread on twitter which had some good vagina info. It's amazing how many people know so little about the female anatomy so here are some more interesting facts!

  • The walls are very elastic to allow it to stretch and then shrink back again after vaginal childbirth delivery. It does not require manual dilation to keep it open or maintain its shape, unless as a result of side effects from other medical procedures (such as some female-occurring cancer treatments).
  • It is self-cleaning and has a naturally acidic environment until the time around ovulation, when the PH changes to make it more accommodating for sperm, to promote fertilisation. It does not require daily artificial cleaning products or lubricant to keep it healthy.
  • The walls of the vagina (the vaginal vault) are made up of two layers of muscle tissue, which allow for expansion and contraction - which can often be felt as 'ridges', which lessen with age or post- vaginal delivery childbirth. The walls contain no glands.

Feel free to add your own facts Smile

OP posts:
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Happyandshiney · 27/06/2018 15:37

My twins were conceived through ICSI, I was sick as a dog all the way through pregnancy, induced and finally delivered through C-section.

Getting pregnant, being pregnant and delivering my children were all often difficult, unpleasant or painful for me.

The skill and dedication of the men and women who helped us conceive, carry and deliver our children is a wonderful thing and something we are very grateful for.

Regardless of my own experience I love hearing stories of women who felt wonderful during pregnancy, who delivered their babies naturally and felt empowered and euphoric doing it. I hope my own daughter can share in that kind of experience when her time comes.

Despite less than ideal conception and delivery I am incredibly proud to have been able to grow two people and to be able to feed them from my body. It’s pretty awesome.

Resistance thank you for such an interesting thread.

OlennasWimple · 27/06/2018 15:27

Oh, I should have RTFT before my last post Blush

I agree - we should have regular threads where we celebrate jsut how awesome we women are Star

OlennasWimple · 27/06/2018 15:24

How nuts is that? How can we be made to be afraid of this?

Because until recently there was a pretty good chance that giving birth would kill us or irrevocably damage us - it's not an irrational fear at all

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 27/06/2018 15:11

I'd like to suggest that we have a new thread every week where someone starts a positive female-based discussion around our experiences or features, as women

I think that's a great idea! I think we sometimes get bogged down in how shit things can be for women and girls, and forget how miraculous we are.

Cascade220 · 27/06/2018 15:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LangCleg · 27/06/2018 14:40

Without question, I am up for it.

BeyondFemaleElitist · 27/06/2018 14:27

That's a brilliant idea, resistance

Original poster
ResistanceIsNecessary · 27/06/2018 14:21

I have to say I am genuinely chuffed at how many people have responded to this thread .

I know that lots of us are feeling concerned at the way that FWR is going at the moment. However it does feel so lovely and positive to have a celebratory discussion about women, to learn new things and all enjoy and discover how unique we are.

I'd like to suggest that we have a new thread every week where someone starts a positive female-based discussion around our experiences or features, as women. Someone could volunteer towards the end of t a thread to start the next one. Anyone up for that?

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BeyondFemaleElitist · 27/06/2018 14:14

Alliterative and completely accurate 👍

Original poster
ResistanceIsNecessary · 27/06/2018 14:12

How's about female fluid, as it is a unique substance which is only produced by a female organ?

OP posts:
BeyondFemaleElitist · 27/06/2018 13:40

I was gonna go with "gender fluid", blood 😂

Bloodmagic · 27/06/2018 13:38

@BertrandRussell

"There isn't a name for the lubricating stuff it produces. Which is really, really wierd."

In that case I hereby declare it is named 'cooch-goo'. Use it as you please

ChiefClerkDrumknott · 27/06/2018 13:29

It's such a powerful envisioning, isn't it?

It is, it's given me a connection to her I've never considered before which is just lovely

LangCleg · 27/06/2018 13:19

The thought that I was in some way being carried by her inside my own mother when she was in the womb has blown my mind and made me slightly tearful (in a good way)

It's such a powerful envisioning, isn't it?

ChiefClerkDrumknott · 27/06/2018 13:11

What a lovely thread. LangCleg I want a print of that clitoris on my bedroom wall!

Personally I cannot think of anything I'd rather not do than have a baby; the thought of being pregnant or giving birth makes me feel ill. However, it is an amazing process and all the things the female body can do are incredible. Everyone's stories are wonderful.

I never knew my maternal grandmother as she died years before I was born to a condition that my mother and I now have, but is thankfully very treatable. The thought that I was in some way being carried by her inside my own mother when she was in the womb has blown my mind and made me slightly tearful (in a good way)

Hail the vagina and the female body! Grin

BeyondFemaleElitist · 27/06/2018 12:02

Pregnancy did not agree with me at all, but I found birth and breastfeeding to be (on the whole) a doddle. Though I suffered later for my quick births.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone sail through it all without a hiccup, never feel you have to justify your choices, vision Flowers

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 27/06/2018 10:23

I loved being pregnant, was very happy with my second and third (planned) CSs, cried when the "baby of my dreams" (ie the unborn baby) was replaced by a wonderful, screaming, pooing, smiling, sicking, giggling, stropping, snuggling actual real life person that I could watch absorbing everything around it, I hated breastfeeding, and loved sharing bottle feeding with big sisters. I'm envious of the feelings I didn't get during birth, but I know what I chose was right for me AND my babies.

We don't talk enough about how miraculous what we can do is, and mostly it all just happens, and has done since forever.

(I'm not crying now, there must be some dust in the room or something Wink)

LangCleg · 27/06/2018 10:04

There's a really powerful cycle of birth, renewal and death which feels very primal. I am continually amazed at how clever our bodies are!

There is, it does, and me too.

Thank you for this information. I'm just sat here gazing at it in wonder!

LangCleg · 27/06/2018 10:02

I thought pregnancy was shit and stropped and swore my way through it. But I love hearing from women who found it a magical experience and wax lyrical about it.

I thought childbirth was a means to an end and approached it in a utilitarian fashion. But I also love hearing from women who found it a magical experience and wax lyrical about it.

I liked the getting the kid at the end bit best.

Candyflip · 27/06/2018 09:59

This is an amazing thread. This is why women’s voices must never be silenced. We inspire, we comfort, we uplift.

Original poster
ResistanceIsNecessary · 27/06/2018 09:56

OK Datun I've done some googling and found a fairly clear explanation which tells us in layman's terms that basically a number of eggs die off every month.

So using the earlier information:

  • A newborn female will have approx. 2m eggs in her ovaries (her ovarian reserves);
  • By the onset of puberty c.11,000 have died off each month prior to the occurrence of puberty, leaving a reserve of approx. 300-400k eggs left.
  • Once puberty has occurred approx. 1,000 eggs each month will die off as they are not needed. The remaining ovarian reserve continues until the next cycle of ovulation - at which point one egg is released and another c.1,000 will die off.
  • As above menopause occurs when the ovarian reserves are exhausted.

There's a really powerful cycle of birth, renewal and death which feels very primal. I am continually amazed at how clever our bodies are!

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boldlygoingsomewhere · 27/06/2018 09:53

Yes, it feels that both positive and negative experiences are silenced in case they upset the other side.

Birth was tricky for me but I had great midwives and felt well-supported. However, once past the first 6 weeks, I really enjoyed breastfeeding. It was such a positive experience for me and my daughter still talks about it now! I assumed she’d had forgotten it all. I do feel like I can’t talk about it to anyone though in case I upset them if the formula fed or come across as evangelical.

reallyanotherone · 27/06/2018 09:48

It is a secret that I know women can't share widely. I don't know why.

Because for many women pregnancy and birth isn’t some happy, glowy, enjoyable experience.

We hold up the ideal of an unassisted, pain med-free birth. That being able to to that is being a powerful woman.

1 in 5 women “fail” and need a cs. Others don’t manage without pain relief, forceps, episiotomies.

Then you have miscarriage and stillbirth, birth injuries, disabilities.

Then breastfeeding. There are the constant arguments here on how judged bottle feeders feel for “failing” to breastfeed.

If pregnancy and birth always followed peoples plans, it would probably be celebrated more. But what people are describing here is not my experience.

Original poster
ResistanceIsNecessary · 27/06/2018 09:46

It is a secret that I know women can't share widely. I don't know why.

Perhaps it's because so many women have painful and stressful births? It might make those who have had enjoyable births feel that it would insensitive to share their experiences?

There's so much pressure put on women:

  • don't have drugs you should prioritise a "natural" birth/do have drugs and don't be a show-off because nobody likes a hero
  • breast is best/it should be a Mum's choice how she feeds her baby, stop judging
  • you need to start exercising the moment you're able to get your body back because your health is a priority/who cares, it's more important to bond because you won't get this time back again...

Is it any wonder women feel compelled to sit down and shut up? We're damned if we do and damned if we don't! Had a bad birth? Don't talk about it, it's just one of those things and you have to get on with it. Had a great birth? Don't boast because it makes everyone else feel bad.

All of this says to me that we need more support for women. Maternity care (pre- and post-natal) should be a priority. All women should feel that their birth experience was well managed - whether that's a water birth to whale music or a crash c-section. Information should be clear, freely given and communication with pregnant should be at the heart and centre of that care.

Perhaps if that changed, more women would be able to look at their experience and say "It didn't follow my plans, but it was a good experience because it was well managed, I was kept fully informed at all times and I was well cared for".

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HerFemaleness · 27/06/2018 09:22

It is a secret that I know women can't share widely. I don't know why.

Perhaps it's because we rarely get the chance to celebrate the things our body can do without somebody else chirping in with ''well, what about women who can't?''.

I loved being pregnant. I wasn't that keen on the giving birth bit but afterwards I felt amazing, so strong and powerful, especially with the birth that I managed pain-med free.