After childbirth...

[klapaucius]

...how is everything "down there"? Honest answers please! I've watched numerous childbirth videos on youtube and just don't understand how everything can go back to normal afterwards! Surely it's never the same again?

Honest answer? For me, no, it's not the same. But that doesn't mean that it's bad.

I had a very difficult birth had a lot of painful scarring. It was quite a journey to get to where I am now. But the good news is that the place that I'm in now is one where I have a fully functioning vagina and a very healthy sex life. My physio tells me that she rarely sees a pelvic floor as toned as mine

It does often take longer than the 6 weeks that everyone talks about to feel normal. There are lots of women who feel fine and who are rampant at 3 weeks postnatal, there are also lots of women who take 6 months. I needed to have cortisone injections to sort out my scarring, but the good news is that it was sorted. You can still see my scars, but they don't affect my life at all.

So it's unlikely that you'll look down there and see no difference, but it's likely that you will get to a place where you will be fully functional and not care, sooner or later.

Mine doesn't look that different....have two visible scars from tear and episiotomy and if I feel 'down there' it feels slightly swollen/puffy, I assume this is just from scar tissue though and has no effect on our sex life.....

I had forceps delivery

Looked swollen and felt very bruised for nearly 2 weeks (the first 3 days everything felt fine, it was only on day 4 that I noticed the bruising/swelling as it can take time for deep bruising to come out) but by 2 weeks sex was fine and exactly 3 weeks to the day after the birth, complete normality was resumed really, including a 90 minute bike ride! Dryness persisted till about week 6 though - something to do with breastfeeding hormones apparently. I didn't tear though - if you do I guess it might take longer.

I've had two 2nd degree tears (2 babies in daft positions) and can feel a slight ridge of scar tissue if I have a proper grope around. It doesn't interfere with our sex life, and has caused me no problems/pain from about 2 weeks post-partum each time.

Don't think it's ever the same as such. I've had two 'nice' births and things are, erm, slightly baggier than before! but sex is much better (for me anyway! and OH daren't say anything contrary!)

I also had a 2nd degree tear and stitches, but feel that everything is back to normal now (3 years later - though it didnt take that long!) The first time I had a look/feel about I got the shock of my life when I felt little bumpy bits - I went running to my gynecologist thinking I had cancerous lumps and was very when she told me that it was scar tissue and I was perfectly fine. Apart from that things are no different. A few weeks after the birth (9 pounder!) I thought that my pelvic floor/whole area would never be the same again, but it does all come back if you do exercises to tone it.