Changed 2 Much since birth.

[changed2]

Since having a forceps delivery some months ago, I have been feeling distraught every moment of the day and night. I don't feel like a woman anymore, not the woman I was anyway. I know my experience is not the norm, I have prolapse of the vagina with bowel problems now and have no sensation inside anymore from nerve damage but I am questioning everything about childbirth now. Friends told me before the birth that it would not make any significant difference to sex but now I think that they were not telling the truth. My vagina is so much bigger now and I did not expect such a change. Could it be that all this talk about hormonal changes and of being overwhelmed by motherhood is all lies and that women are really upset about the changes to their bodies as I am? I have been told that sex will never be same again for me even with sucessful surgery for the prolapse. I wonder if women with sections ever get postnatally depressed. I know I didn't with my first child born by section.

did not want to leave u unanswered, i really feel for u x

Sorry you feel like this changed2,
I had a c section last year, I didn't suffer postnatal depression, but certainly not happy about changes to my body (mostly the scar and saggy tum with overhang).
Yours sound a lot more serious though, so no wonder your depressed.
Hope someone comes along soon who can help you more.

PND is as much caused by the hormone changes as events around delivery although traumatic events can make you more susceptible to it women who have had a perfect delivery can still get PND.

It is possible that you are actually suffering from post traumatic stress disorder because of the birth an it may be worth asking your GP about it, although nothing will solve the physical problems you have been left with getting the appropriate treatment for PTSD if that is what you have may help.

You may get some extra support, advice and help here

www.sheilakitzinger.com/BirthCrisis.htm
www.birthtraumaassociation.org.uk
www.angelfire.com/moon2/jkluchar1995

I had a c-section with first - had terrible PND.

With DS2 I had forceps -no PND - but I was not happy at first down below. I was in alot of pain down below but also when I first had sex it felt roomy but the only thing I felt was the throbbing pain in my scar. Sorry TMI.

Anyway, a year after having DS2 I can honestly say that my fanjo is back to normal. Keep doing pelvic excercises they do, eventually, work. I also felt alot of wine helped my sex life no end.

I do feel the medical professions need to be honest with women about how long it takes to get over a forceps delivery. They tend to brush it aside but I felt butchered at first. I know I was lucky as I had a beautiful baby but a little bit of sympathy from by doc at six week check would have gone along way.

It is cheesy but time is a great healer. But if you are not happy go to the docs to have it all checked out.

Good luck

I had a traumatic delivery with failed epidural, failed ventouse, forceps and a 3rd/4th degree tear. I had ultrasound on the scar tissue which really helped, and lathough i do have a numb patch down there, things are a lot better than they were. Sex feels different it is true but i can still enjoy it. I struggled with PND for some time but was prescribed fluoxetine and it has really made a difference. I'm on the waiting list for counselling but it hasn't happened yet, but to be honest i don'trealy feel like opening up pandora'sbox again now the the AD's have numbed everything a bit.You CAN get over this.

I had a fairly easy delivery 8 months ago but I did tear very badly and had 30 stitches as ds was my first an a big baby. Sex isn't the same. Not that it's bad but I for one thing feel shit about my body so I'm not in the mood, another, i'm knackered all the time. It does feel different though. Still kind of hurts which I'm not sure if it's normal. Sorry you're feeling this changed2.

Message withdrawn

Thanks for all your advice, I'm doing everything I possibly can, going to physio but I'm not really getting stronger. Any spare time is spend doing the kegel exercise. I'm enquiring about surgery as I really can't stay like this but it carries a lot of risks. I have to say that I am getting sympathy from consultants bar the man who delivered the baby after a very short labour (4 hours)and no distress to the baby. I think I'm in a different boat to others that had a forceps delivery, as the extreme pain for months afterwards must be an indication of the damage done to my body.