What should I expect 6 months on?

[DryHeave]

I’ve been putting off looking “down there” and today I did. I don’t know whether to cry, or just accept this is what it’s supposed to be like now.

I had my baby 6 months ago. I had 2nd degree tear and an episiotomy that got infected and opened. I also had piles during pregnancy. The whole area is just unrecognisable. If there was a photo in a line up, I wouldn’t have picked it out as me. I don’t want to be overly graphic, but it’s just hard to even distinguish what’s what.

Functionally, it’s all ok. Cosmetically, I’m absolutely horrified. It’s beyond the worst I could have imagined.

I’m going to make an appointment with the GP. I know I shouldn’t expect everything to be the same as how it was before but should it really be so unrecognisable? Is this just another thing people aren’t honest about before you have a baby?

Please be sensitive with me, I am incredibly grateful for my child but this has left me feeling delicate and just posting this thread has taken courage.

How do you mean by unrecognisable? As in it doesn’t look the same as what you had before? Or doesn’t remotely look like a vagina?

Mine doesn’t look like the one I had. I had episiotomy & 3rd degree tear and so was extensively repaired in surgery. I’m only 4 months pp & trying to come to terms with the change an that this is the new normal. But mine looks entirely like a normal vagina. Just not what I had the perineum etc is not as neat looking with scar tissue etc but considering it isn’t awful.

I entirely understand where you are coming from in regards to any change though. It’s hard when you’ve had the same one for years and suddenly it isn’t the same. It’s good if it’s fully functioning though. I’m still having issue with sex and it being painful which is less than ideal