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Postnatal health

As with all health-related issues, please seek advice from a RL health professional if you're worried about anything.

TMI - vagina after birth

1 reply

lucielion · 05/08/2023 11:19

Hi ladies I'm a regular poster but name changed for this due to the very personal nature

I had my first baby about 12 weeks ago with a relatively uncomplicated vaginal birth but I did have a second degree tear which required internal & external stitches

My boyfriend and I started having sex again this week and I just think it feels different! The only way I can describe it is as if it's the second time having sex that day, as though I haven't gone back to 'normal' yet

Anyway, I asked him if he felt any different and he said no why, in what sort of way? (The question alone and his curious tone makes me think he did notice a difference and was just looking to see if I'd say it 😂) and I just said it feels different. He reassured me that it felt great.

My question is, did other women feel this and did it ever go back to pre-birth 'normal'? I've done some reading online and it says it can take anywhere from 6-12 months to regain muscle tone down there but I don't want to hold on to false hope! I'm doing my kegals.

I'm not worried that it will impact the relationship as we are very solid! Please no comments about him being misogynistic or anything like that (if he was implying he'd noticed too) as he's very respectful of the journey my body has been one to produce our lovely little one

OP posts:
imisscashmere · 05/08/2023 11:28

After a vaginal birth, the vagina is different. Obviously - a human being has passed through it. It sits “lower” (when you insert a tampon, the angle would be less straight up, if that makes sense) and the muscle is stretched out - the vagina can feel “wider” and things inside can look far less neat (especially with internal tearing, you may have folds of skin/muscle that weren’t there before).

Over an extended period and depending on individual factors, tears will heal up and the muscle will tighten back up to some greater or lesser extent. Your vagina will never be exactly as it was before, but it can certainly be totally functional and many people report sex feeling better after vaginal births ☺️

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