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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Body changes post birth, give me the unfiltered truth please!

45 replies

curiouscat1987 · 18/10/2020 11:08

I appreciate that to some, especially those struggling to have a child, this might well sound superficial and shallow, but that said I really just want to know what to expect so I can prepare myself for it!

I'm particularly trying to find out about permanent changes to the vajayjay after birth, and what affect this has on your enjoymentof sex afterwards. Obviously in the short term there'll be changes, but I cant find much info on whether the changes are usually permanent or not - everything just says 'kegel exercises can help with this', but no indication as to how much it will help and what a reasonable expectation would be in terms of total recovery!

Everyones different of course but id like a rough idea of what to expect - will it be permanently 'looser'(for want of a better word!), and will sex likely be not as good from then on? Or does it generally eventually return to pretty much normal?

Please give me the brutal truth!

OP posts:

Original poster

curiouscat1987 · 18/10/2020 11:09

Urgh sorry effect not affect!

OP posts:

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 18/10/2020 11:14

After DD1, it went back to completely normal after a couple of months (I’d get the odd twinge of pain for the first couple of months after she was born). I’m 4 weeks postpartum after DD2 and it’s nearly all back to normal. Haven’t tried sex so can’t answer that about post second pregnancy.

I had two VBs with stitches for context. No instruments or episiotomies.

Laserbird16 · 18/10/2020 11:15

The Kegel advice is pretty good.

I'm DH hasn't mentioned anything and sex is still good, running is not. Your pelvic floor is going to be a bit screwed for a while. But like anything your general fitness before birth, what kind of birth you have and what you do after will have a massive effect. It would be awesome if pelvic floor health was just included in the having a baby aftercare.

viixie · 18/10/2020 11:15

I've had two vaginal births one with stitches and instrumental. If anything my vagina went back tighter, no change here

Northernsoullover · 18/10/2020 11:18

I had two normal deliveries and my nethers were and are still absolutely fine. I didn't need stitches but that was luck rather than anything I did.

Gumbo · 18/10/2020 11:22

One of the more unexpected permanent changes to my body after pregnancy was that my rib cage increased in size which was pretty bizarre....

UsedUpUsername · 18/10/2020 11:25

@Gumbo

One of the more unexpected permanent changes to my body after pregnancy was that my rib cage increased in size

which was pretty bizarre....

This happened to me too 😭

FTMF30 · 18/10/2020 11:25

No changes to my vagina but my boobs are much saggier than before. They aren't awful but I miss my old pair. I took them for granted at the time.

6PeopleInAPubSafeHomeUnsafe · 18/10/2020 11:25

C section here but areas of numbness from my belly button down to the scar from the surgery. Weird but it's fine. I knew it could happen but I couldn't imagine what it'd feel like.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 18/10/2020 11:27

@FTMF30

No changes to my vagina but my boobs are much saggier than before. They aren't awful but I miss my old pair. I took them for granted at the time.

Yes! I had DD1 at 19 and I really miss my perky teenaged breasts. Hate mine now. 😫

BathPearlsAndABritneyCD · 18/10/2020 11:31

Two large babies born vaginally, no noticeable changes to my fanny to DH or I. I did have stitches but they healed like magic.

Sadly I have a few piles. They’re not really bothersome now, but I had awful constipation in the second trimester of my second pregnancy.

Boobs are a similar size to pre-baby times, but are softer and not as firm - they still look the same though. I breastfed both babies until 2.5 - not sure how much this affected them.

Thankfully no stretch marks - weight is the same as my pre-baby days and my stomach is very slightly squishier and more rounded, although still mostly flat.

My back and upper torso area seems bigger, possibly from lifting them (they’re 6 and 3 now so I don’t do it as often!) but I have a beautiful leather jacket that I used to be able to slip right on, now it’s tight round my shoulders and back despite my weight being the same.

Lisa78Lemon · 18/10/2020 11:31

Emcs here so vajayjay as before. Do have a small, red scar (about 10cm long) in bikini area which is numb and can be itchy (10 months on) and saggy boobs (still BFing)

Hardbackwriter · 18/10/2020 11:32

I found that sex hurt and everything didn't feel right until I stopped breastfeeding, and then it was back to normal (as in, pre-birth) within about a month. I mention this because everything talks about time since birth and so I was quite upset because I breastfed for nine months so just assumed that this was as healed as I would get, but it turned out the breastfeeding hormones were really affecting how it felt (which no one had told me was possible). In general I think a lot of 'how long it'll take to get back to normal' stuff just assumes you're not breastfeeding as in my experience that changes a lot of the timeline, but not the outcome.

My vulva now looks a little different - less neat - which I assume is permanent but my vagina feels no different to me or (he says) DH and sex is actually a bit better because I've found it easier to orgasm than before DS. Again, I was totally anorgasmic while breastfeeding and very sad about it, so I wish someone had told me it could be temporary!

Hardbackwriter · 18/10/2020 11:35

My breasts, incidentally, went entirely back to normal perkiness and one size bigger, which was welcome, and I never got any stretch marks. So it's all luck of the draw. I'm pregnant again and finding that it's very different to my pregnancy with DS so may well find the impacts on my body that I skipped last time come to get me this time!

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 18/10/2020 11:37

I’ve never asked DH if it feels different for him now and he’s never mentioned it. I don’t think he’d be brave enough to say anything if it did. I’ve birthed his two children so any changes are his own fault.

torn2020 · 18/10/2020 11:38

1 DS born vaginally, stitches healed well. Yes things feel "roomier", but tbh the size of DH means this is no bad thing . Some things feel better than they did before, and some things that used to feel really good are now a bit "meh". But overall my enjoyment of PIV has probably increased.

Can't comment on boobs really as still bfing.

Itsalwayssunnyupnorth · 18/10/2020 11:42

Had an episiotomy and forceps but pleased to say everything went back to ‘normal’. Had an ELCS with DC2 which healed well have a scar that’s fading quite quickly and some numbness around the scar but it doesn’t impact anything. My boobs aren’t too bad think I got off quite lightly in that department some small stretch marks in the underneath. For me the worst thing is the excess skin on my tummy. I was very petite before getting pregnant and had a huge bump both times-I don’t really have any stretch marks but my tummy looks like crepe paper!

PlanDeRaccordement · 18/10/2020 11:46

permanent changes to the vajayjay after birth, and what affect this has on your enjoymentof sex afterwards.

Had 3rd degree tear, two 2nd degree tears and with fourth, no tearing. After stitches healed and everything, it all went back to normal for me and DH and sex is just as good. I do have a bit of urine incontinence but that could be as much age related as childbirth related.

Cam2020 · 18/10/2020 11:50

I had an emergency c section, so I can't comment on the vajayjay, but to give a different perspective, I don't have much in the way of a c section scar 3 years on. It was sore for a while and I had odd twinges and numb patches for around a year. I don't have an 'apron' and until I got to lazy (partly due to a running injury) I built my abs back up and they were stronger than ever. I didn't bf, so no difference in boobs except for age. Everything is as it was.

passthemustard · 18/10/2020 11:53

Pregnant with baby #5. I have some stretch marks on my stomach and saggier boobs (could be age as well as pregnancy/breastfeeding) but vagina is still normal and I'm not incontinent.

Feefifo9 · 18/10/2020 11:58

@Gumbo

One of the more unexpected permanent changes to my body after pregnancy was that my rib cage increased in size

which was pretty bizarre....

Me too. Very much bigger which means I am now a different clothes size and shape even though I weight the same. My hips are wider, my stomach is wrinkly even though no extra fat. I had birth injuries so not the best person to speak to. But it’s taken my a long time to recognise this new body I find myself in and that I can’t (outside of surgery) do a huge amount about it!

firesong · 18/10/2020 12:30

I went back to "normal" (two vaginal births), but would say things have never been as tight as pre birth. Still, not loose, and have not had my sex life suffer. I recall being worried at first as everything was much looser for a couple of months and I didn't have as much sensation. This healed, both times, much like any other injury would.

firesong · 18/10/2020 12:32

My breasts didn't particularly change, nor my general shape once I had lost pregnancy weight. The skin on my stomach is definitely different, but doesn't look terrible.

firesong · 18/10/2020 12:35

Those who had wider rib cages, did that not go away after a year or so? Mine was wider too but went back. I remember three years after my eldest was born I thought I looked better than pre baby, weirdly. Now I'm 40 and I guess things are getting less youthful, but wouldn't especially blame childbirth.

taraRoo · 18/10/2020 12:40

I was back to my normal clothes in 6 weeks with ds. After birth my skin was really saggy but it went back to normal. Vagina is the same size but a bit of a different shape (rectangular rather than round). It was a car crash down there for about 2 months but miraculously it all went back to normal.

Tits are saggier thought they are better than they were. Could do with a lift!

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