Labiaplasty to fix birth tear

[traytablestowed]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone who has had this would mind sharing their experience with me? I had my baby 17 months ago and my labia tore in half. It was stitched at the time but the stitches fell out so it has healed in two parts.

I've been offered surgery on the NHS and I want it for various reasons, both physical and mental, but I'm aware that there are risks. And I'm also scared of the pain since the stitching and recovery were extremely painful for me last time - although I'm not sure if this was because of that particular tear, my other tears, or just general pain after birth.

Is there anyone out there who is willing to talk to me about it? It is obviously very personal and also a bit niche, and I'm struggling to find people to talk it through with IRL.

Tia x

Bumping in case anyone can help?

I can’t help at all, but I’m in the same situation although 9 years after birth. Just been referred to have my labia fixed but very nervous. Have you been for the surgery?

Sorry I have only just seen your post. Yes I went for the surgery and can honestly say it was the 100% the right thing for me. I have no regrets - I just wish it could have been done sooner. Let me know if you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer if I can

Hey - thanks for sharing, I’ve looked everywhere for some advice on this…
I’ve recently had a baby and had the same issue where my labia hasn’t healed back together so also in 2 parts (was apparently stitched at the time).
I have been to my GP today who has sent a referral to the gynaecologists, however, has said it’s unlikely they’ll repair it on the NHS, despite me explaining how uncomfortable it can be and the impact on my mental health etc.
Was it a battle for them to agree to do the procedure? If so, what route did you go down?
Any advice would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks, J.

Hi! I'm so sorry you're going through this also.
To be honest it wasn't a battle for me. When I was referred it was still covid time so I only spoke to the GP on the phone, he just referred me to gyno straight away without even seeing me, and said nothing more about it. I waited a long time to be seen by the gyno, think it was nearly a year in the end, but when I finally saw her I didn't have to fight for surgery at all. Her view was basically: there are changes that happen to your body during birth, some of them are just part of birth and have to be accepted, but some of them are not and should be addressed if there is a need to. A split labia in her mind was a change that should not have to be accepted by a woman if she is unhappy with it (although she stressed it is also fine to leave from a clinical point of view if it's not causing any problems).
For me it was physically uncomfortable against my clothes and made sex difficult and uncomfortable. Emotionally I also struggled with it, the tear, stitches and frankly excruciating recovery were very difficult for me to come to terms with - I suffered with PND and believe this was a big factor in that. I explained all this to the gyno and she offered me surgery and counselling- with no pressure to accept either. I accepted both but found that the counselling was not needed in the end as my mental state improved dramatically after the surgery - feeling the split constantly throughout the day was triggering for me, it reminded me of the very difficult and painful birth/recovery I had experienced (mostly silently let's be honest cos who do you talk to about these things?!). But once it was fixed and healed... well I just don't even think about it anymore, and if I do it feels like something traumatic that happened in the past, rather than something traumatic that's still happening. Don't know it that makes sense but wanted to try and put it into words in case it helps.
My advice to you would be this - if it is bothering you then you have every right to have it addressed. Tell them the truth about why it is bothering you and don't hold back even if you are embarrassed. Trust that they will treat you with the compassion you deserve and advise you on the best treatment option for your circumstances (e.g. I was told if I planned on having more children it would be best to wait before having surgery).
If there's anything else you want to know about it, feel free to ask. Honestly I wish I'd had people to talk to about it because the whole process from injury through to recovery from surgery was very isolating. You aren't alone

Hi 🙂 I had a similar issue after the birth of my oldest DC 18 years ago. Huge labial tear, which was stitched but the stitches didn't hold. Was left with a hole in my labia, which drooped down and would cause issues with sex, tampons, getting caught in my knickers...
Was advised to wait until I had completed my family before seeking a repair.
12 years ago, I finally managed to persuade first my GP, then a consultant, that the physical and mental effects were serious enough to warrant a repair. I was warned that it would not be aesthetically pleasing, but would resolve the issues it was causing.
I'm so glad I did it. Yes, it was sore afterwards. It took a couple of weeks to heal. And it's not pretty, but that's not an issue given that it's only be and DH that ever see it!

Hi both, thank you sooo much for your reassuring replies. As you say, it’s not something you particularly want to discuss with people and though I’ve told my partner and shown him he just doesn’t understand how it’s making me feel. I really hope they repair it as it’s so uncomfortable and impacting on my sex life and mental health. It’s such a horrible thing to be told ‘this is what happens in child birth’ as if I should just accept it and move on. I’m hopeful when I see the gynaecologist she is more emphatic and will do the procedure.
I totally agree with the re-living the trauma every time as well, like I feel I’m okay and don’t think about it and the minute I feel it rubbing or anything I just get so upset, it’s a difficult enough time as it is with a newborn and hormones, never mind with this!!!
I really appreciate your replies guys and will keep you updated - hopefully it’s not a long wait xx

To be honest even when I tried to talk about it with other women I found that were kind and sympathetic but didn't really "get" it. Most women end up tearing in some way but I think labial tears are less common, and also a unique type of hell that you can't really imagine unless you've experienced (I feel somewhat qualified to say this as I had three 2nd degree tears - and the labial one was the most painful post-birth by a long, long way).
Just wanted to add to my other post that the nhs website states labiaplasty is not routinely offered on the nhs, but can be in the case of childbirth injuries (not sure if you've seen this already - www.nhs.uk/conditions/cosmetic-procedures/cosmetic-surgery/labiaplasty/). Also, I asked my surgeon about how common labial splits/holes are and she said she does these types of operations a few times a year, so not unheard of by any means (hard to believe when there is so little information about them out there!). So I think you should feel confident that you will be offered surgery, probably just be prepared to wait a while unfortunately.
Also, just to give my perspective on the results as they are different to the poster above - I wasn't massively familiar with how it looked down there before having a baby (never bothered to look that closely tbh) but I think post-surgery it's pretty much the same as it was. So hopefully that will put your mind at ease.
Best of luck and congratulations on your new arrival xxx

Oh mi god this is me like 15 years post birth.it had always bothered me and I though I had to accept it. Plus I was shy to talk of such a thing. Like who cares and who sees. But I do and it made an impact on me. I hated it and thr smaller part always gets caught in the tampon applicator which was always painful. But thankfully I been accepted on the NHS a year later been referred to private by NHS. Prodecure next month! I wonder if recovery is less or longer than a regular labiaplasty and if it's more of a difficult procedure. How does it look now as well? I'm looking fwd but also apprehensive on thr recovery.