Some interesting facts about the vagina...

[ResistanceIsNecessary]

Inspired by this thread on twitter which had some good vagina info. It's amazing how many people know so little about the female anatomy so here are some more interesting facts!

• The walls are very elastic to allow it to stretch and then shrink back again after vaginal childbirth delivery. It does not require manual dilation to keep it open or maintain its shape, unless as a result of side effects from other medical procedures (such as some female-occurring cancer treatments).

• It is self-cleaning and has a naturally acidic environment until the time around ovulation, when the PH changes to make it more accommodating for sperm, to promote fertilisation. It does not require daily artificial cleaning products or lubricant to keep it healthy.

• The walls of the vagina (the vaginal vault) are made up of two layers of muscle tissue, which allow for expansion and contraction - which can often be felt as 'ridges', which lessen with age or post- vaginal delivery childbirth. The walls contain no glands.

Feel free to add your own facts

itsall that article is brilliant (apart from the menstruators/bleeders )
I use a cup and have been worrying about heavy flow but it is just normal! Yay!

Where did someone make the point that for male evolution, they just had to grow the tube a bit from a cloaca, but women had to change enough to grow an entire life inside us

I can't help wondering sometimes if that is at the root of misogyny? Women are awesome, we can grow an entire new life inside our bodies. And then feed that life the perfect food again made entirely within our bodies. Evolutionarily are just sperm donors and far less important to the survival of the species as one man can father many children.

Mucus

Incredible book on female sexuality.

Explains why men feel the need to repress us.

It blew my mind. Proper science stuff. Well lets see what Babel thinks.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DCCRBIW/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o08_?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8

In this headline-making book, Daniel Bergner turns everything we thought we knew about women's desire on its head. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with renowned behavioural scientists, sexologists, psychologists and everyday women, Daniel Bergner asks:

• Do women really crave intimacy and emotional connection?

lovely thread

those dancing goddesses TheChampagneGalop

I'll be seeing them in my sleep tonight

Another vote for the Natalie Angier ‘Intimate Geography’ book - it’s so readable, feminist and invigorating, I discovered it decades ago as a teen and still love it now.

I had vaginoplasty following injury. Works fine, our bodies are astonishing how they can heal. Nerve pathways took longer than actual tissue. (Personally I’m fine with the term vaginoplasty to describe building a neo vagina for a trans woman)

Gotta read the Hite Report, feeling inspired!

As I've got older, I've also got to appreciate the aromas of the vagina. Always parodied, slated, and even, as smells, abused and targeted

Same here. I can tell a lot about my health just from the smell. To me it's a healthy musk smell. I also find wearing certain perfumes on my body seem to either compliment or not compliment that specific musk.

Beautiful, uplifting thread. Learning so much!

The wonder down under is a good instagram to follow - all about the wonder of the vagina. Run by two Scandinavian young women. It’s unapologetically and refreshingly upfront (like this thread)

www.instagram.com/wonderdownunder

They’ve got a book too:

The Wonder Down Under: A User’s Guide to the Vagina
www.amazon.co.uk/Wonder-Down-Under-Users-Vagina-ebook/dp/B06Y1YN75P?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Many years of TTC and ivf have left me very familiar with my vagina.

Also, when I went to have a further check after a questionable smear test I was asked if I wanted to see my cervix. Very glad I said yes.

I’m forever saddened that I won’t get to experience birth. This is a greater loss to me than not having children, if that makes sense.

It does make sense Simon. I have no DC (through choice although I am infertile), but I understand the mystery and sense of purpose associated with giving birth and wanting the sense of completion.

Have another lovely, beautiful image of our lovely, beautiful bodies.

Birth, can we talk about birthing?

I loved giving birth.

Is that tactless? Sorry. I have many friends that never did/could.

But I so enjoyed it. What a thing to do.

Birth, can we talk about birthing?

My boss said this

We had an argument about what colour eyes ds1 has and she gave up the battle with the words

'Well, I suppose you birthed him'

Birthing does not look right,,.....at all!!

I was an old fashioned feminist and read up on natural birth, I was seriously pissed off at the parenting classes that show videos of women screaming. Creating terror. Frightening women.

I gave birth to both of mine standing up.

Disclaimer, I realise I am not typical.

But I also realised that making women frightened of giving birth will harm their experience, I had enough midwives in my family to share the reality of this. Women are not supposed to lie down to give birth, your pelvis is not created to shove a baby up and over it.

Women lying down is a kingly tradition where the court had to watch the baby being born to prove it was the right baby. It's not the right way to give birth.

They stay dormant in the ovaries unless they are released during the ovulation phase. A newborn female will have approximately 2m eggs in her ovaries - by onset of puberty this will be approximately 300,000. However on average she will only ever ovulate and release around 400 of them during her lifetime.

What happens to the eggs not released ResistanceIsNecessary? There are 300,000 but only 400 released.

And if we start with 2m but only have 300,000 at puberty, we have the rest gone?

I'm sure you will say something like they are absorbed. But I'm feeling a little anxious about these unaccounted for eggs.

where have the rest gone

I know what you mean Picasso, I was thinking about the other amazing things my body can do and how it felt to feed my babies was what came into my mind. Then I thought maybe not ok to mention it because it can be so hard for some women, in fact it was hard for me but it still felt wonderful and I'll never forget the feeling.

Thanks for this fantastic thread.

Wonderful thread! Learnt a lot and feel empowered!

This is a great thread.

I confess I had never seen a picture of a cervix before

The egg that created you was formed in your mother while she was inside your grandmother’s womb.
Eggs are the gametes that transfer mitochondrial DNA to the offspring. It regulates energy use in each cell and is essential for human life.

I loved giving birth too picasso (well tbh the first time was ghastly but the others were at home in water & utterly awesome.) I would love to give birth again.

*IlPorcupinoNilSodomyEst

Resistance when I was expecting DD, we had our 20 week scan a bit late and asked to know the sex. The sonographer said it's a girl and I asked 'are you sure, I know it can be a bit indistinct sometimes'. She said 'well, I'm looking at the eggs in her ovaries, so I'm pretty sure!'.*
I love this so much. This is everything you need to know about whether people can change sex.