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

It's such a powerful envisioning, isn't it?

It is, it's given me a connection to her I've never considered before which is just lovely

@BertrandRussell

"There isn't a name for the lubricating stuff it produces. Which is really, really wierd."

In that case I hereby declare it is named 'cooch-goo'. Use it as you please

I was gonna go with "gender fluid", blood 😂

How's about female fluid, as it is a unique substance which is only produced by a female organ?

Alliterative and completely accurate 👍

I have to say I am genuinely chuffed at how many people have responded to this thread .

I know that lots of us are feeling concerned at the way that FWR is going at the moment. However it does feel so lovely and positive to have a celebratory discussion about women, to learn new things and all enjoy and discover how unique we are.

I'd like to suggest that we have a new thread every week where someone starts a positive female-based discussion around our experiences or features, as women. Someone could volunteer towards the end of t a thread to start the next one. Anyone up for that?

That's a brilliant idea, resistance

Without question, I am up for it.

I'd like to suggest that we have a new thread every week where someone starts a positive female-based discussion around our experiences or features, as women

I think that's a great idea! I think we sometimes get bogged down in how shit things can be for women and girls, and forget how miraculous we are.

How nuts is that? How can we be made to be afraid of this?

Because until recently there was a pretty good chance that giving birth would kill us or irrevocably damage us - it's not an irrational fear at all

Oh, I should have RTFT before my last post

I agree - we should have regular threads where we celebrate jsut how awesome we women are

My twins were conceived through ICSI, I was sick as a dog all the way through pregnancy, induced and finally delivered through C-section.

Getting pregnant, being pregnant and delivering my children were all often difficult, unpleasant or painful for me.

The skill and dedication of the men and women who helped us conceive, carry and deliver our children is a wonderful thing and something we are very grateful for.

Regardless of my own experience I love hearing stories of women who felt wonderful during pregnancy, who delivered their babies naturally and felt empowered and euphoric doing it. I hope my own daughter can share in that kind of experience when her time comes.

Despite less than ideal conception and delivery I am incredibly proud to have been able to grow two people and to be able to feed them from my body. It’s pretty awesome.

Resistance thank you for such an interesting thread.

I have learned so much from this thread, it's been brilliant.

If someone wants to think of a topic and volunteer to start a new discussion - I'll be there!!

You know, I'd seen that internal clitoris image before, yet til someone pointed it out here, it had never occurred to me how biologically sensible it was to have the bit of anatomy that solely provides pleasure far away from the possibility of being damaged in childbirth.

Three cheers for the clitoris!

My second time giving birth was an awesome, incredible experience. First time not so great. Had a water birth, which I loved. The midwife told me to push, and I could actually feel my vagina expanding and moving apart as DS2 was born - very fast I should add. And this is surreal, but I had a very clear mental image of the music box which used to open up on the children's programme Camberwick Green! No, I hadn't been given any drugs.

I was with my oldest friend at the birth of my goddaughter. When she started pushing it was as if the room had disappeared - she was using her female body to birth a human being. I'd never realised until then how strong the female body can be.

I know this is a bit off topic, but there's another lovely thread on the go atm that some may like to read I love breastfeeding

Absolutely loving this thread.

I didn't have a good birth experience with my second. It was my first vaginal birth and my 'plan' had been to use the pool and be active and mobile. I ended up stuck in a bed on pethadin I didn't realise was horrific and effectively locked me in my own body and was poo pooed by the midwives as not in labour and unable to cope with pain when in reality I went from 0-10cm dialated in 3 hours without being checked once.

18 months later I look back on it and feel amazed at how strong my body was. How amazing my vagina and cervix opened to allow a big baby out!

And how utterly beautiful and incredible the feeling of her body sliding out of mine. My body pushing if its own accord and knowing what to do when my head was still asleep. Becoming two. Becoming separate.

And then her latching on to my breast and for 7 wonderful months, being the only thing in the world she needed.

It is a feeling I will never forget.

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤✌

I flipping loved having babies.
After my first I got a huge endorphin rush, it was amazing.
I love that they can suckle immediately and focus on your face.
And I love how quickly your uterus shrinks back after birth. It's amazing.

This thread is fabulous.

I had a CS, but I've talked to quite a few friends and rellies who've found giving birth an amazing experience (empowering in the real sense of empowering). BTW, my CS was fab too - tears of joy when they lifted DS up above the screen for me to see for the first time.

I like the "positioning of the clitoris" version of the "argument from design" too.

Lovely thread.

I remember watching a documentary a while ago, about Vulva's in churches, and the order of the Garter.

I couldn't find it, but did find a reference to it in The guardian.

www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/nov/23/artsandhumanities.monarchy

It was a programme by Dan Cruickshank.

I think he has written a book on it.

Reading this thread aloud to DH, now we are both marvelling at vaginas. Brilliant thread.

I loved growing my babies too, twin pregnancy was fascinating to me and seeing them both move independently of each other from the outside at they wriggled and kicked me gave me joy like no other.
Seeing their fused placentas which I had grown to support them whilst they were a part of me was such a proud and unique feeling, I will be ever grateful to my female body for my twins, it's incredible, the ability to release two separate eggs and grow them into two full sized babies with their own little sacs and support systems, so unique but so together.

Women are awesome 👊🏻