Bit of a weird and slightly gross question...

[immie]

Hiii ladies

I have a bit of a cringey question for all mums that have given birth naturally. Basically i'm hoping for a natural birth but i'm scared of the damage it will do to my vagina! Please don't be afraid to tell, i really want to know as i'm worried sex will never be the same for me and OH after the birth even though i've got ages before that. Thanks xxx

 

[Ali90]

I've had two natural births and was lucky enough to get away with only a small graze both times, so haven't had to have any stitches down there. All the advice I would give is ensure that every day following the birth you do your pelvic floor exercises. Occasionally I get a sore ish/dry area down there and just know thats where I had the graze but I would say having had natural births its not affected my sex life and my hubby has never once commented that it feels any different. I think that its relatively rare that birth causes so much damage that it affects your sex life. I'm sure even for women that have had stitches and more traumatic births it hasn't made too much difference.

 

[Jodiash]

ok, I was cut quite badly, it just looked a bit swollen and was sore for a while, but that goes and it looks pretty normal again! I was nervous of the same thing, but don't worry it's not that bad actually xxxx

 

[mummymunch]

i had stitches inside and out and sex is fine, OH says it feels the same, as long as you do your pelvic floor exercises you'll be fine! its all quite stretchy down there!

 

[WhiteGeisha]

I had a 3rd degree tear and had stitches. Fuck did it hurt! Not the stitches, the soreness afterwards! But I got an infection so it was a lot worse for me.

As for sex, FOB told me it still felt the same 4 weeks after giving birth, but I have a new man now and I just don't feel as tight down there and it makes me paranoid. Plus I find that I get more air in there when we have sex but I think that's partly to do with his huge size lol and having given birth!

I just realised this doesn't sound at all positive lol, but women do it every second of everyday and it's what we are built to do!

You could even push ur baby out without needing a single stitch! From what I hear sex is the same still for everyone afterwards, as in the man doesn't notice any different!

I didn't and havent done my pelvic floor exercises and tbh I regret that a bit, but I just hate the sensation of doing them! x

 

[JWandBump]

I had stitches, but i feel tighter now if anything and sex is the same as before

 

[paperz]

I didn't have any tears so no stitches for me, and we were having sex less than two weeks later. I have to say if anything I feel tighter than before (though I don't know why!), and I was naughty and never did my pelvic floor exercises. My hubby says he doesn't feel any difference whatsoever. I was also worried about this as my sister told me after her first that both her and her husband noticed a huge difference during sex - he felt she was much more 'loose' and she felt the same, although she said it did return to normal with time. Also, one sort of weird side note - I had rather... ahem, shall we say 'hangy?' lips before and during pregnancy, and after giving birth they have somehow managed to retract themselves and I would say that I'm looking much nicer down there these days than I did pre-pregnancy My sister also experienced the same phenomenon, although not until after the birth of her fourth... weird!

 

[clairelou44]

I had stitches with both of mine and although it feels the same down there now It definately doesnt look the same!

 

[chuck]

After one EMCS and 1 natural birth I cant really say things are all that different.

I only got a graze so no stitches but yes things are different in there, now 4 months on thing are pretty much back to normal but my cervix is lower and you can feel the opening (to be expected) and the vagina walls are kinda squishier.

I doubt he really notices though.

Just because you push a baby out doesnt mean things will be be ruined, they will be different but not worse.

 

[2RockinBoys]

I had stitches as they had to do a cut to use the vontouse. The afterpain was bad but livable, couldnt walk properly for 2 weeks lol. it did hurt the first few times we tried to get naughty, but i was also very nervous about it. as long as you do your pelvic floor you'll be fine

 

[Minnyb]

I've had four natural births and sex gets better with each one! But as someone above said, pelvic floor exercises are a must!

 

[charlotte-xo]

I had an episiotomy and 12 stitches, ventouse and forceps were used and alot of tugging and pulling was used =/ and mines gone straight back to how it was before hun occording to OH and he said its gone even tighter than before (im actually cringing writing this now )

 

[immie]

I had an episiotomy and 12 stitches, ventouse and forceps were used and alot of tugging and pulling was used =/ and mines gone straight back to how it was before hun occording to OH and he said its gone even tighter than before (im actually cringing writing this now )

Hahaha nothing to cringe about, i like details, gives me reassurance
Thank you!! xxx

 

[heaven]

I had an epidural with the first and I couldn't feel a thing. Doctor cut me a half inch and sewed me up smaller afterwards!
With a new partner, but he has to "breaK" through every time and we have been together for over 6 years now. No one would ever know I had a baby, and in fact, boyfriends used to joke I stole her b/c my body was in such great shape

I thought the same thing as you when they sat us down in lamaz class and showed us a video of the 80's where a woman gives birth to a ten pound baby and her stuff was sooooooo stretched out. I was so sad! I burst out, "does it stay like that!"
Answer is no, and got a few giggles from the older woman in room who had given birth.
Don't worry, everything goes back to normal.

 

[kmumtobe]

Its the weight of the baby pressing down for 9 months that does the majority of any 'damage' down there you might think you have ie. pelvic floor, not the labour unless something like stitches done wrong, you're designed to stretch in labour!

 

[NaturalMomma]

I've had 2 vaginal births and sex feels the same. With ds1 I had a second degree tear which required stitches. They healed within 6 weeks and I have a very faint scar there which you can't see unless you're looking for it and know about it. With ds2 I had no tears at all and he was actually bigger than my first. We had sex within a few weeks after birth (after lochia stopped) and it felt great.

 

[nov_mum]

I don't have any issues following my two briths. Hubby says it feels the same. I am aware that pelvic floors are useful for helping me feel the same and having the same control that I had in sex. The best way to do that is to have more sex : ) We are on our third in three years so I can honestly say, i hasn't had any negative effect on our sex life.

 

[calliebaby]

I had tearing and had stitches. I was never that sore after the birth. As far as sex, if anything, I feel much tighter down there. It was almost like having sex for the first time again!
It looks the same as it ever did and sex seems to feel much more intense now.

 

[Courtcourt]

I delivered vaginally and had little to no pain. We haven't DTD yet, but there were so many scary poss I waned to give you my good experience. I felt like my crotch was bruised (but didnt hurt) for maybe 2 days post delivery- that is the extent of my after pains. Didn't even burn when I peed.

Were planning to try to do it again in about a week, Ill let you know (thats weird to say...)

 

[immie]

I delivered vaginally and had little to no pain. We haven't DTD yet, but there were so many scary poss I waned to give you my good experience. I felt like my crotch was bruised (but didnt hurt) for maybe 2 days post delivery- that is the extent of my after pains. Didn't even burn when I peed.

Were planning to try to do it again in about a week, Ill let you know (thats weird to say...)

Thank you, hope i'm as lucky as you then! Haha don't worry i don't care if it sounds weird, do let me know, hope it's as good for you as it was before xxx