first time mum - worried about AFTER the birth...

[missriddler]

This is going to sound so pathetic, but I will be honest, Im worried about my vagina! I want and plan to have a natural birth, however, is it ever going to be the same after?! I suppose im only just thinking about this stuff... I dont mean to come across as pathatic, but i just wondered if "down there" will ever fully recover! Lol

 

[iBeach]

That's a good question! I never had child on my own (yet) but sometimes I wonder the same

 

[MummyToAmberx]

Hehe

mine dont look any different after 2 natural births.
It certainly isnt 'big' like some comments see online really hasnt been any change ive had 8lb 10oz & 7lb 11oz babies.

I know recovery after first was longer good few weeks after 2nd it felt great 3 days post birth.

seriously i dont think youve got nothing to worry about.

 

[Unexpected212]

I wasn't prepared for the after stuff of birth. I had a cut and stitches so obviously it was painful down there for a while.

We had sex again about 5 weeks PP and to be honest I can't tell a difference and my husband doesn't seem bothered if there is a difference to him. From what I can tell it's pretty much exactly the same lol

 

[AJCart]

The only difference I have noticed is the scar from my episiotomy.

 

[AP]

Not a difference at all, even after 2.

 

[Mrnmrsm]

I thought the same as you... i was cut and stitched and was sore for 1-2 weeks but after that healed me and oh had sex 3 weeks pp. He said it feels and looks better

 

[Melissa x]

I had a natural birth with my son and an episiotomy and I'm fine down there no difference at all and can't even see the scar.

 

[Gizzyy]

No way you're not being pathetic. Just because you have/are expecting kids doesn't mean you won't care about aspects of your appearance afterwards. I've looked up a lot about it and lots of ladies say it does go back to normal and you can resume a normal sex life x

 

[RinnaRoo]

Natural birth to a big ole baby here. I'm petite too, so I had those worries as well. I ended up tearing and having to be stitched up. It was so sore for like a week. My vagina felt like two hotdogs down there, I could feel my lips when I walked because I was so swollen. Numbing spray, and huge pads with frozen aloe vera were a life saver. Everyone is different though, the pain goes away and your vagina will look and feel normal.

 

[ParisJeTadore]

I have a small, slender frame and birthed an eight pound baby vaginally, and have to say that you can never tell I had a baby. Everything bounced back into place and sex is perhaps even better these days than it use to be.

The hardest part I found was trying to dtd after birth. I had a minor first degree tear but the way they sewed me up felt very tight and uncomfortable. For many months I cried thinking I had been sewn up too tight but with a lot of patience, and by going slow things eventually improved and are back to normal

Also, at first your vagina might look weird, or feel weird and you'll think, "OMG, it's ruined!" Lol, but that's all temporary.

 

[missriddler]

Thanks for all the replies its something ive over worried myself about! Especially since im with someone new and he isnt the father of the baby, i know it wont be an issue for him, hes amazing and understanding of everything its just something in MY mind x

 

[vickyandchick]

I've been thinking about this too, babies in my family are all over 8 pounds and I don't want my foof to be ruined forever

 

[tryfor2]

Well, I'm probably a good example to make you feel better.... I pushed for nearly 5 hours (not normal, BTW--baby kept getting stuck) and was extremely swollen and bruised afterwards. I had to have an episiotomy bc my dr. said I was going to "tear everywhere." I'm not gonna lie--I was quite sore after and it hurt to lift my legs to climb stairs. I had to take small steps. But as Rinnyroo (sp?) said, ice packs or frozen pads really help. As do painkillers. Just give it time. I'm sure your new BF won't be expecting to have sex right away. You won't get the go-ahead from your dr./MW until 6-8 weeks anyway.

It took me a while to have sex again without discomfort but I won't get into that bc I had pelvic floor issues beforehand so I attribute it to that and a stiff perineum, not birthing an 8.5-lb baby with a very large head!

I can't say that I ever really examined my lady bits much before giving birth but they look the same. I can't even locate a scar from the cut, though I know there must be one as I certainly had enough stitches. Honestly, I think the only way to tell if a woman's given birth vaginally is to examine her cervix (the opening changes slightly--from a dot to a line or something), but unless your new guy is gyno, I doubt he'll be wanting to do that! So don't worry about things appearing different. Our bodies are crazily resilient.

My husband says things feel like there's "more room" but not loose (in my case a good thing, as I was too tight before). He has no complaints.

It's totally natural to worry, but really--don't. As far as your vagina/vulva etc. goes, things return to normal or very close to normal surprisingly fast. I just wish I could say the same about everything else!

 

[Kixendawn]

Thanks for asking this question. Ive been scared about it too cause my partner doesnt have a large package and things are perfect right now. Im scared ill get so stretched out neither of us will be able to enjoy it anymore. These comments have lessened my fears (a bit lol)

 

[dairymomma]

You won't get stretched out. This will be my 3rd (hopefully) vaginal birth and I don't look or feel any different down there than I did before I had my first baby. Of course things will be a bit sore and swollen for a while but your lady bits are designed to expand enough to allow for a baby to be born. You know how an elasticized waistband stretches out but shrinks back as soon as you let go? That's how it is 'down there'. Everything stretches out but goes back once the baby is out. It doesn't happen overnight but everything felt pretty well back to normal in a few weeks for me and DH has never said anything about it feeling different. And Kegel exercises are highly recommended for helping that area recover.

 

[squirrel.]

Try not to worry. It will most likely be fine. Some women do tear badly and then experience pain afterwards, but that's very rare.

With me it went back to normal. My husband is very honest and while for the first few weeks he did notice the difference (and told me kindly when I aske), within months it was back to normal again. I trust he's being honest and hope it's the same this time. y son was 9lbs and was born by forceps delivery, so everything was severely stretched down there!

x

 

[RileysMummy]

Well mine looks no different and hubby says it feels no different lol...with mine I wish people had warned me about all the bleeding and the after pains, for me they were almost as bad as Labour.
X

 

[dairymomma]

Yes, that is one thing to mention to all the first timers. Expect to bleed (heavier at first then settling down to period-like flow) for UP TO 6 weeks post-partum. And the contractions after...OUCH! They're mild compared to what you go through during actual labor but man, do they ever hurt. I'd get them mostly when I was nursing as breast feeding triggers a hormone that in turn triggers uterine contractions and help the uterus shrink back to it's pre-pregnancy size.

 

[Mypreciouskid]

It will return to normal, other than some possible scarring. It won't stay stretched out. A lot of times it will even be tighter. I had a forward tear and a 2nd degree episiotomy with my first, and was really sore for awhile. It just takes a few weeks, but it will return to normal.