There are many people in whose minds this thing comes in common. You might be one of them too. So have you ever wondered what happens to the vagina after birth, whether it remains spontaneous after delivery, returns to its original state, or to what extent does it change? Many such questions run through your mind. So the reality is that the vagina doesn't magically return to its undone state after delivery. But there is no permanent problem that can affect your sex life. Some issues may last for 8 to 10 weeks, or some changes may last longer. But with time, you can experience regular sex pleasure back as before. However, some issues still need to be discussed in depth.
16 Things You Can Expect Changes In Your Vagina After Delivery
If so, what exactly happens after delivery? Will your vagina always bleed after delivery? How long will your vagina hurt? How long after delivery can you usually have sex? So there are countless questions whose answers are essential for you. And we have found out the 16 crucial things that always pop up in people's minds, and you need to get the correct answer for them.
1. You Will Experience Postpartum Haemorrhage
Postpartum bleeding may be experienced for five to eight weeks, usually, after the baby is born. Heavy bleeding and bright red bloody discharge may be seen during the first ten days after delivery. At the same time, small blood clots can also be seen during the first three to five days after delivery. And this is all normal because, after delivery, your body sheds extra tissue and blood from your uterus (this normal process is called lochia) to flush out the dirty blood and excess dirty fluid. After the first ten days, bleeding slows down. However, you are more likely to have light or spotty bleeding 4 to 8 weeks after you give birth vaginally or by C-section.
2. There May Be A Feeling Of Contraction Or Cramping In The Uterus
Your uterus expands abnormally during late pregnancy, so it returns to its standard and undone size after delivery, which happens slowly.
So, as your uterus contracts and returns to its former state, you will experience contractions and cramps. And this general process is called involution. For many first-time moms, the pain is negligible. Either way, it's an ordinary and positive sign that your body is doing what it's supposed to and what's conducive to health.
3. Your Vagina May Have A Slight Tear Near The Opening
According to experts, more than 50 to 55 percent of women have a chance of tearing around the opening of the vagina during childbirth. And this is more likely during the first delivery. Although it usually can happen during any delivery. If this happens, you may feel pain in your vagina and perineum for 4 to 12 weeks. Although usually after the birth, the doctor or specialist puts simple stitches in it.
In some cases, surgery is also required. Suppose your vaginal opening is too tight and the baby is slightly healthier. In that case, there is an increased chance of further damage to the vaginal opening during labor so surgery may be a better option.
4. You May Experience Internal Bruising In The Vagina
During delivery, the baby travels from the uterus to the outside of the vagina, and usually, these internal organs of the vagina are tight. When there is friction during the release of the baby, sometimes the tissues are damaged, which causes pain for the next several days after delivery. It is normal to feel pain for 2 to 6 weeks. If you feel pain inside the vagina for longer than this, you should consult a doctor.
5. Your Menstrual Cycle May Be Abnormal When It Starts Again
When your body begins to ovulate again after delivery, your period may differ from the period before you became pregnant, whether it is a period of fewer days, having menstruation twice a month, or menstruation after more than one month. It is perfectly normal and may be irregular for the next few months after delivery. However, if it remains irregular for more than six months, you should consult your doctor. Because there are hormonal changes after delivery, they return to normal in 4 to 6 months.
6. Feeling Of Looseness In The Vagina After Delivery
Usually, the vagina returns to its normal state after some time after childbirth, but experts also believe that your vagina does not magically return to its undone state. And it can give a slightly loose feel. Actually, at the time of childbirth, there are changes in the muscles of the vagina, and the tissues there break, due to looseness in the vagina. And if the child is a little heavy, the chances are higher. For example, you can use a tampon to find out. If you insert a regular tampon into the vagina, and it slips out earlier, it could signify that your vagina is a little looser than before.
7. Urinary Incontinence
You may experience urinary incontinence after birth, although this is normal. This is normal, especially when you experience slight leaking of urine during activities like jumping, sneezing, and laughing. According to experts, about 35 percent of women experience urinary incontinence after delivery. As the uterus grows during pregnancy, it affects the bladder's ability to expand and grow upon filling, so regular changes occur. Also, during vaginal delivery, when the baby passes through the birth canal, there is some pressure on the urethra, which affects your ureter, and causes incontinence. The main reason for this is the weakening of the muscles due to pressure and friction on the pelvic floor muscles.
However, you can strengthen those muscles through Kegel exercises. Your doctor may also recommend following this regimen during pregnancy to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles before birth.
8. Have To Wait About Four To Six Weeks To Have Sex After Delivery
After delivery, doctors usually advise women to wait to have sex. There may be an internal injury in the vagina during childbirth. And there is also the secretion of some dirty fluid in general, due to which both men and women are at risk of infection when having sex. It can take about 4 to 6 weeks for a woman's vagina to heal after delivery, during which sex is not regular; she may experience bleeding or vaginal pain during sex. That's why giving yourself and your vagina a break after giving birth is essential. A woman needs to know that things take time.
Experts also agree that it takes some time to mentally prepare for sex after delivery, so it is essential to wait until you are emotionally ready. So that you can fully support your partner during sex, if you have been experiencing anxiety associated with prolonged sexual intimacy, you should speak to a doctor, sex therapist, or other professional. Some women may also feel different in the pelvic area after delivery, so a physical therapist can help, so consult a doctor without delay.
9. Feeling Of Weak Orgasm
However, this is entirely normal. When you go back to having sex after delivery, you may experience decreased sexual desire or a weak orgasm. Sometimes it is due to unwanted hormonal changes, stretching in the pelvic floor, or weakening of the pelvic floor muscles. Due to the pressure of the baby's weight growing in the uterus, sometimes the pelvic floor muscles start behaving differently, affecting sexual desire and orgasm. However, it does not last forever, and with time this experience automatically comes to you, and you can enjoy the orgasm as before.
10. Experience Of Dry Vagina
After delivery, you breastfeed the baby, due to which many hormonal changes occur, mainly due to lack of estrogen. And a lack of estrogen can lead to a lack of vaginal lubrication. Estrogen affects your sexual desire, due to which you experience a dry vagina during breastfeeding. However, this is no permanent problem and tends to get better over time. Vaginal dryness will last only as long as you are breastfeeding the baby. You can add a water-based lube or any other good lubricant to ease your sex life during this time, which will help with your sexual pleasure. You can also use a topical estrogen cream on the advice of your doctor, which will help deal with vaginal dryness.
11. Your Labia May Be A Different Color Or Shape After Delivery
Before and after childbirth, your vulva (clit) and vaginal organs may look completely different, regardless of the color or size of the vagina. A rapid release of hormones called estrogen and progesterone in pregnancy also increases blood flow. And this increased blood flow can cause your labia to darken or darken, as well as a slight change in shape. Your labia may be more prominent and thicker than before. Changes in size can cause your labia majora to retract, and their retraction can make the labia minora appear more pronounced, with a darker color.
The color and shape of your labia may return to their original shape after your hormone and blood flow levels are depleted after childbirth. But this is less likely, and the change can be permanent. According to studies and research by experts, some women say that their labia have returned to their pre-stage state a few days after delivery. But many women admit that their labia are longer or droopy than before and darker in color, even years after childbirth.
12. After Delivery, You Can Conceive Immediately
Experts say that while breastfeeding reduces your chances of getting pregnant, it is still possible to conceive. Data suggests that exclusive breastfeeding suppresses the ability to ovulate hormonally. Still, there is always the possibility that you can ovulate soon after delivery, and therefore it is possible to conceive.
13. You, Will, Need More Care After Delivery
It's no surprise, and it's normal. Usually, a mom of a baby child needs more care. Sometimes regular checkups are also required after delivery. Checkups at regular intervals are suitable for the health of both the baby and the mother.
14. Breast Contractions Or Cramps
When you give birth to a baby, more estrogen is secreted, and during that time, more milk is produced in your breast, due to which sometimes unusual cramping or contractions are felt in the breast.
15. Stretch Marks Around Vagina
As the baby grows in the womb, the stretch in your abdomen and lower abdomen also increases, which usually creates stretch marks. After delivery, the muscles there suddenly contract, making stretch marks. So this is a normal process, and these stretch marks disappear often. But sometimes, it remains permanently.
16. Lack Of Vaginal Sensitivity After Delivery
Due to the rupture of birth canal tissue during labor, hormonal changes, and prolonged abstinence, you may lose vaginal sensitivity when you return to sex. But this is not a permanent problem, and after about 8 to 10 weeks, you can feel the sensitivity of the vagina as before. If you still experience issues after this, talk to your doctor or sex therapist.
Conclusion
After birth, there are many hormonal changes in a woman's body, due to which many changes take place in the body, although this is normal. But sometimes, things become irregular or do not return to normal for a long time. In such a situation, it is advisable to consult a doctor. If you feel all of the above changes, it is normal. But if it goes ahead or is more, then talk to your doctor immediately. He can help you with suitable treatment with proper advice.
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