VAGINAL REJUVENATION AFTER BIRTH

Vaginal rejuvenation after birth has become very popular recently as part of the Mommy makeover procedure.

The most common vaginal rejuvenation procedure after birth is vaginal tightening but labiaplasty, monsplasty, perineoplasty, labial puff and clitoral hoodectomy procedures may also be necessary.

Whether delivery was by vaginal birth or C-section, childbearing and delivery leads to loosening and relaxation in the pelvic floor.

There may also be tears in the muscles surrounding the vagina during a vaginal delivery. Such loosening may lead to herniation of the pelvic organs down into the vagina due to gravity.

Herniation of bladder on the anterior vaginal wall is called a cystocele, herniation of rectum on the posterior vaginal wall is called a rectocele and the prolapse of uterus into the vaginal canal is called uterine desensus.

The degree of pelvic relaxation may change from one patient to the other and it is graded from 1 to 4,4th degree being the most prominant, such as the uterus located totally outside the vagina.

Can a woman still be tight after giving birth?

Vaginal loosening is not prominant in every patient after delivery, so that most patients will still be tight after giving birth when their tissues tighten back to prepregnancy state.

Estrogen and relaxin hormones stretch the connective tissue in the vagina and loosen the ligaments and joints in the pelvic floor during pregnancy to create room for the baby to go out during delivery. For most patients these changes are reversible and the vagina will return back to its pre-birth size and tightness after delivery.

Pregnancy and delivery may lead to loosening of the vagina but the degree of relaxation changes from one patient to the other and it depends on several factors:

• Weight of the baby,
• Number of previous vaginal births,
• Vaginal delivery versus C-section,
• Amount and duration of pushing during the second stage of labour,
• Operative delivery (by vacuum or forceps extraction),
• Perineal tears during delivery,
• Genetic factors,
• Kegel exercises and other exercise during and after pregnancy,
• Weight gain during pregnancy.

How long are you loose after birth? How long does it take to tighten up after giving birth?

For young, healthy mothers with uncomplicated vaginal deliveries, it takes around 6 months to regain vaginal tightness after delivery.

What are the consequences of vaginal loosening after birth?

Because of vaginal loosening after birth, some women may experience problems such as:

• Sexual dysfunction.
• Urinary incontinence(involuntary loss of urine with coughing, sneezing etc).
• Fecal incontinence due to vaginal loosening after birth.
• Vaginal pain or pressure after standing and sitting for a long time.
• Bulge protruding from the vagina.

How can I repair my vagina after giving birth?

Kegel exercises are helpful in vaginal tightening and pelvic floor therapists may give you additional exercises to strengthen pelvic floor muscles after birth.

How soon after birth can I get a vaginoplasty?

It is recommended that you wait at least 6 months after birth for your tissues to heal and tighten to prepregnancy state to decide if you need vaginal tightening surgery or not.

In 6 months after birth, if your vagina is still so much loose to give you complaints, you can have vaginal tightening surgery.

Can you fix episitomy scars?

Badly healed episitomy scars can be treated during a vaginoplasty and perineoplasty surgery. Triangular tissue containing episiotomy scar is cut away from the perineum (area between anus and vaginal orifice) and the incision is closed by self dissolving sutures.

Is there a Non surgical alternative to vaginal tightening after birth?

Laser procedures for vaginal tightening and rejuvenation are being promoted to women in advertisements online. However the use of laser for this purpose in the vagina is not only ineffective but dangerous, because these devices lead to thermal burns and necrosis in vaginal tissues.

What are Kegel exercises?

Kegel exercises are designed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. To identify the right muscle you can simply stop the flow of urine while urinating, the muscle that contacts is the one you should regularly exercise.

You should start slowly and gradually increase both the number of repetitions and the length of time that the muscle is contracted. If you repeat the kegel exercises regularly, pelvic floor muscles will get stronger and this will help to improve vaginal tightening.