How to Look After Your Vagina After Giving Birth

Just given birth? Give yourself and your vagina a huge round of applause! 

If your hands aren’t full of feeding a newborn baby, use them to make a circle thumb to thumb, fingertips to fingertips. Now move them out a bit more (the average head circumference of a newbie is about 35cm) and that is why we’re all clapping wildly for you.  The vagina-cervix-uterus birthing suite is nothing less than an amazing piece of extreme craftsmanship (craftswomanship perhaps?) and it all works together beautifully (ok, some hiccups) to bring your precious baby into the world.

So wow, what a workout your body has just had, time now for recuperation and recovery.  You will naturally be sore and swollen in your nether regions.You may have had an intervention of some sort, have stitches from and episiotomy or tearing, have grazing (yoikes, the worst!!!) the thought of touching and cleaning the area will be about as enticing as standing in dog poo barefoot ..or on a toad. Whichever makes you want to vomit.  Fear not, it isn’t as horrid or painful (you’ve just given birth, nothing tops that shit) as you’d imagine.  From that first post-delivery shower when the midwife indicates that you should get that shower nozzle down there and to clean everything straight away (refrain from swearing at her if you can) gently is the key.

Get Some Cold Packs on Your Swollen Fanny

For the first 24 hours, a cold pack placed in your pants (on top of your pad) may help with pain and swelling.  Gosh I loved those frozen water-filled condoms, so very soothing, I thought they were heaps better than the professional gel pack ones I had the second time around.  Personal preference I guess. After the initial 24 hours, most swelling will be fluid related and should be gone naturally within a few days, so cold packs won’t help too much now. Relax as much as is possible, laying down to feed your baby helps too. The less pressure the better. Try to stay away from those ‘donut cushions’ which at a glance seem a good idea but can lead to even more pressure and blood collecting in the vaginal area.

Don’t Use Chemicals in the Shower

Gentle vaginal cleansing in the shower at least once daily is really all that is required.  If you have stitches try for a few washes per day, particularly in hot, sweaty weather.  It’s actually very soothing. If you are recommended to, you can wash with a mild antiseptic wash for a short time, something along the lines of a handwash containing Triclosan will do nicely. Try not to be paranoid and over-do it for weeks on end, you’ll upset your lovely PH level!

Saltwater Baths for Easing Sore Stitches

lt water baths are a terrific way to gently clean and look after your lady bits – especially if you have stiches.  Put about 10cm of nice warm water in your bath, and add about 1/4 cup of salt and dissovle it gently.  Then sit in the bath for about 10 minutes, a few times a day.  Gently pat dry with a fluffy towel.  Ahhhhhhhhh my vagina feels better already!

Speaking of paranoid..

Don’t be afraid to touch the stitched or torn perineum area gently (with freshly washed hands of course) so that you can feel the healing process and let your GP or nurse know if something doesn’t feel right. Pop your foot up on the bath tub and use a mirror to check stuff out, you’ll be amazed a bit more (or grossed out) at your body’s super ability to heal and adapt to change.

It’s what’s on the inside that counts.

It can be a little, or a lot, confronting to see all your bits in a mirror especially if you haven’t Googled ‘Post birth vaginas’, I never thought to and it was probably a good thing.  Every woman bounces back differently, but we do all bounce back.  Your vagina won’t always look so um”¦meaty and cavernous. Don’t worry about the cosmetics of it all, the most important things you can remember right now are to do are Pelvic Floor exercises. Easy!  No weightlifting required and can be done anywhere at any time that you think of it. You’re doing them now, right?  These can save you a lot of bother down the track (think full bladder and a few big sneezes at the shops) and prepare your Pelvic Floor muscles for the next round of birthing!

Post Birth Poo

Going to the loo for a poo for the first time post delivery and having your world literally NOT fall out from under you. That’s success!  You might try to put it off, but it’s only going to get worse (you can only blame the dog for so long). The poo itself will just get bigger and harder so you may as well get it out.  Wad up some loo paper to give your perineum some gentle support, sit on the toilet and gently lean forward, it’ll give you a little more comfort. By all means if it hurts ridiculously, get some medical advice on a suitable (breastfeeding again) stool softener. With the huge amounts of water new mums drink, lactation oat bikkies (I just ate about a hundred Anzac’s, yum) weeties or porridge for breakfast, your fibre and fluids should be pretty good, but if you need extra, Benefibre works a treat (no gross flavour either). Most hospitals won’t let you leave until your #2 has arrived.

Getting back in the saddle. 

Whaaaaaaaaaat?!! Sex? Ever.. Again? Yes! It’s crazy but true, you may just consider such shenanigans at some stage in the near future. Give your body time to really recover though. Every woman will be different as to how long is long enough to wait (six week is general, bleeding has probably stopped, things feel better) but individually this time frame may longer or shorter.  At risk of getting an easy tart lady reputation, I only waited three weeks after the birth of our first baby. Too soon it turned out, the razor blade sensation had me back peddling quick smart and waiting a little longer.  In my defense, I was super emotional and any close proximity to my husband may me feel so much better, so goodness knows the first full frontal (dressed) hugs at home without that huge baby bump in between us resulted in a pretty hot dry humping sessions. I am blaming the huge amount of love hormones for this. For sure. Easy tart lady rep secured I take it?

Go easy and get creative. Just like in the late stages of pregnancy, the early months after birth do not involve wild monkey sex. Which doesn’t mean that sex isn’t going to be mind blowing or seriously hot, but bear in mind it’s normal to need a lot of time to get worked up (remember you’re tired, really tired, possibly with baby poo on you somewhere) and it can be hard to relax into the moment.  Oh and get a really big tube of KY.  Post delivery (and when you’re breastfeeding) is a time when your eostrogen levels are low in your body, so your vaginal lining is thinner and has less natural lubricant..which means your vagina and surrounding area is drier and more prone to tearing or grazing (aaaaarrrrggghh, no. not again!) from friction.

Wild Monkey Sex – No..

Lubed Lady Lips – Yes!

What’s up Doc?  

Your GP or nurse will offer to check any stitching and healing progression.  Say yes, take them up on the offer, even if it all looks and feels good to you. Ask about using Paracetamol or Ibuprofen for pain relief (tearing or stitches) or a urinary alkaliser like Ural or Citravescent if you have any stinging when you pee.

In future months if you have any extreme pain or discomfort during sex, or for any reason, get an appointment.  The old husband’s joke of ‘Just put an extra stitch in there Doc!’, isn’t as funny as it seemed at some hilarious time in the past, a time before a small human flew out of your vagina.