an embarrassing question

there are no embarrassing questions here so please don't worry! ask anything!!!

i think the shrinking space is less to do with prolapses and more to do with birth. have you torn or had an episiotomy? my perineum is quite cinched, and the vagina open, which the doctor said was because of the tear with my last birth. however prolapses would also push the vagina open, but not sure this would cause the perineum to look smaller...hmmm...have to think about that!

but I wanna say that an inch and a half is HUGE! like I would love to have that much space-
When doing my initial searching about prolapse and childbirth and tears and episiotomy I remember reading some statistics about the "average" size of that space- and they had it separated by race-
I will search it out again to try to find the exact numbers- But I think an inch and a half is a ton of space (well depending on where you measure from)- if I find anything I will report back here.

Hi Kiki and Kaismom

Not sure about that. If you google corsetry or tight lacing or waist training you might find websites that have a bit of TMI porn. Ignore them and look for a page that will explain the process, and some pretty gross photographs of women (and men) who use corsets to reduce the size of their waists, usually for vanity, job prospects or fetish reasons.

It takes several years to warp a body into a really small waist. In the process the internal organs, bones and soft tissue are literally reshaped and moved around in the torso so that the new smaller waist will hold its shape when the corset is removed. It is a trick that has been used for generations to create an exaggerated hourglass shape, the old 34,22,36 'ideal', the unattainable that we have been urged to emulate in modern fashion. POObaa!!! Many modern actresses, and no doubt actors use corsetry. Otherwise how could the likes of Nicole Kidman (and others) wear a convincing southern belle frock the confident way she does. She certainly wasn't that shape when she was 18 and appearing on Home and Away!! (or was it Neighbours?). and she certainly isn't the only one to do it. I imagine there are a few blokes around with artificially induced youthful shapes too!

I tell you what! A 16 inch waist would look pretty stupid on an ageing actress with silicone boobs down to her waist in the shower!!! It won't be me, I can tell you that!

O-:}

So it seems that pressure on human tissue can erode and change the shape of tissue if it is there for long enough. If you have a bulky rectocele and/or cystocele and/or pointy cervix pressing back for a long time on the perineum, logic tells me that it is possible that the front edge of the perineum may get pushed back towards the anus. It is in its primary form a very strong, fibrous band of tissue but episiotomy and tears could theoretically reduce its resilience and strength and make it more vulnerable to being pushed back or broken down further. Best to keep it all as far up and forward as possible I think. 'Every now and then' pressure wouldn't be a problem but weeks or months or years of it could take its toll.

Cheers

Louise

if you google average perineal length you will find 5 or so articles on the topic-
I am going to paste a few things here
but go read them for yourself fully.

3.9cm average (no indication on how this was measured- but that is about an inch and a half)
2.5cm or less had significantly higher chance of tears during childbirth in this particular study

Here is how they measured for one that I read- but I think they came in during labor for these measurements and that would give a larger # than non-pregnant I think:

The aim of the study was to determine perineal length and anal position in primigravidae and to evaluate their effect on vaginal delivery. The distances between the fourchette and each of the center of the anal orifice and the inferior margin of the coccyx were measured in 212 primigravidae with singleton term pregnancies during the first stage of labor. Anal position index was calculated by dividing the first measurement by the second. The mean +/- SD length of perineum was 4.6 +/- 0.9 cm. The mean +/- SD anal position index was 0.49 +/- 0.12. Women with a short perineum (

and here is one that said that they found no difference in tears etc dependent on length but did see differences in healing:

SUMMARY: The short perineum does not appear to be the risk factor in the higher rate of episiotomy and perineal tears in this study. However if episiotomy was performed, the part of perineum which was not injured was found significantly shorter than in the other study groups. This could subsequently lead to postpartum anal incontinence. In this group the use of episiotomy as a prevention of perineal injury seems unjust. The group of long perineum has a significantly longer episiotomy and grade of perineal tear. This could contribute to the development of dyspareunia.

After my 3rd degree tear with my second son, my perineal length was the same as before pregnancy which was about 2 to 2 1/2 inches...i have a very long perineum. After i had a d&c done 2 wks later for left over placenta, the dr. who did it removed my stitches and restitched and left open part of my perineum so that the space between vagina and anus was about 1 inch and half. I knew it was longer than that before and asked alot of people about theirs which they said was about 1 inch to 1 inch and half. But few months ago when my dr. redid my stitches again because of pain still, she did it so that my perineum is once again long...about 2 1/2 inches. I think it has to do with giving birth and stretching out the vagina opening...or if the dr. who stitches up your tears leaves open some of the perineum.