Does the vagina shrink, in circumference maybe?

Submitted by fruitful womb on May 11, 2009 - 8:58pm
Body: 

I had a doctor, few yrs back, say the tissues of the vaginal walls resembles a rope. When its stretched it frays like a rope would when loosening the fibers.

I'm having a hard time believing that. But if it is true, does it mend back together?

Vaginismus comes to mind. If a women can experience having her vagina so tight that penetration is nearly impossible, then mending fibers is a likely scenario.

My vagina is so loose right now. Its dry and gets irritated. I only notice it when I walk. Is there something that can be done for this?

I'm 11 days postpartum and I'm feeling more positive and better recovery wise compared to my previous birth. Thats good news, at least.

louiseds

May 11, 2009 - 10:08pm

Oh Fruitful, ((((hugs))))

Your pleasure gear is feeling a bit out of sorts. Good thing too! I don't think it is supposed to feel juicy and plump and ready for action yet, after what it has been through. ;-) Your lactation would certainly be keeping your eostrogen levels low too. Welcome to what menopause feels like, but without the lovely baby.

It seems to take so long to recover, doesn't it? How about warm sitz baths with a little sea salt? I would steer clear of anything more while you are still having lochia. The Wholewoman balms will be lovely in a few weeks.

On the other hand, your body is probably not feeling very sex oriented at the moment. But it is probably capable of lubricating your vagina if you could muster up the interest in erotica and general body pleasure. A nice warm bath, a massage, and some lovely fantasies might do the trick. In ya dreams, eh, with all your children beating down the bathroom door?

Maybe the doctor is right about the vaginal walls fraying? But there are ropes and ropes, right? And it does take a lot of wear for a rope to fray. Also, the walls of the vagina are more like a network, or mesh, than rope. The strength of rope is in the twisting. The more tension that is put on a rope, the stronger it gets (to a point) because the strands get closer together, and support each other better. That's why a wire cable is stronger than a single wire of the same cross-section. Also, the knotted part of a rope is very strong because it is bound together by the weight on it. A rope will only fray when the fibres loosen if the fibres are broken or cut.

I think he could have picked a better analogy. Just remember he is only a doctor. I wouldn't trust him to tie down a trailer or put up a tent.

I have never really worked out what vaginismus is, and I am not convinced that doctors know either. It seems to be the reason given for pain during sex if they can't find another reason for it. Isn't it supposed to be like the muscle part of the vagina won't relax? I suspect it is more to do with lack of love, and lack of foreplay, and ambivalence about penetrative sex. And isn't it more common in women who have never given birth, who have never had those tissues stretched? And isn't is normally treated with counselling?

Take care of that wonderful body of yours. It just needs a little TLC and some time, I am sure. BTW, has anybody actually examined you internally since the birth? Do you know what is happening in your vagina? Did you have any birth trauma?

Cheers

Louise

fruitful womb

May 11, 2009 - 11:09pm

Wow, very wise words there Louise! Thanks :)

About the examination afterbirth. I had some skid marks but looked fairly well, they say - they: Midwife, husband and apprentice.

I tried and found the cervix to be low, then tried again (like yesterday with clean hands - sorry, I just had to) and found it to be much much higher, to my suprise. No more checking - not for a long time.

I do have a lump in between my labia majora and my labia minora. That is odd, and very painful. I may have the Midwife check it tomorrow. Its been there for a few days. I'm sore to begin with. That lump makes it even more tender. Could it be a lymph node? Its bigger today than it was yesterday. You can only feel it from the outside, Husband couldn't see it.

The birth went really well, no trauma. She was born in the water. The buoyancy felt wonderful. It kept my uterus up as I delivered her. She did have a hand right next to her head but that was the only 'out of the ordinary' event. I did my best to breath the baby out too. I vocalized at the end there but did not feel like I was bearing down. My body and the baby did a lot of the work without much extra help.

louiseds

May 12, 2009 - 1:38am

Hi Fruitful

It is so lovely to hear all these homebirth stories, something that is not that common here in Australia, particularly in rural areas. I am so happy that it went well.

Don't know about the lump but it may have something to do with your discomfort. Alemama had something that sounded a little similar. She may chime in. Take care.

Louise

alemama

May 12, 2009 - 8:08am

google "inclusion cyst"

fruitful womb

May 12, 2009 - 2:23pm

Holy Moly! I hope its not an inclusion cyst! The site I read said it would need to cut out! Maybe I could massage it away. The attributes didn't sound right for my condition because you can't really see the lump, you can just feel it. MW was going to come over today if it was bigger or causing more pain. Its not. If its still there when she gets back from her trip then I'll have her look at it to determine what it actually is.

granolamom

May 12, 2009 - 3:08pm

would love to read your birth story, fruitfulwomb. sounds awesome. my third was born with his hand on his head too, hurt like anything on his way out, elbow kept jabbing me in the sacrum.
I hope you figure out what that lump is and that its nothing serious.

and still thinking about that rope analogy

fruitful womb

May 12, 2009 - 8:45pm

Hi Granolamom,

I'm not too worried about the lump. My gut tells me its just a swollen lymph node, which is what I'd rather it be than anything else. It would indicate that my immune system is fighting off 'something'. Thus, the healing power exists!

I'll post my birth story in another thread. ;)