Perineum of a woman after childbirth. Discomfort after childbirth

Will my perineum hurt after natural childbirth?

Most women experience pain in the perineum (in the area between the vagina and anus) for some time after childbirth, with the degree of pain in different women may not be the same. The birth of a child is an amazing event, but for a mother it is associated not only with joy, but also with physical pain. It is only natural that the perineum stretches and swells after a child will pass weighing 2.7 kg or more.
If you have had or have had a perineal tear, you will also have to put up with some pain and discomfort for a while. The perineal area is extremely sensitive. As noted by women who have given birth, the pain after suturing can be both tolerable and unbearably acute. Usually it takes about 10 days, but pain may last up to one month.

How can you relieve pain in the perineum?

Your doctor should talk to you about perineal hygiene, ways to relieve pain, and recommend any pain medications. If you happen to forget your doctor's advice when you are at home, call women's consultation.
Here are some tips to help speed up the healing process, whether you've had an episiotomy or a tear:

Try not to touch the injured area.
Change sanitary pads at least every four hours. Be sure to wash your hands before and after this procedure. Make sure the pad is securely attached and will not move around causing further irritation.
After every trip to the toilet, instead of using toilet paper, wash yourself warm water. Then, gently pat your perineum with a towel from your pubis to your buttocks to keep germs out of your vagina.
When urinating, aim at the perineum warm water. Water will dilute the urine, and this will help to avoid burning.
Store pads in the refrigerator so that they cool the painful area and relieve pain when used.
Start doing as soon as possible. They increase blood flow to the tissues and this speeds up the healing process and also promotes recovery. muscle tone and control.
In the first 12-24 hours after childbirth, apply a chilled gel pad (available from a pharmacy) to the perineal area. Do not use ice to relieve pain, you may get frostbite.
When you get home from the hospital, try to periodically lie in bed without a pad, placing an absorbent hygienic diaper (they are sold in a pharmacy) or an old towel under you. Let the painful area "ventilate".
Frequent baths or baths help relieve pain. Do not add salt to the water, as there are no scientific evidence its benefits for pain, in addition, it can lead to dryness and irritation. Shouldn't be taken water procedures for too long, it can delay the healing process.
In order to be comfortable sitting, you can purchase a special pillow that reduces pressure on the perineum.
Don't stand or sit for a long time.
When feeding your baby, sit in a comfortable position, or try lying down.
In the first few days after childbirth, you can take paracetamol in the doses recommended by your doctor to relieve pain.
If the pain does not subside, or you have a fever, see your doctor. He will prescribe stronger painkillers for you, as well as a special spray or cream. The temperature may indicate the onset of inflammation, which sometimes happens during suturing. Compliance with the rules of intimate hygiene will help reduce the likelihood of its occurrence.
Try to relax and give your body time to recover. Every woman experiences this process differently. Tune in to restore and replenish the strength needed to care for your baby

The hardest part is over: the birth is over, and the happy mother and baby have returned home. But here new difficulties can await her - from severe lack of sleep and sore nipples when feeding crumbs to exacerbation of various diseases. Of course, you should not panic, but it is important to remain calm and do everything possible to normalize the condition.

1. Abdominal pain after childbirth

Abdominal pain after childbirth normal phenomenon you don't have to be afraid of them. They can be pulling or cramping. This suggests that the enlarged uterus is shrinking and gradually returning to its previous size. Pain becomes especially intense during, since at this moment the hormone oxytocin is produced, which contributes to uterine contraction. Therefore, in breastfeeding women, contraction and recovery the uterus is coming faster. Abdominal pain can be felt from several days to 1 week from the moment of delivery.

In the maternity hospital, doctors sometimes recommend after each emptying Bladder apply cold to the lower abdomen for 10-15 minutes during the first 1-2 days, lie on your stomach more. To improve well-being with severe pain, you can take antispasmodics.

Pain in the abdomen after childbirth also occurs after. In the maternity hospital, painkillers are used for no more than 3-4 days and strictly according to indications. Usually, by the 4-5th day, acute discomfort practically disappears, and postpartum period generally continues in the same way as in women who have given birth naturally, although the recovery of the uterus after caesarean section more time is required - 2-3 weeks.

2. Pain in the perineum after childbirth

Pain in the perineum after childbirth is also normal, even if the birth took place without tissue dissection. Indeed, at the birth of a child, as a rule, there is tension, compression, microcracks may appear.

If a woman did, then the pain in the perineum after childbirth persists a little longer, up to several weeks or months, aggravated by exertion (coughing, sneezing, laughing, straining, bending forward, squatting).

After that, it is not recommended to sit for a month, but on the 5th–7th day it is allowed to sit on the toilet, a hard chair on the buttock, opposite to the direction of the incision: the mother needs to check with the doctor on which side the incision was. When getting out of bed, you must first turn on your side to avoid a sitting position, take your time and do not make sudden movements. It is better to feed the baby after suturing while lying on your side. It is also undesirable to lift weights during the first two months after childbirth. In the presence of secretions, it is necessary to change sanitary pads in time - at least once every 3 hours, preventing the occurrence of a "greenhouse effect".

If the discharge is accompanied bad smell, pain in the perineum significantly increased both at rest and during movement, body temperature increased, nausea or vomiting appeared - you should immediately consult a doctor.

3. Hemorrhoids

Pregnancy and childbirth are one of the main factors in the development of hemorrhoids in women, which is associated with an increase in pressure on the walls of the intestine from the pregnant uterus, an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, violation of blood filling of the veins due to slowing down venous outflow. In this case, the dilated vein forms a "bag of blood" - the actual hemorrhoid. During childbirth, the head of the fetus compresses the vessels, including the veins of the rectum. The longer the birth, the more pronounced the stagnation of blood. After childbirth anus And hemorrhoids gradually decrease and may disappear completely, but sometimes they persist.

Hemorrhoids after childbirth can be external and internal. External hemorrhoids after childbirth it is easier, complications occur less often. External hemorrhoids are less of a concern for a woman, but can cause discomfort in anus, itching, less bleeding. Internal hemorrhoids often cause pain, may fall out during bowel movements, cough, irritate the skin around the anus. The fallen bumps can be infringed, and then the pain becomes unbearable, necrosis of the mucous membrane occurs, the body temperature rises to 38 ° C, and thrombosis of varicose veins can occur. In such a situation, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Plays an important role proper nutrition. It is necessary to adjust the work of the intestines so that there is no constipation and defecation occurs without straining. Good to eat more fruit, vegetables (broccoli, corn, carrots, ripe apples, beets, cauliflower, potatoes, raisins, prunes, dried apricots) and cereals (especially pearl barley, oatmeal). Spicy, salty, spicy foods, marinades should be excluded, as these products increase the blood supply to the hemorrhoidal veins. It is recommended to limit fatty foods: it slows down the digestion of food, creating conditions for the development of constipation.

Improving the functioning of the large intestine and reducing congestion in the veins of the small pelvis contributes light gymnastics aimed at strengthening the abdominal muscles and improving blood flow. A set of permitted exercises may be recommended by the attending physician.

It is also advisable to lie on your back for 15 minutes 2-3 times a day with an elevated pelvis - putting your buttocks, for example, on a small pillow. It is very important to avoid hypothermia (especially the lower part of the body), do not sit on a cold surface, give up long (more than 1 hour) hiking And long work in a standing and sitting position, as this can lead to a slowdown in blood flow, an increase in stagnation in the hemorrhoidal veins and, consequently, an exacerbation of hemorrhoids.

Exist conservative methods treatment of hemorrhoids after childbirth: warm baths, ointment applications and suppositories containing novocaine, anestezin, belladonna. These drugs have anti-inflammatory, astringent, drying and local anesthetic effects. IN acute period apply lead lotions, lotions with drilling liquid, furacilin, which have an astringent, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. Ointments with venotonic, angioprotective properties (swelling, pain, bleeding are reduced) and other means are often prescribed.

Surgical treatment is indicated for prolonged periodic moderate bleeding or arising from time to time. heavy bleeding, the development of anemia, infection, thrombosis, the formation of cracks and fistulas of the rectum.

Particular attention should be paid to hygiene. In the acute period of the disease, you need to take cool shower 2-3 times a day, and also rinse the perineum after each stool or use wet wipes.

4. Constipation after childbirth

Constipation after childbirth is the most common problem, which is associated with physiological changes in the digestive system during pregnancy, especially in the second half. The intestines are gradually squeezed by the enlarged pregnant uterus, blood circulation is disturbed (occurs venous congestion in the vessels of the small pelvis), the innervation changes, which leads to a weakening of peristalsis. The processes of fermentation and flatulence are intensified, constipation occurs, along the way, hemorrhoids become aggravated. In addition, the hormone progesterone, which is released during pregnancy, promotes relaxation. smooth muscle, including the intestines, which reduces its peristalsis.

The regulation of intestinal activity is provided by the central and vegetative nervous system, which also undergo changes during pregnancy and childbirth. After childbirth, fears often arise that the seams will open during a bowel movement. In addition, the abdominal muscles become more flabby, stretched, and it takes time for them to tone up.

To normalize the stool, it is important to follow basic dietary recommendations. Sufficient content in the diet is necessary dietary fiber, daily you should consume at least 400 g of vegetables and fruits (raw or in any cooked form), soaked dried fruits (especially prunes), bran, sour-milk products.

It is advisable to exclude products that lead to increased gas formation(legumes, cabbage, unripe fruits).

If constipation after childbirth continues to bother, the doctor may prescribe medications. Lactulose preparations are the safest for solving this problem.

5. Violation of urination and urinary incontinence

The bladder of a woman who had recently given birth, as well as her intestines, felt the influence of the pregnant uterus, which led to a temporary decrease in its sensitivity. This will pass in 3-5 days after childbirth: some women may not have the urge to urinate, others have them, but new mothers cannot empty the bladder. Connected this phenomenon with atony of the bladder or, conversely, with a spasm of its sphincter. However, it is necessary to empty the bladder within 6-8 hours after childbirth - and if this cannot be done on her own, a catheter is placed in the woman, since a filled bladder can prevent the uterus from contracting normally.

At home, it is necessary to empty the bladder at least once every 4 hours. If there are cramps, pain during urination, this is a sign of the inflammatory process of the bladder, so you should immediately consult a doctor.

Urinary incontinence after childbirth may also be detected. It occurs with tension (coughing, sneezing, laughing), possibly involuntary leakage of urine before, between or after urination, reflex urinary incontinence, for example, with the sounds of running water. The cause of what is happening is the weakening of the muscles pelvic floor, stretching ligamentous apparatus pelvic muscles, dysfunction of the urethral sphincter.

More often this phenomenon is observed in multiparous women, women who have undergone severe traumatic childbirth. However, urinary incontinence also occurs in women whose childbirth proceeded without any complications. This is due to the fact that the pelvic floor muscles experience high blood pressure, excessive squeezing of soft tissues during pregnancy and childbirth, as a result of which there may be violations of innervation, blood circulation and, as a result, dysfunction of the urinary organs.

Urinary incontinence after childbirth is not something to be ashamed of. It is important to consult a doctor in time, who will prescribe the appropriate treatment. It can be both conservative and operational (in severe cases). Conservative therapy usually begins with special exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor: for a certain time, it is necessary to hold specially designed “weights” with the muscles in the vagina, contract the muscles during urination, etc.

Also prescribed medical preparations, which reduce contractile activity bladder, suppress involuntary excretion of urine, increase the interval between urination, increase the volume of urine released, contribute to the disappearance or weakening of imperative (false) urges. Conservative treatment can last up to 1 year. In the absence of efficiency conservative treatment surgical methods are used

6. Sore nipples

This problem often accompanies the start of breastfeeding. Soft skin the nipples are still very sensitive, and the mother may experience severe pain when breastfeeding. Cracks and damage to the nipples often occur when the baby is not properly attached to the breast. It is necessary that the baby captures not only the nipple, but also the areola.

For relax disease state you can use special nipple covers during feeding, treat them with an ointment containing dexpanthenol - you can not wash it off before each feeding. In addition, it is recommended to leave the chest open more often.

There is no need to wash the mammary glands with soap before each feeding, it is enough to take a shower 2 times a day, you can simply wash your breasts with warm water - preferably boiled until the cracks have healed, in order to avoid infection.

When lactation is established (this will happen within about 1 month), the skin of the nipples will become somewhat rough, and breastfeeding will not bring discomfort.

7. Stitches after caesarean section

Currently in modern obstetric practice for suturing after caesarean section, absorbable suture material(completely it disappears on the 40-45th day). Depending on the characteristics of the maternity hospital, sometimes non-absorbable sutures are used, which are removed before discharge on the 7-10th day. IN special care a seam is not needed. In most maternity hospitals, postoperative dressings are not applied to the suture area, only local treatment is done 2 times a day with alcohol or brilliant green. At home, you do not need to process the seam and wear bandages. You can take a shower on the second day, the seam area, of course, should not be intensively rubbed with a washcloth. But lying in the bath is better to postpone for 1-1.5 months.

If you notice a discharge from the suture area, redness appears, the temperature rises, or growing intense pain begins to bother you, you should immediately consult a doctor.

In area postoperative scar a feeling of numbness, discomfort (up to several months), itching, burning can persist for a long time - and this is normal. To alleviate the condition, you can wear a bandage.

If the temperature rises after childbirth ...

An increase in temperature after childbirth is not a pathology if it does not rise above 37.5–38 ° C and lasts no more than two days. This is due to a significant change hormonal background after childbirth, the appearance of muscle tremors (it looks like chills) throughout the body, "the arrival of milk", a reaction to the introduction medicines. However, an increase in body temperature can be due to more serious reasons. Most often it is endometritis (inflammation of the uterine cavity), mastitis (inflammation of the mammary gland) or lactostasis (milk stasis), pyelonephritis (inflammation of the kidneys), chorioamnionitis (inflammation of the membranes and uterus during childbirth), peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum), sepsis (general infection blood). For this reason, with any increase in temperature, you should immediately consult a doctor.

I so want to sleep!

Few women who have recently given birth do not complain about lack of sleep. It is clear that the main consequence is constant sleepiness, loss of strength, decreased attention and even lactation. The mother may be disturbed by headaches, irritability, increased appetite(the production of appetite hormones is disturbed), emotional depression.

To sleep, any person needs about 8 hours of sleep. And the young mother is no exception. Set aside everything and try to sleep during the day, at the same time as the baby. Can practice together night sleep with a child or move his crib to yours so as not to get up at night to feed. Ask dad or grandma to take a walk with the crumbs during the day, while you yourself get some sleep or just relax. Over time, the baby will grow up, and you will be able to get enough sleep.

At the birth of a child through natural ways doctors sometimes have to resort to a perineotomy or an episiotomy - a cut of tissue from the entrance to the vagina towards the back to the rectum or at an angle to the midline. Stitches on the perineum after childbirth require special attention doctors and the young mother's compliance with some recommendations.

Read in this article

Why are stitches

Perineotomy is an operation that protects the mother and helps the child to be born. In the second stage of labor, excessive stretching of the tissues of the perineum may occur, there is a threat of its rupture. This happens in such cases:

high crotch;
tissue stiffness in women giving birth for the first time after 30 years;
scars after previous births;
the position of the child during childbirth, when he is facing the perineum with his forehead or face (extensor presentation);
usage obstetric forceps or vacuum extraction of the fetus;
large fruit;
rapid childbirth;
premature eruption of the head with improper delivery by a midwife.

A straight-edged incision heals better than a tear. Therefore, a dissection of the perineum is performed, followed by suturing after the birth of the child. Wound suturing is performed for its speedy healing.

Precautions in behavior after the incision

The length of tissue dissection is about 2-3 cm; after suturing, the incision heals quickly. To prevent this process from slowing down and becoming more complicated, a young mother should take some precautions:

on the first day after childbirth, you should only lie down;
it is allowed to stand and walk already from the second day, for example, a woman should eat at a special high table, which is in the dining room of the maternity hospital;
you can sit only 3 days after the stitches are removed or 2 weeks after the birth, first on chairs and only then on a soft bed or sofa;
feed the newborn should be lying on the bed;
properly care for the perineum;
avoid constipation;
wear cotton non-tight underwear.

When are stitches removed after childbirth? This usually happens a week or earlier after the baby is born. Thus, a woman should be careful in the first 14 days of the postpartum period.

If the sutures are applied using a bioabsorbable material, then they do not need to be removed. The woman is discharged home at the usual time, the synthetic threads in the incision area completely disappear after a few weeks. Nodules disappear within 2 weeks after birth.

Proper care of the intimate area and seams

How to handle stitches on the perineum after childbirth? Applications of special antiseptics not required. After visiting the toilet, a woman should wash herself with warm boiled water from the perineum to the anus and dry the skin with a clean cloth or paper towel. After washing, it is recommended to lie on the bed for some time without a pad, so that the area of \u200b\u200bthe seams dries well.

It is also necessary to change at least every 2 hours postpartum pads to prevent infection.

When performing these simple tips an incision in the perineum is not dangerous. After it, only a small scar remains. If it was imposed cosmetic seam, then traces of it are practically invisible.

The use of drugs for the care of sutures is required when healing is slow or complications develop. These drugs must be prescribed by a doctor. Treatment with chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide is usually used, ointments are less often recommended - Levomekol, Vishnevsky Ointment, Solcoseryl, products with panthenol.

Recovery Exercises

To speed up tissue repair, you can perform special gymnastics. It should be remembered that before the removal of the stitches, it is impossible to carry out exercises with abduction (breeding) of the legs.

In the first two days, exercises are performed lying in bed. They include leg curls ankle joints and then in the knees. In the future, raising the pelvis with support on bent legs joins. Useful and breathing exercises. The duration of the lessons is 15 minutes.

In the following days, gymnastics is performed while standing and its duration increases to 20 minutes. Turns and shallow torso bends, standing on toes, light squats are added. Periodic contraction of the anal sphincter during the day and attempts to temporarily stop the stream of urine during urination are shown. Such exercises help to restore blood supply to tissues and speed up healing.

Causes of divergence of seams

In some women, however, there is a divergence of the seams after suturing the incision of the perineum. The reason for this is the woman's non-compliance with the recommendations on the regimen:

getting out of bed early;
prolonged sitting during the first week after childbirth;
incorrectly performed exercises during gymnastics.

In addition, the seams diverge when the postoperative wound becomes infected.

Symptoms to watch out for

If a woman has pain in her stitches after giving birth, she should tell her doctor. This is one of the main symptoms of non-healing wounds. In addition, signs of trouble may include:

bleeding from the incision;
a feeling of fullness in the perineum;
tissue swelling;
fever, chills, weakness;
purulent discharge;
formations under the skin in the form of tubercles or cones.

In all these situations, it is necessary to contact the antenatal clinic. Otherwise, the sutures will hurt for a very long time, and after the wound has healed, the deformation of the walls of the vagina and perineum will remain.

Methods for correcting abnormal skin fusion

The perineum is usually sutured with two rows of sutures: the first is superimposed on the muscles, and the second on the skin. If only the superficial suture has parted, measures are taken to prevent infection (treatment with chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, brilliant green and other antiseptics), re-suturing is not carried out.

If a woman really has an entire seam open, then the cause is usually purulent inflammation. This gives rise to strong pain, fever, purulent discharge. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor, you may need to debridement wounds.

With a significant deformation remaining after a parted deep seam, it is further shown.

So, stitches on the perineum after childbirth are superimposed for the speedy healing of the tissue incision. Subject to the rules of care and careful attitude of a woman to her health, her well-being quickly returns to normal. If disturbing symptoms appear, you should seek help from a gynecologist.

Throughout the entire period of pregnancy, the body of every woman undergoes a restructuring, it experiences the impact of certain loads. The strongest influence is, of course, during childbirth. Most often it is accompanied by quite strong painful sensations. The indisputable fact is that the vagina changes significantly. So, consider what happens to the vagina after childbirth.

How to help yourself?

For more quick recovery you need to perform exercises specifically designed to work out the muscles of the perineum and pelvis. They need to be done not only at the beginning of pregnancy, but even before conception. Thus, the muscles will be strengthened, which means that childbirth with more likely pass easily and correctly.

But in most cases, many women do not think about it or start doing it after the birth has passed, when significant discomfort is already felt. At this stage, there are no barriers to restoring the muscles of the birth canal, only desire is needed. It is worth noting that in many cases it is possible to avoid the intervention of a surgeon.

The recovery period is different for everyone. In order for the vagina to quickly return to postpartum normal condition, you need to remember some nuances.

Physical transformations

To visualize the state of the vagina after childbirth, you need to remember how the child moves along it. It happens that some children are quite large, and their weight reaches five kilograms. That is why it becomes clear to what extent the load on the birth canal is carried out.

Sometimes vaginal ruptures can occur, healing for a rather long time. In this case, the woman will feel discomfort for several months due to gradually healing sutures.

One of the changes in the vagina is its stretching. Because it represents muscular organ while the child is moving birth canal, the walls are stretched, and such a process is absolutely normal. In a few weeks, its usual size will be restored. And even a too large vagina will return to its previous state, but its shape will be lost.

There is also swelling of the vagina after childbirth, which goes away after three to four days, and no discomfort is felt.

Abrasions and cracks of the vagina are noticeable upon examination, its walls acquire a bluish-purple color. Literally in two weeks, the normal state will be restored: the swelling will go away, the cracks will gradually heal, and the walls will again acquire the usual pale pink color.

The relief of the walls of the vagina changes after childbirth (photos from medical publications illustrate this well). There is an erroneous opinion that after childbirth, a woman's vagina increases significantly, but in fact, everything consists in changing the walls. In nulliparous, the relief is clearer, and after childbirth it is smoother. That is why it may seem that there has been an increase in the organ. This can interfere with men having sex, but when right choice poses are not pleasant sensations quite easy to avoid.

Scheduled inspection

After the baby is born, the doctor performs a routine examination, the result of which may be the diagnosis of certain disorders. If a woman noticed such signs while already at home, it is not recommended to postpone a visit to the gynecologist.

Since the vagina is formed muscle tissue, then over time its former form will be restored, maybe not one hundred percent, but this should not be a cause for concern.

What should the vagina look like after childbirth?

Possible deviations

There are situations when a woman may experience unwanted symptoms. To prevent their development into complications and avoid treatment, you need to be aware of possible ways fight them.

Deviations are indicated by such signals.

1. Reduce sensitivity. It is a temporary sign, and there is no need to panic about this. For some time, a woman may generally lose sensitivity, since the walls of the vagina are no longer the same as before, and a certain period is needed to restore them.

2. Pain. Very often, women experience discomfort, and all the vagina after childbirth (the photo clearly reflects the problem) hurts in different ways. The reason lies in the perineal tears and stretching, while stitches are required. Unpleasant sensations characteristic just for the area where the stitching was done, since they often touch nerve endings. However, over time, the woman will no longer be bothered by pain.

3. Itching. With such a symptom, you should immediately consult a specialist. The reason for this may lie in allergic reaction on the material used for the seam or the antiseptic used during childbirth. No need to try to resolve this problem without a medical examination, since only a knowledgeable person can pick up suitable treatment. Most often in these cases, douching is prescribed.

4. Dryness is another symptom that women who have recently given birth complain about. It appears due to a decrease in estrogen levels and most often affects nursing mothers. With time this symptom disappears, and before this happens, you can use special gels that help moisturize the vagina, or apply intimate lubricants made on the basis of water. Funds that have oil base, it is undesirable to acquire, since they create a heavily permeable film. What the vagina looks like after childbirth is of interest to many women.

What other deviations are there?

Omission. As the pelvic floor muscles weaken, they can no longer hold on to the organs. That is why omission appears, which has various stages: partial, when the walls do not go beyond the vagina; outward protrusion; prolapse, in which the intervention of a surgeon is already required.

A bad smell from a woman's vagina after childbirth indicates some kind of inflammation or suppuration of the suture. In this case, you can not be treated on your own, after consulting a specialist, certain medications will be prescribed.

Allocations. After a woman has given birth, they look like mucus interspersed with blood and are called "lochia". Initially, they look like menstruation, later their intensity decreases. After two months, such discharges stop completely. If this does not happen, you should immediately go to the doctor.

How is the vagina restored?

When the muscles of the vagina stretch too much after childbirth, this is not very good for later life women. This process is especially strongly reflected in the sexual sphere, as partners may feel a decrease in the quality of physical relationships.

The recovery period for the vagina lasts from six to eight weeks, however, these terms are relative, since they are determined by the individual characteristics of each organism and possible complications that may appear after the birth of the baby. There are a number of recommendations, adhering to which, you can speed up the recovery process. What happens to the vagina after childbirth? It is better to clarify this with a gynecologist.

Doctors advise during this period to refrain from sexual intercourse. It is necessary to know the terms during which the vagina is restored after childbirth, and the uterine cavity heals. wound surface formed in the place where the placenta was attached. During sexual intercourse, there is a possibility of infection on open wound, and in this case, endometritis is inevitable, that is, an inflammatory process that affects the uterus. That is why for two months after giving birth, the couple needs to be patient in this regard.

If dryness is a concern, then during intimate relationships you need to use different lubricants-gels.

Difficult but achievable

To return their muscles former tone you need to work hard. But this is not at all a reason for despondency and thoughts that the process of restoring the vagina will be too complicated.

Currently, there are several ways to help solve this problem. And about surgical intervention you don’t have to think right away, because there are easier methods. It is necessary to contact the surgeon only if there is no other way out. How to shrink a large vagina after childbirth?

Kegel exercises

One of the most effective methods- this is the implementation of a series of exercises that were developed by A. Kegel and brought him worldwide popularity. These exercises are very easy to perform, you can do them almost everywhere, in addition, they differ good result. Thanks to their use, the blood circulation of the organs located in the pelvic area increases, the muscles of the vagina become elastic, elastic and strong. It is recommended to do exercises five to six times every day, resulting in a significant strengthening of the muscles. One of the most effective ways is the following: you need to tighten the muscles of the perineum and hold them in this state for as long as possible, and then gradually relax them. Initially, it may seem that it is impossible to keep them tense. But after some time, when the elasticity of the muscles increases, the execution will be much easier. However, for greater effect, it is worth performing all the exercises from the complex created by Kegel.

Most women wonder: if the vagina is stretched after childbirth, how long will it take to recover? Most often this happens within six weeks. But when doing Kegel exercises, the period can be significantly reduced.

Surgical method

Sometimes there are such complications in which it is impossible to avoid surgery. If a woman does not hold back urination during laughter, feels significant discomfort, and various sets of special exercises do not help at all, you need to agree to surgical method problem solving. In addition, the operation is necessary when the prolapse of the uterus has occurred or the muscles have been severely damaged.

Due to the fact that muscle ruptures can occur, stitches of inadequate quality are often applied in the maternity hospital, due to which the size of the vagina increases after childbirth, and the woman does not receive pleasant sensations during sexual contact. To solve this problem, it is necessary to intimate plasticity. It usually also means plastic surgery of the cervix, which is often damaged during childbirth.

Conclusion

Since childbirth is very complex process, then, in addition to unforgettable and happy moments, some complications may arise. That is why you need to take care of your own health in advance and prepare for pregnancy and the birth of a baby.

If a woman is aware of what processes are taking place in her body, she is already calm about them. The main thing for a young mother is to help her body return to its normal state.

Also, do not panic if air comes out of the vagina during intercourse. This happens even in those women who have not yet given birth. You should not be ashamed of this, but simply discuss what worries you with your partner, do not keep your thoughts inside.

We discussed in detail what the vagina looks like after childbirth, we hope that the information was useful.

Changes muscular system vagina upsets many women after natural delivery. In addition to physical discomfort, the couple notes a decrease in the quality of sensations during intercourse. Recovery of the vagina after childbirth will happen much faster if you consciously approach the problem and follow the recommendations given in the article. First you need to realize that the vagina is an elastic muscle formation, and, like any muscle in the body, it has contractility, elasticity and extensibility.

Changes in this organ after childbirth are symptomatic, functional and physiological in nature.

Physiological changes in the vagina:

swelling;
stretching and smoothing the relief;
cracks and breaks;
wall sinking.

Edema

The swelling of the organ passes even in the maternity hospital for 4 days and does not affect the woman's well-being in any way.

Stretching and smoothing the relief

Perhaps the main "horror story" for women giving birth. Loss of muscle tone and some stretching of the vagina during the postpartum period is an inevitable process. You need to understand that childbirth does not change the size of the vagina in any way, it just loses its shape for a while.

Cracks and breaks

These complications accompany every second birth. If the doctor sees that the vaginal wall may rupture, then during contractions an episiotomy is performed - an incision so that the process of tissue divergence is controlled. Smooth surgical suture heals much faster than random breaks.

Omission

After severe prolonged or multiple births, the muscles of the pelvic floor sometimes overstretch. In this case, the walls of the vagina may fall partially or completely fall out of the vagina. This complication is treated only by surgery.

All other changes in this organ are symptomatic and disappear with the normalization of the physiological component.

Symptomatic changes in the vagina:

prolonged cleansing discharge;
decrease or loss of sensation;
painful sensations;
dryness;
bad smell.

Allocations

Postpartum lochia is the natural cleansing of the uterus from the membranes at the end of pregnancy. A woman needs to be extremely careful to monitor how long the vagina recovers after childbirth and the end time of lochia.

Lochia disappears in 6-8 weeks. In the first week, the discharge resembles menstruation, at the end of the fourth week their color becomes light yellow and, finally, they completely disappear.

Important! If eight weeks after labor activity discharge continues or there is an unpleasant odor, itching, pain in the lower abdomen to exclude inflammatory processes in the uterus, you need to contact a gynecologist.

Decrease or loss of sensation

While the muscles of the vagina are stretched and flabby, the woman finds a decrease in the joy of sexual life and a loss of sensitivity.

Painful sensations

Tears, deep fissures, or obstetrical episiotomy after childbirth create soreness during intercourse, as such wounds heal with scars. Connective tissue the scar does not have elasticity and leads to compaction, excessive narrowing and painful sensations.

Dryness

Because in postpartum period in nursing mothers, the hormone prolactin rises sharply and estrogen, which affects libido, decreases, there is a feeling of dryness of the vagina. After finishing breastfeeding the level of hormones responsible for libido returns to normal.

How long does it take for the vagina to recover after childbirth?

Recovery time depends on many factors:

were there purulent complications leading to cicatricial changes in the wall;
did the future woman in labor do special training to strengthen and develop the muscles of the vagina;
general physical and psychological mood women;
on the size of the baby's head;
the quality of obstetric sutures;
Was the birth easy?

With rapid or prolonged labor, especially the large first child, there will be more deep gaps.

On average, small cracks and injuries completely heal in two weeks, and the pale pink color of the organ returns in the same amount.

If the obstetrician had to suture, especially extending to the perineal region along the skin, then a feeling of discomfort may accompany coition until three months before adaptation of sutured nerve endings.

initial muscle shape after birth stretching, the vagina acquires after 7-8 weeks.

How to speed up the recovery of the vagina after childbirth

When the vagina recovers after childbirth, it is determined physiological characteristics tissues of a particular woman, punctuality in fulfilling the recommendations of an obstetrician and her attitude towards a quick recovery.

Exclude traditional forms of intimate communication during the period of isolation of lochia, due to the risk of infection.
Wash the perineum after any use of the toilet.
Pads should be changed up to five times a day.
After an episiotomy, three weeks for adequate scarring of the sutures is impossible:

lift weights;
walk fast;
sit on a hard surface.

Only after fourteen days can you begin to sit down on the buttock opposite to the incision. It is better to sit on an elastic circle.

Introduce foods that relieve constipation into your diet. good effect has a tablespoon of any vegetable oil before eating. Give up bread for a while. In case of difficulty with defecation, use a candle with glycerin.
Shoot during the day if possible underwear to ventilate the seams.
Treat scars twice a day with chamomile infusion or antiseptics and lubricate with wound healing preparations;
It is recommended to sleep with a disposable diaper on, without underwear.
After the resumption of sexual intimacy, it is imperative to use moisturizing lubricants for the first time in order to avoid microtrauma of the vagina.
With the permission of the gynecologist in a month, you need to start strengthening vaginal muscles a set of Kegel exercises.

The essence of Kegel exercises is to reduce and relax the muscles of the vagina with different frequency and force, trying to feel different parts of the organ sequentially from top to bottom and in the anteroposterior direction of the pelvic floor. Daily training will tighten, strengthen and restore lost muscle tone, restore sexuality and a vibrant, healthy intimate life.

Basically, the changes that have occurred with this organ are corrected in 2–3 months, so there is only an affirmative answer to the question of whether the vagina is restored after childbirth. Knowing what happens with the vaginal muscles after natural delivery, with a careful attitude to health, persistent performance of special exercises, a woman will quickly return the lost shape of the vagina, resume a vibrant relationship with her husband and will feel like a healthy, happy mother.