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Every woman who has not yet given birth has thought about this: does normal childbirth leave the vagina wide? It is a natural thought of all women before having their first child and it is not very difficult in a women’s chat to find others with the same doubt. But to answer that question, let’s understand a little bit about the woman’s body structure and all its functionality, including the obvious vagina.
What is a Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor muscles are muscles that control from the urinary tract to the anus . They will also act as a hammock for the baby, uterus and all organs of the pelvic cavity. Which means that they will receive a large amount of weight in the months of gestation. Like any other muscle in the body, it loses elasticity over time, becoming more flabby. In other words, even if a woman never has children , she can have a “wide vagina”.
The sagging of the pelvic floor brings some problems to the woman’s health, such as urinary incontinence (loose bladder), pain during sexual intercourse or even a different appearance. In pregnancy, in addition to the delivery itself, these muscles suffer from the effects of other elements, such as hormonal changes and overweight in the region. And it doesn’t matter if the baby will be born by natural delivery or cesarean section , these factors will impair the elasticity of the pelvic floor.
What Happens During Childbirth?
During labor the baby will position itself on the cervix , which is the door of the uterus to the vagina. Then, the cervix will slowly thin and dilate until it reaches 10 cm , this is how doctors know that the baby is ready to be born. The uterus will then contract strongly, when this happens the doctor will ask to push. The birth canal or also known as the vagina will then stretch as far as the baby needs to be born. The normal diameter of the vagina is only 1 to 2.5 cm and the average diameter of the baby’s head is about 11 cm . When the baby is considered large the diameter of its head reaches 16 cm.
Labor is a time of preparation for childbirth, and your whole body is working towards the baby’s expulsion. At that moment, it is necessary for the woman to remain calm, in control and try to relax as much as possible and have a light diet so that everything goes smoothly.
Normal Labor Lengthens Vagina?
The body was designed for birth . The tissues in the vagina and the surrounding areas stretch and move. After delivery, it is normal for the vagina to become larger than it was before. The truth is that, in most cases, childbirth does not actually change the size of the vagina, as many think, because the musculature returns to normal some time later.
Of course, in some cases, however, the nerves and muscles in the region can be damaged, widening the vaginal canal. This is especially true for women who have had more than one pregnancy with normal delivery. Several other factors can also influence such as: genetics, baby size, if you did exercises for the pelvis or if you needed an episiotomy . No matter how wonderful the delivery was, having a baby is a big event for the body. You need time to recover and get back to normal.
Is There Anything I Can Do To Avoid?
As stated above, several factors can influence having a wide vagina, many women claim that doing vaginal exercises before and after childbirth helps to keep the vagina as it is before childbirth.
Vaginal exercises have a number of benefits for the body such as:
- Better bowel function
- Prevention of vaginal infections
- Decreased effects of menopause
- Greater pleasure during sex.
In pregnancy, vaginal exercises help to prepare and strengthen the musculature for the time of delivery, preventing the enlargement of the vagina and also making this moment easier for the woman, who will know how to measure the strength she must make every moment.
A tip for pregnant women: do you want to improve the pleasure of sex during the gestational phase? Use water-based lubricating gels that play the role of cervical mucus and still control vaginal pH , reducing the chances of proliferation of fungi and bacteria responsible for infections. Famivita has developed the perfect lubricant for pregnant women and pregnant women, the FamiGel . You can buy it here in our online store.
How are vaginal exercises done?
Vaginal exercises, also known as intimate gymnastics, Kegel exercises or pompoirism, are easy and can be done anytime, anywhere. See how:
First, you can locate the muscles you use to pee. For this, when you are urinating, stop the flow (WARNING do not exercise while going to the bathroom, as it can cause urinary tract infection. It is just to locate the muscles that should be worked). Then try to tighten and hold these muscles for 5 to 10 seconds. Relax your muscles the same time you have contracted. Repeat the exercise 3 times a day (morning, afternoon and night), every day.
Why worry if normal delivery makes the vagina wide?
The main reason why women want to know if normal childbirth leaves the vagina wide is related to sexual life . After all, after the first pregnancy in particular, the world of women ends up becoming a new world, full of news and challenges.
Her body changes and she goes through a series of adaptations in her life. It is important to remember that after childbirth, the woman must protect herself from sex for a period of 30 to 40 days , always respecting medical orders. This is because there are risks of infections and discomfort, since the region is still recovering. After that time, the woman and her partner need to discuss the different situations that can affect her in this phase, such as decreased libido, anxiety, pain , and even the possibility of enlarging the vagina.
Pregnancy is a full phase, where the woman is discovering the miracle of gestating. There is no need to worry about whether normal childbirth leaves the vagina wide. So if the woman takes care of herself in advance, betting on a healthy diet, in Kegel exercises, there is no reason to worry about whether normal childbirth leaves the vagina wide. Just enjoy this phase with peace of mind!
See Also: Postpartum Care After Maternity
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
