![]() “Being patient and knowing what is happening with your body helps both you and your partner understand this is a normal challenge for new parents,” Ross says. As you re-enter sexual activity, you can curb discomfort by using a sexual lubricant and clearly communicating with your partner. They may recommend pelvic floor physical therapy to strengthen the muscles in the area.Īs the vagina heals from childbirth, sexual dysfunction issues can arise. If, after trying these, you’re still experiencing incontinence or a weak pelvic floor, this is definitely something to bring up to your doctor. To rebuild your pelvic floor, y ou can start with some pelvic floor exercises, which you can do on your own at home. The pelvic floor can weaken during pregnancy and childbirth, too, which can cause incontinence. The traditional healing period is six to 12 weeks - during that time, doctors typically tell you to avoid having penetrative sex - but for some people, recovery can last longer. Recovery time really depends on the person and how they delivered. ![]() Vaginal tearing or an episiotomy during a vaginal birth can and does happen for many women. The muscles stretch, distend and tear in the vagina to allow the head to come through this tight space and never completely recover.” “With each vaginal delivery, there is a little more stretch - similar to what happens to the elastic band found on pants. “The vagina and all its elastic glory can only stretch so much during childbirth,” she explains. According to Ross, 30 percent of people who have a vaginal birth will have some form of trauma to the tissue and muscles in the vagina and pelvic floor. Though many people end up having children in their 30s and 40s, the average age of giving birth in the United States is 26.3 years-old, and regardless of when - or if - you want kids, it’s helpful to know what the process does to your vagina and vulva. “And you want to be using pH balanced products when washing.” During and After Childbirth “Try to use very gentle washes to the vulva,” Minkin tells SheKnows. If you find this is the case for you, don’t worry - there’s a solution. This could mean experiencing itching and redness of the vulva, even when your baseline tissue is quite healthy. Mary Jane Minkin, MD, OB-GYN and clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the Yale University School of Medicine says that sitting in a bubble bath, for example, may leave you with something that looks and feels like a yeast infection. The HPV vaccine is also available for people ages 9 to 45.Įven in our 20s, our vulvar skin can be sensitive. Period, with new and more sexual partners the vagina may be prone to infections, human papillomavirus (HPV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) - so using condoms and choosing partners carefully is important. Sherry Ross, MD, an OB-GYN in Santa Monica, California and author of She-ology: The Definitive Guide to Women’s Intimate Health. This is also a decade where many people become sexually active and get more comfortable with their bodies. Sharyn Lewin, MD, gynecologic oncologist at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey tells SheKnows. ![]() Given that people in their 20s (and 30s and early 40s) typically have normal estrogen levels, their vaginas and vulvas should be “elastic, thick and lubricated,” Dr. The Early Years: Your Vulva in your 20sīy our 20s, many of us are acquainted with our vagina and vulva and how the parts work. In other words, these intimate body parts age at the same rate, in roughly the same ways as hormones change. ![]() Kecia Gaither, MD, OB-GYN and Director of Perinatal Services for NYC Health+Hospitals/Lincoln, tells SheKnows. (Spoiler: it’s more than you think.)Īlthough the vagina and vulva are two distinct body parts (and don’t trust anyone who tells you otherwise), they “work as a contiguous unit throughout the life cycle,” Dr. Well, you’re in luck, because we spoke with several OB-GYNs about how your vagina and vulva change as you age. They sort-of prepare us for puberty in school - letting us know that we’re going to start sprouting pubic hair and bleeding once a month - but after that, we’re basically left to guess what’s going to happen next. ![]()
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