The vagina is very resilient, but after giving birth, your vagina may change in a myriad of ways. You may feel wider, dry, or sore after childbirth. You may also experience urinary incontinence. These symptoms can rob women of their sense of well-being, comfort, and even happiness. Luckily, there are a variety of actions you can take to combat these post-natal vaginal changes.
After giving birth, your estrogen levels will drop, which can lead to a dry sensation in your vagina. Depending on whether or not you are breastfeeding, this sensation could last just weeks or throughout the duration of breastfeeding. Your vagina will also likely be sore after a vaginal birth. In fact, 53-79% of vaginal deliveries will cause some kind of tearing, according to the American Collect of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Some tears are worse than others and need to be fixed in an operating room, though most will heal on their own.
Similarly, it may take a while for your vaginal opening to reduce back down after stretching to give birth. You may also perceive weaker vaginal muscles post-childbirth. In this case, there are exercises you can do to help strengthen your vaginal muscles. Kegels, where you squeeze your pelvic floor muscles for 5-10 seconds at a time, may strengthen these muscles. Kegels can also help combat urinary incontinence. Childbirth may affect the muscles and nerves that control your bladder and urethra, allowing pee to leak out of your body at inopportune times.
While time may be all your body needs to heal itself, and exercises like Kegels can help naturally tighten the vaginal muscles after childbirth, some women may not experience much improvement. After childbirth, or with age, many women resign themselves to the changes in their vagina’s elasticity. For these women, and those who find their life is affected by post-natal vaginal discomfort, ThermiVa™ may be a great option.
ThermiVa™ is a non-surgical vaginal tightening treatment offered at all Slender Me Medical locations. There is no surgery, no anesthesia, and no downtime. Sessions are offered in a comfortable, in-office treatment setting. The treatment is applied to the labia or inside the vagina using a specially designed probe that delivers radio-frequency energy and gently heats the tissue. The radio-frequency energy released through the wand helps to tighten vaginal tissues, stimulate collagen production and increase blood flow. ThermiVa™ takes only about 30 minutes to complete and the recommended treatment plan consists of three treatments performed over a period of three months. After the treatment, patients can immediately return to their regular activities. ThermiVa™ may also help sex feel better for both you and your partner. Results are long-lasting.
A woman’s vagina undergoes many changes during her lifetime. Fluctuations in elasticity are common over one’s lifetime and, in addition to childbirth, these changes may be related to hormonal changes, stress, and sex.
If you would like more information on how to tighten and rejuvenate your vagina, contact Slender Me Medical via e-mail at info@slendermemedical.com or make an appointment online here for either our Irvine or Corona offices. Both locations have counselors who speak English and Spanish. Come visit us and let us help you feel beautiful inside and out.