Hi, I'm a 36 y o FTM 8 months post partum. My vagina doesn't look the same as some women say it should by now. I had a 2nd degree tear that was immediately stitched up. I was told it was done right, but the bottom area... instead of looking like a V shape, the V is slightly at an angle. Also overall It looks more "open". Everything was all tight before. I know I may have to learn to love this new Mom bod, but will a Mom out here tell me if she went through this and still healed back to "pre-partum" condition after 8 months post partum??
Post partum healing
- Thread starter kitcar
- Start date
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- postpartum recovery
@cathy1532 Question…how does pelvic floor therapy help with looking “open” down there? I also feel like my vagina just looks open however, I’m only 6 weeks postpartum.
@lauraminn Oh you need time haha. But a pelvic floor therapist will/would help you too
@cathy1532 Thanks so much for your reply. Is this something I can youtube and do at home, or make an obgyn appointment?
@cathy1532 Thank you, I booked an appointment with my obgyn to see if she can give me a referral. I'm gonna give it a try.
@kitcar Are you still nursing? If so, a lot of hormones are still at play. I'm a little over 15 months pp and while things do look a bit different, they still (mostly) function the same. I'm just happy not to have severe lasting pelvic floor issues or pain with sex- I had a somewhat difficult labor with a rather large baby and a second degree tear in which a few stitches came lose about 4 days pp. 
I did do pelvic floor physical therapy once a month for about year, but noticed things improved greatly with the return of my cycle and have been told to expect more improvement when I wean.
I keep telling myself I was never planning on being a vagina model or "adult" actress, so who cares if it looks a little different? My husband still enjoys sex with me, I still enjoy sex, so it's all good. None of us will leave this life with these bodies and they just did something incredible.
ETA: I was 34 when my son was born and about to turn 36. I think age might also be a small factor in recovery- it's seemed to take me a lot longer to heal than some of my younger friends (think 25-28). I know it's easier said than done, but give yourself some grace.
I did do pelvic floor physical therapy once a month for about year, but noticed things improved greatly with the return of my cycle and have been told to expect more improvement when I wean. I keep telling myself I was never planning on being a vagina model or "adult" actress, so who cares if it looks a little different? My husband still enjoys sex with me, I still enjoy sex, so it's all good. None of us will leave this life with these bodies and they just did something incredible.
ETA: I was 34 when my son was born and about to turn 36. I think age might also be a small factor in recovery- it's seemed to take me a lot longer to heal than some of my younger friends (think 25-28). I know it's easier said than done, but give yourself some grace.
@daniel22 Thank you for your response! I had to stop nursing because my gestational hypertension lasted post partum and I got migraines from high blood pressure when I would pump (had to go to ER) and I wasnt producing enough for it to be worth the risk.
My cycle returned early on and has been regular but longer. I was thinking my age and maybe hypertension was a factor in slower healing, but I also don't have a frame of reference to know if I'm done healing.
It feels a little too sensitive to be done healing, but from what I've read, some (younger) women are fully healed by then so I wasn't sure. I had sex recently for the first time and it wasn't painful, but I didn't feel quite normal just yet.
I know it's possible this may be just what it will look like, or it may heal more, so I'm learning to accept it, but also willing to give pelvic floor therapy a shot.
My cycle returned early on and has been regular but longer. I was thinking my age and maybe hypertension was a factor in slower healing, but I also don't have a frame of reference to know if I'm done healing.
It feels a little too sensitive to be done healing, but from what I've read, some (younger) women are fully healed by then so I wasn't sure. I had sex recently for the first time and it wasn't painful, but I didn't feel quite normal just yet.
I know it's possible this may be just what it will look like, or it may heal more, so I'm learning to accept it, but also willing to give pelvic floor therapy a shot.