Anonymous wrote:Jesus H Christ. How did this ever become a thing. What has happened to us.

Yeah,, no guy is thinking you need to have a toned up hooch.

I think you might want to read the whole thread; maybe a little more carefully this time?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One year after giving birth, im really not happy with how things now look down there. Anyone feel the same?

Dr recommendations in the DMV?

Hi! First of all, please ignore the peanut gallery on this thread. Not sure who wouldn’t look — those women are the nuts, in my mind.

As someone else noted, pregnancy can cause vulvar changes, but vaginal delivery can *really* wreck havoc on your labia. (My left labia minora was partially torn off during delivery — folks, just another reason to strongly consider a planned c section.) Moreover, if you delivered vaginally, you almost certainly have some pelvic organ prolapse. While my labia don’t bother me too much, the muscle tearing/sagging around the vestibule that occurred after vaginal delivery really bothered me and pushed me to consider surgical repair.

I met with several urogyns around the DMV (including a cosmetic urogyn in Virginia) but ultimately wasn’t comfortable pursuing surgery locally. I will travel when I ultimately get a repair (perineoplasty, possibly a little labia clean up to even the sides out, and rectocele repair, possibly with a levatorplasty). Dr. Miklos at Miklos and Moore in Atlanta comes highly recommended— I am waiting to see outcomes of several friends who have surgeries planned with him in the next year. One thing to note — I would strongly suggest making sure your family is complete before surgery, and of course having a planned c section if you were to get pregnant after surgery.

Would you be willing to come back and post about you and your friend’s experience with them? I have consulted several urogyns in this area for my pelvic floor issues (severe prolapses and levator avulsion) but didn’t feel confident in any of them, and they all recommended different surgeries. I’ve considered Miklos for a long time, especially when I heard they have been used by celebrities and athletes, but I’m terrified of making my issues worse or causing new issues so I have not gone for a consult. I’m also curious if they are really such rockstar doctors or if it’s just a lot of marketing hype.

I’m especially curious about their approach to rectocele repair. A good friend of mine had a rectopexy with mesh for her rectocele which didn’t solve her symptoms of obstructed defecation and caused her new back pain, and very much regrets having a mesh now, but feels she’s stuck with it. I’ve also read rectocele surgery has a pretty significant failure rate.

Re: levatorolasty, do you know if your levator ani is still intact?

And yeah, I too wish I’d had a scheduled C section. I also wish someone had told me how much birth can wreck your entire pelvic floor and impact your continence, sexual function, ability to exercise and retain a tampon before I had my babies. My SIL was so affected by hearing about the issues I had from my delivery that she had 2 elective C sections and had straightforward recoveries.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two friends just had this done at 50. I’m grossed out by it honestly. I’ve lived for the male gaze long enough- they aren’t worth it.

-love my vag

As someone with larger inner labia, it’s not always about the male gaze. When the inner labia protrude beyond the outer labia, it can be extremely uncomfortable. I have frequently had issues with biking and horseback riding because of the pressure on the vulva (and those lips) can pinch those labia. It is very painful.

During PIV intercourse, I have to “open” them up to avoid them accidentally getting pushed inside of the vulva during thrusting, or pinched. Again, that’s all super painful. There can be a great deal of adjusting of the vulva that needs to be done when sitting to avoid discomfort, and I often use Vaseline on them to avoid chafing.

I considered doing the surgery solely for these issues, and also because I felt it was abnormal (a midwife when I was 24 had told me mine were “pretty bad” when I mentioned embarrassment about them, which gave me a complex). It took me a lot of self love and reading books with real photos of real vulvas to realize mine were completely in the realm of normal, even if I did not look like and adult film star.

I have those too super long and a bit frilly. When they get poked in during sex I laugh and pull them out. And hold them open if necessary. Yeah sometimes they get pulled and it’s uncomfortable. It’s fleeting. I also had a pretty significant tear in one during birth, abrasions too. They healed.

Honestly, I would be concerned with any change that could effect clitoral sensation or pudendal nerve.

And I apologize to the person I’m quoting. I am really angry your midwife said that that’s messed up! Vulva magic balm is lovely and I use that sometimes in the summer - it helps with chaffing and prevents rashes from overheating .

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two friends just had this done at 50. I’m grossed out by it honestly. I’ve lived for the male gaze long enough- they aren’t worth it.

-love my vag

As someone with larger inner labia, it’s not always about the male gaze. When the inner labia protrude beyond the outer labia, it can be extremely uncomfortable. I have frequently had issues with biking and horseback riding because of the pressure on the vulva (and those lips) can pinch those labia. It is very painful.

During PIV intercourse, I have to “open” them up to avoid them accidentally getting pushed inside of the vulva during thrusting, or pinched. Again, that’s all super painful. There can be a great deal of adjusting of the vulva that needs to be done when sitting to avoid discomfort, and I often use Vaseline on them to avoid chafing.

I considered doing the surgery solely for these issues, and also because I felt it was abnormal (a midwife when I was 24 had told me mine were “pretty bad” when I mentioned embarrassment about them, which gave me a complex). It took me a lot of self love and reading books with real photos of real vulvas to realize mine were completely in the realm of normal, even if I did not look like and adult film star.

I have those too super long and a bit frilly. When they get poked in during sex I laugh and pull them out. And hold them open if necessary. Yeah sometimes they get pulled and it’s uncomfortable. It’s fleeting. I also had a pretty significant tear in one during birth, abrasions too. They healed.

Honestly, I would be concerned with any change that could effect clitoral sensation or pudendal nerve.

Be aware that it could cause discomfort from the new scar. You look great.

Anonymous wrote:Vulvas can be very different in appearance. Pregnancy can cause stretching and permanent vulvar changes. Get a sense of the diversity of vulvas here: https://www.labialibrary.org.au/labia_gallery/

It is a variety of ages and genders? Um...

Anonymous wrote:One year after giving birth, im really not happy with how things now look down there. Anyone feel the same?

Dr recommendations in the DMV?

Hi! First of all, please ignore the peanut gallery on this thread. Not sure who wouldn’t look — those women are the nuts, in my mind.

As someone else noted, pregnancy can cause vulvar changes, but vaginal delivery can *really* wreck havoc on your labia. (My left labia minora was partially torn off during delivery — folks, just another reason to strongly consider a planned c section.) Moreover, if you delivered vaginally, you almost certainly have some pelvic organ prolapse. While my labia don’t bother me too much, the muscle tearing/sagging around the vestibule that occurred after vaginal delivery really bothered me and pushed me to consider surgical repair.

I met with several urogyns around the DMV (including a cosmetic urogyn in Virginia) but ultimately wasn’t comfortable pursuing surgery locally. I will travel when I ultimately get a repair (perineoplasty, possibly a little labia clean up to even the sides out, and rectocele repair, possibly with a levatorplasty). Dr. Miklos at Miklos and Moore in Atlanta comes highly recommended— I am waiting to see outcomes of several friends who have surgeries planned with him in the next year. One thing to note — I would strongly suggest making sure your family is complete before surgery, and of course having a planned c section if you were to get pregnant after surgery.

Jesus H Christ. How did this ever become a thing. What has happened to us.

Yeah,, no guy is thinking you need to have a toned up hooch.

If the vulva is still working properly, still vulvaing - then be glad and don't mess with it.

I wouldn't know a good looking vulva if I saw one.

Post a picture.

I have about a million other things to worry about.

Anonymous wrote:No and I have had five children. If you have children young and don't gain too much weight/have XL babies, you will be fine like me. I was back in my pre-pregnancy jeans the next day.

What does getting into jeans have to do with one's labia? I assume you didn't gain double digit weight in your vulva.

No and I have had five children. If you have children young and don't gain too much weight/have XL babies, you will be fine like me. I was back in my pre-pregnancy jeans the next day.

I dont feel the same but I don't think there's something wrong with you for considering this!