Did Childbirth Stretch You Out? Improve Your Vaginal Laxity With These 4 Tips.

Pregnancy and childbirth are the most overwhelming experiences for women. Women have to endure physical and emotional changes for nine months while carrying the pregnancy, then go through enormous pain during childbirth. For most women, it does not stop there; even after the delivery of their bundle of joy, women still have to battle with some changes in their bodies, such as vaginal laxity. 

It goes without saying that vaginal laxity is one of the most common changes women experience after childbirth. Though made of a strong muscle, the vagina walls contain elastic tissue that makes nit stretch out wide enough to allow the descent of the baby during delivery. The problem with this process is that the vagina may not regain its original tone after childbirth, and this causes a lot of problems for women; from impairing sexual satisfaction and desire to affecting their self-esteem. 

The good news, however, is that vaginal laxity can be reversed. You can regain a healthier vaginal tone and strength with these four tips:

Pelvic Floor Exercises

These are also called Kegel exercises and are an essential treatment for women who sustain pelvic floor damage following childbirth. The pelvic floor muscles form a strong support for all pelvic organs, providing stability and strength for these organs. During pregnancy childbirth, these muscles are overstretched and strained, and they become lax. This laxity could cause the pelvic organs, including the uterus and vagina, to become weaker.

Although vaginal laxity is primarily about the looseness of the vaginal wall muscles, strengthening the pelvic floor muscles could also improve the tone and strength of the vagina. Improving the pelvic floor tone can, in turn, improve the feelings of tightness of the vagina and improve sexual satisfaction for both partners. 

A simple way to perform kegel exercises is to tighten your anal muscles as if to keep yourself from passing gas or pretending to want to urinate then hold it tight for up to 5 seconds. Ensure your bladder is empty before you do this. Repeat this as many times as possible daily to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

Vaginoplasty

If you are wondering how to tighten your vaginal walls following childbirth, particularly one in which you sustained vaginal tears and injuries, you may need vaginoplasty.

Vaginoplasty is a form of cosmetic surgery to repair distortions to the shape, tone, appearance, and symmetry of the vagina and vulva following childbirth. During labor and delivery, some women sustain vaginal tears and bruises, some may have been given a cut (called an episiotomy) to expand the passageway for the baby. These alterations distort the shape and tone of the vagina, causing vaginal laxity. 

Vaginoplasty helps to trim loose areas of the vagina, remove excess vaginal tissue and dead skin, and tighten the vaginal muscle walls. Vaginoplasty is also done alongside trimming the vulval lips and repairing injuries in the perineum that contribute to vaginal looseness. 

Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation

This is a non-surgical form of vaginoplasty, which may be helpful if you do not want surgical therapy. Laser, like vaginoplasty, is recommended when kegel exercises do not produce the desired vaginal tightening you want. 

The laser works by using heat to burn off weak and loose vaginal wall tissues, stimulating the natural rejuvenation process by boosting the production of fibrin and collagen in the vagina, which, in turn, tightens and strengthens the vaginal muscles. This treatment also improves other complications of childbirth, such as urinary incontinence as it also improves the tone of the pelvic floor muscles. 

This laser device reaches the deep tissues of the vagina, narrowing the vaginal canal by thickening the walls of the vagina. It also triggers the growth of new, healthy tissue in the vaginal lining for healthy rejuvenation of the vagina. 

Radiofrequency Ablation

This technique is also recommended if kegel exercises do not yield the desired results. Radiofrequency (RF) ablation works similarly to laser treatment, except that uses electrically-based heat energy to stimulate rejuvenation of the vaginal tissues while laser uses light. 

RF delivers high thermal energy to the vaginal wall to burn off the excess and loose vaginal lining and also stimulate the formation of collagen and fibrin, which strengthens the vaginal walls. RF also boosts blood flow to the vaginal area, increasing the supply of healing substances in the blood. RF also improves vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse as it boosts blood flow and moisture to the area. 

Improvement in vaginal laxity after RF treatment may be seen as soon as after three sessions; however, you may need to continue receiving treatment every four to 12 months for lasting rejuvenation. 

Dealing with Vaginal Laxity after Childbirth

Vaginal laxity is one of the most common complaints women make after childbirth. This comes as no surprise as labor and delivery stretch your vaginal tissue and pelvic floor to their limits. However, there is a way out of it. Employing simple measures such as kegel exercises or more complex procedures such as vaginoplasty may restore the tone and strength of your vagina after childbirth.

Author’s bio:

Dr. Okhifun is a passionate medical doctor, with nearly a decade of experience as a general practitioner. His passion for medical education led to his journey in medical writing. He has a wealth of experience creating health content for hospitals and medical centers, health organizations, telemedicine platforms, wellness organizations, medical tourism publications, drug addiction websites, and websites focused on nutrition and nutraceuticals. Currently, he is a part of the team at Labiaplasty NYC Gynecology Clinic.