Collaborative Post¦ Pregnancy changes your body in many ways, and many of these changes are still seen after childbirth. Giving birth also brings its own unique changes that can persist for several weeks or longer, and you may find that your body doesn’t fully return to how it was before. It’s important to be aware of what can happen to your body after pregnancy and childbirth, so if you’re planning to start a family, then here are some of the main ways your body can change after having a baby.
Vaginal changes:
It’s common knowledge that childbirth can strain and stretch the vaginal muscles, but you may not know more of the details about the changes that can occur. These muscles can continue to feel stretched and perhaps weakened after childbirth, and since the pelvic floor muscles support the bladder in addition to the uterus, it’s common for women to experience incontinence as the muscles around their bladder are weakened. If you struggle with incontinence after childbirth, this can get better over time or can be improved through pelvic floor exercises. Many women also experience tearing during childbirth, which can take some time to heal afterwards.
In addition to vaginal changes, there can also be changes to the vulva. For example, the labia minora can be stretched during childbirth and become larger. This can cause concerns about the appearance of the vulva or discomfort during sex or exercise. Labiaplasty is a procedure to reshape or reduce the size of the labia for aesthetic reasons or due to discomfort. Usually, the price of labiaplasty can be around £4000, so make sure to do a lot of research if you’re interested in this procedure.
Breast changes:
Your breasts can also change a lot both during pregnancy and afterwards when breastfeeding. It’s normal for your breasts to increase in size during pregnancy and when they start to produce milk. After this period, once you no longer produce milk, your breasts can sag a bit as the ligaments have stretched. They may not return to exactly how they were before.
Skin changes:
During pregnancy, oestrogen levels are very high, but these oestrogen levels rapidly drop after childbirth. This sudden hormonal shift can have many effects including skin changes, so you may potentially experience some acne breakouts. Another important skin change is the appearance of stretch marks, particularly on the abdomen. This is because the skin on your stomach has stretched a lot during pregnancy. Stretch marks don’t disappear but they fade a lot over time.
Hair changes:
The hormonal fluctuations after childbirth can also have an effect on your hair. During pregnancy, women’s hair often appears thicker and shinier due to the increase in oestrogen, but when oestrogen levels drop after childbirth, this can lead to some hair loss. This will get better over a few months as your hormones stabilise.
It’s important to be aware of the changes that come with pregnancy and childbirth so you can be prepared. By having the right knowledge, you’ll be ready to handle everything to come.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.