After childbirth, your vagina experiences temporary changes like swelling, soreness, stretching, and discharge (lochia) as it heals from stretching and potential tears, gradually returning to normal over weeks to months with self-care like ice packs, sitz baths, and pelvic floor exercises (Kegels), though it might feel looser or drier initially, with full recovery taking time and patience.
While the vagina usually regains most of its pre-pregnancy shape and muscle strength in due time, there can be a small loss of vaginal muscle tone after childbirth. According to research from Johns Hopkins Medicine, pelvic floor muscle strength remains slightly affected even a decade after vaginal childbirth.
Does your vagina go back to normal after birth? In short, yes. Vaginal delivery takes a big toll on your body, especially your vaginal opening. While your vagina will look and feel different in the first few weeks after delivery, it should return to its normal size and shape within a couple of weeks or so.
As we've discussed, it's totally normal for your vagina to become looser after giving birth. If you're uncomfortable with this and want to help tighten it again, there are several ways to help strengthen your vaginal floor muscles.
If you are breastfeeding, avoid estrogen because it may reduce milk production. You will notice a variety of physical changes during and after pregnancy. Odds are that what you are experiencing is normal. While everyone is different, you can expect to feel “normal” again in about six months.
All of the tissues in your pelvic floor, including the muscles in your vagina, are stretched during childbirth. But just as you can stretch your leg muscles without making your legs permanently wobbly, your vagina and pelvic floor should be stronger and even tighter, not looser, once you've healed.
Even if you don't feel up for it, a good workout may help relieve your back pain. Gentle exercises can strengthen your core and aid in postpartum recovery. Take slow, short walks and do some mild stretches. Yoga poses like pelvic tilts are very useful for restoring weakened or damaged muscles.
If you can still feel a firm grip and noticeable friction during sex, your vaginal muscles are likely strong and tight. Women with strong pelvic floor muscles can control urination effectively, preventing leakage when sneezing, coughing, or laughing.
This hormonal shift can lead to a widening of the hips, which may persist after giving birth. While some women may notice a permanent change in hip width, for others, the hips may gradually return to their pre-pregnancy size as the ligaments tighten over time.
Your cervix will open slightly before ovulation and again during menstruation. Don't worry if it always feels open. If you've given birth or lost a pregnancy, your cervix may never fully close.
So, does “mom pooch” go away? Yes — at least, most of the time. Although postpartum belly is stubborn, the good news is that eventually, much of it will disappear on its own. Just as you experience hormonal changes during pregnancy, your hormones shift after you've given birth.
Things to Avoid After Giving Birth
The 5-5-5 rule is a postpartum guideline for the first 15 days of recovery, emphasizing rest to help the new parent heal and bond with the baby, by spending 5 days in bed, followed by 5 days on the bed, and then 5 days near the bed, gradually increasing activity while prioritizing rest, nourishment, and self-care over chores or visitors. It's a framework for creating boundaries and slowing down to prevent overexertion, though individual recovery needs should guide the pace.
Many women deal with postpartum dryness down there, which can make sex after childbirth undesirable or uncomfortable. One 2018 study of 832 first-time mothers showed that 43% of women experienced a lack of vaginal lubrication at six months postpartum and nearly 38% reported painful sex after childbirth as a result.
In the first few days after birth, bleeding can be especially heavy, and having a super absorbent option is essential, particularly overnight, when leaks are more likely and rest is hard to come by. Comfort also plays a big role, especially for those with sensitive skin.
You're not alone. Physical changes caused by childbirth can range from mild to significant. Some women notice that their labia becomes elongated, asymmetrical or "loose." It's possible that, due to a significant tear during childbirth, part of the labia may even dangle – causing the sensation of pulling.
The ~7-9 lb baby that was putting all that pressure through the pelvic floor is gone, so there's no need for the muscles to be lengthened anymore. Your body knows that and the muscles can return to their previous length, or become even shorter/tighter than before in response to delivery.
A woman who has given birth has changes to her body. Apart from the obvious changes such as possible stretch marks on her stomach, bottom, and breasts, or varicose veins in her legs, there are internal changes to her pelvis and womb.
Your breasts may or may not return to their pre-breastfeeding size or shape. Some women's breasts stay large, and others shrink. But sagging or staying full can be as much a result of genetics, weight gain during pregnancy, and age as a result of breastfeeding.
The body is more prone to sagging in the vaginal area with age. The stress of being overactive can also weaken the pelvic muscles, thus allowing the vagina to sag. Weak pelvic floor muscles can run through the family, causing prolapse, so you need a vaginal tightening.
Any partner that respects your body is not going to care whether your vagina is a little tighter or looser than normal. In fact, a very tight vagina often isn't a good thing, as it can mean you are not properly relaxed and ready for sex, or can indicate an underlying condition like vaginismus (Lamont, 1978).
The cause is often low hormone levels related to menopause.
After and around the time of menopause, your body makes less estrogen. Estrogen is a hormone that helps maintain the vagina's lubrication, elasticity, and thickness. Low levels of estrogen can cause thinning, drying, and inflammation of vaginal walls.
Kegels Exercise
This is one of the most common non-surgical options that have been advocated for tightening the vagina after childbirth. Kegel exercises involve the rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles. This non-invasive, cost-effective method has no known side effects.
Wider Hips are a Thing After Having a Baby
This allows more room for the baby to fit during the delivery. However, your body may not go back to its pre-pregnancy shape with respect to your hips, so they may stay slightly wider after giving birth.
Weight loss right after you give birth – Once your baby has been delivered (along with the placenta and amniotic fluid), most women lose an average of 10-13 pounds. First week after delivery – You'll probably continue losing weight as your body gets rid of retained fluids.