Navigating Post-Birth Vaginal Recovery

Trying to have a normal poo, not drip everywhere, and stand up properly can be challenging, or impossible, after giving birth vaginally to a baby. This includes stillbirths and miscarriages – you still have to get the baby out if it’s big enough.

Here is what you can expect from your post-labour vag:

Feeling like you got punched in the vagina and butthole with a swinging brick
Blood and unidentified ‘stuff’ coming out at an alarming rate
Excruciating pain when you try to pee or poo
Escaping farts you cannot control
‘Swollen labia’ (understatement of the century) that feels worse than, and looks like, a black eye
Pain on urination, which is no surprise

If you were unlucky enough to have been split, you have lots of other problems to deal with which we examine in more detail elsewhere.