OK, so today’s topic may be a little more “cringe-worthy” than usual. But, it’s an interesting topic and I’m dying to get your opinion!
One of my friends is writing an article on “Designer Vagina’s”. More and more women are apparently getting reconstructive surgery on their vagina’s. It’s the new trend.
According to this article in the Globe and Mail, more and more women are undergoing this surgery to a) enhance their sex life and b) to get back to the way they were before they had children and c) because they do have actual physical problems that are causing them pain. One woman couldn’t wear tight jeans or ride a bike due to her protruding labia.
She’s interviewed a few plastic surgeons that perform this surgery and one told her - off the record - that sometimes when he performs the surgery on a woman he can fit his entire hand in the woman’s vagina; it had become like that from childbirth.
According to the same surgeon if he could tell every woman in the world to get a C-section rather than have a natural birth he would, because natural birth ruins your birth canal and vagina.
Eeek!
This information made me cringe and also made me think about the whole ‘too posh to push’ idea.
Maybe those women are onto something?
Do I have an opinion on this? I’m not sure. I’ve never been against plastic surgery, actually. Would I get it for myself? No. But do I disagree with other people getting it? No.
It’s their body and therefore their choice. It just seems like an awfully strange thing to get surgery on; it also makes me think twice about the “natural birth” I was planning on having one day down the road (in like 8-10 years, just so we’re clear!)
So, what do you think about ‘Designer Vaginas’ and plastic surgery in general? Would you ever get it done? Men, would you want your wife/girlfriend to do it? And, women, are you ‘too posh to push’ or are you planning on having a natural birth?
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
This kind of makes me want to close my legs forever!
truthfully if i were to ever have kids - not that i plan on having kids. it scares the beejeeezus out of me! i would have a c-section. cuz pushing scares the crap out of me as well! just the thought of being pregnant. aiiiii YII!
What a strange topic, lol … I’ve actually never heard of that! I’m like you - I wouldn’t get plastic surgery myself but I’m not against it if other people want to get it done. Honestly, I’d rather have a C-section than a natural birth, though everyone’s telling me to “go natural” and “do it without drugs!” My main reason is that I think I’ll be able to get back to horseback riding sooner with a C-section than a natural birth! My sister did it natural and she got 3rd degree tears - she could barely sit down for at least 3 months. Ugh. Though I’m not sure I’ll really have a choice when the time comes …
If I had to choose between one or the other, I would go with a vaginal birth. While C-sections are probably less painful, they’re still painful. My mom had a c-section with her last child (my brother), and she was in pain AFTER the meds wore off. Not only that, but now she has scarring on her stomach, and it makes it harder to lose the excess fat on the stomach.
I think having a child is a painful experience either way, although beautiful. It definitely is a personal decision, though.
As for the surgery? I don’t think I’d ever do it unless there was a major problem that needed to be fixed. Sadly, there are probably a lot of women that would just do it for vanity, rather than health issues. It’s just one more thing to add to the list of “this is how you’re SUPPOSED to look,” and that’s really sad.
I just don’t get it. I’ll keep my va-jay-jay au naturale and hope for the best!
I don’t understand it. I’ll keep doing things the old fashioned way and leave the surgery to others.
Except in very special cases, the need for this kind of surgery is overblown. Childbirth is natural and the vast majority of women, given time and Kegel excercises, return back to their normal “size”. This surgeon should check his facts - he is fear mongering!
I’ve had four children — all completely naturally — and this wasn’t an issue for me. Of course, maybe I just don’t have particularly high standards!
Planning to live a childfree life means I won’t ever have to make a decision regarding reconstructing my hoo-ha after giving birth. Woohoo!
Really though, if you’ve got the money and the inclination to tighten up your lady bits…good on ya. I’d do whatever kept my sex life rockin’, because that is a personal priority.
Interesting topic!
Hmmm….I will be the first to say that I am TERRIFIED to have kids. Not because of the damage down below (well, a little…when I hear “rip” “tear” or “cut” when my friends talk about giving birth, I definitely feel faint!!!)
But, I certainly don’t think that I would consider plastic surgery on my lady bits!!!! Tummy tuck, yes!! Breast lift, perhaps…but anything else, NOT SO MUCH!!!
Huh. Congratulations Amber, you have just made me speechless. haha This blog was shocking on so many levels for me!
As you know, I had a baby, and I did a natural delivery. I can’t imagine getting surgery to fix my va-jay-jay. I do kegals & have a fairly honest husband.
I really can’t believe people do this for any other reason than a medical problem.
I’m by no means against plastic surgery, in fact, I’d love to get a boob lift when I’m done having kids, but each to their own I guess!
Now I’m gonna go about my day, and think about your blog all day long. Yikes.
Miss you babe! xoxo
I’m not against plastic surgery either but don’t think that I would ever get it for myself. I’m just hoping that that doctor was at least a little wrong about childbirth stretching it out so much :S
Well what a change in topic! =) I’ve heard of people doing this and I can see why it would be necessary. If it’s causing you physical pain or emotional pain (ex: the women who don’t like sex anymore because it’s not as enjoyable, thus hurting their marriage!?), then go for it. Your body, your life so far as I am concerned.
If I have kids, I’d probably be a pansy and do a c-section. Not sure why, it’s just a feeling I have and I usually have these feelings for a reason so I’m going to go with it.
Side Note: My mom wound up having both my bro & me as C-sections. I was an emergency C-Section as I was trying to kill myself in the womb and then they wanted her to have one with my bro as a precaution.
I honestly don’t know what I would do… The decision depends on many, many factors! I think we all would like to think we know what we would do in the situation but we really don’t know until we are actually having to deal with it.
Having had a c-section, I can tell you that they are not pain free. In fact, if given the choice (which I won’t be, sadly) I would rather try for a vaginal birth; the recovery time is much faster and there are so many fewer risks. As you probably know, I am pregnant now with number 2 and I am honestly dreading having another c-section. I won’t get to pick up my first son for weeks (possibly up to 8!), I will have to have another spinal block (which hurt like the dickens going in and felt bizarre and uncomfortable during the surgery), I will probably miss most of my child’s first day (between the groggy-ness from the anti-nausea meds and the vomiting in spite of them), and I will have to possibly contend with another infection in my incision.
I’m not to posh to push, but I’m not being given the option. That said, I know (from my sister-in-law at the very least) that a lot of things can go awry. Still, though, I would rather do as nature intended and have the experience of a lifetime. Just my opinion though. :o)
Awesome post! Kudos for having the guts to write about such a taboo topic!
Yep, I’ve heard about that. Isn’t it crazy? I would never have anything like that done…. as for childbirth, I just want to do it the least painful way, if there’s such a thing
Having had two emergency C-sections, I must say, Natural Delivery is the way to go. As for those of you that want to get back in the saddle, after a C-section you can’t even vacuum your floors for a minimum of 6 weeks. You are not allowed to hold anything heavier than your child, and some women can’t even hold that much.
This is the first I’ve heard about Designer Vagina’s. I honestly didn’t think men were that selective about the vagina’s they get into. No pun intended. I guess my first thoughts are what is pushing this? Is it really designer vagina’s or is it a physical issue that women are having fixed, is it being prompted by the women themselves or the men they are with.
At this point I think a woman needs to re-evaluate the feelings she has for a man that wants her to change her vagina. However if it is an issue with pain or suffering then that changes the scenario.
Surgery is dangerous, any type of surgery. Every time you go under anesthetic you are risking your life.
To each their own but I can’t imagine ever doing this. It seems like the real reasons to do it would be so rare. My mom has had 5 kids, and I don’t know the specifics about their love life (thank God - tmi) - but I do know that they still have an active sex life. So I don’t think us 5 kids, all born naturally, ruined my mom’s sex life.
And I am not a ‘too posh to push’. People underestimate the recovery from a c-section. Yes, recovering from a natural birth can also be tough, but usually you recover much quicker than you would from a C-section.
And bottomline, as a parent there are going to be many times where you are goign to have to sacrafice or feel extra pain for your child, so for me it just starts from the moment they come into the world.
Yikes! I’m not against plastic surgery but I don’t have plans of getting anything done with my body. Having one’s V reconstructed is weird though but I’d understand if it were for health reasons.
Natural birth scares me but so does C section. But I have yet to convince myself I’m going to have my own kids someday. Choosing a child birth method will be a decision I’d rather not think of for a long time.
well, this would definitely fall into the category of things I did not know. or, “things that make you go-hmm.”
I think I’ll leave my V alone.. no complaints. as for other people doing whatever.. ok i guess.
To each their own i say! Do what you want and who cares what other people think. I wouldn’t think twice after having kids to get stuff fixed if i didn’t like how the end result is lol But i really don’t think it’ll be so much different that you would require surgery. I already plan on getting a boob lift after kids. Not a big deal as far as i’m concerned. As for C or natural…..ummmmm i’m scared as hell to even think about having kids the natural way….i cringe when i hear stories…but at the same time i think i would rather hav kids naturally.
To each their own, but I have a little beef with the idea that childbirth “ruins” the vagina and birth canal. The vagina and birth canal are designed to birth children! As for surgery on the vagina, I think that plastic surgeons are downplaying the risks in order to protect their profits. Just think of how incredibly sensitive the nerve endings in that area of the body are- it would be SO easy for one little mistake during surgery to permanently decrease or eliminate the feeling in that area. Not worth the risk to me.
~Amanda
Almost forgot: if your friend hasn’t already, she should talk to a oby-gyn or a doula about this to get the other side of the story. Remember that when a plastic surgeon is telling women their vaginas will be ruined by childbirth, he’s hardly an unbiased source, given that he stands to make a profit from that. I’m sure your friend already thought of that though- I just thought it would be cool to hear from doctors who really have women’s interests at heart.
I wouldn’t do it. I am planning on having a natural birth when I decide to have kids. My sister-in-law had a C-section to deliver my nephew and it’s not something I would ever CHOOSE to do. It’s surgery! And it hurts way more than natural delivery. I would rather be in intense pain and have my baby than be in pain AFTER my baby is here.
As for my va-jay-jay being all screwed up, I think the baby would be worth it. And for woman who can’t have children…it’s a little insensitive. I think they would GLADLY give up a rocking va-jay-jay to have a baby.
Well after doing so much research into this topic, I feel like my original views on vaginal cosmetic surgery have drastically changed. When I first looked in to this topic I thought that any woman who was interested in slicing and dicing her privates to look prettier was just crazy! And I also thought that most women getting the procedure done were doing it for their man. But after speaking with several surgeons and sexual educators my views have changed. There are women out there with real medical problems who can really benefit from either vaginal rejuvenation or labiaplasty. Some women go through extreme trauma during childbirth and their vaginas are literally never the same…for those women, saving their sex life (both for themselves and their husbands) might be worth the several thousand dollars and the risk of something going wrong. For some people (I’d argue for MOST people), sex is a HUGE part of life- so wouldn’t a woman who used to have amazing sex want to have the opportunity to get that back if she could? Absolutely. As for labiaplasty, some women really do have such long labia that it causes them pain or at least extreme embarrassment. For these women, getting surgery may give them the self-confidence they never had, and it may give them a whole new outlook on their body and their sexuality. It may allow them to feel like a beautiful, sexual woman again- whereas before they may have felt so hideous that they would have never let someone they loved look at them or touch them. From my experience with talking to the surgeons who perform these procedures, the majority (over 95%) of women getting them done are the types of women listed above. They are NOT some plastic surgery junkie blonde-bimbo wanting to make herself tighter or younger down there because her boyfriend likes what he sees in Playboy. Most of those types of women who come in will be shut down for surgery- if nothing is seriously wrong with the labia or vaginal canal, most of these surgeons will NOT operate. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” So, yes, my opinion on vaginal cosmetic surgery has drastically changed. After all, this isn’t a procedure that many women are getting (one of the surgeons I talked to was operating on 25 women a year, and the other surgeon was operating on 170 a year, that’s not much). Women who would even CONSIDER letting someone go near their vagina with a scalpel or laser must have a real good reason to take that risk. And I think that those of us who have no issues with our vaginas should not be able to judge those that do and those that really need this surgery. Just because the surgery is available doesn’t mean women are going to flock to plastic surgery centers to get it done- but knowing the option is there will perhaps help some women who before had absolutely no way to fix their problems.
This confirms my decision that I do not want to have children. Ever.
Eeks! I’m just say NO to anything that’s not your own on your body. The real thing is you, the way you were meant to be…for the most part.
I’ve heard about the procedure before vaguely but this is the first time I’ve seen it blogged about and with actual legitimate reasons to have it done discussed. Still not something I would ever be comfortable with, though!