vaginal pain during sex after birth

WOW..... that sounds like my doctor!! I will start by saying that you should switch doctors immediatly. NO one (especially a doctor) should tell you that "the only way that would happen would be if something happened to you as a child" I am 27 years old right now, but since I was 17 years old I have numerous surgeries to remove ruptures cysts on my ovaries, along with abnormal pap smears... the whole nine yards. About a month after my 4th or 5th surgery i went back to my Dr. and told him I was still having pain during sex and basically.... all the time. He fed me the same BS. Unfortunatly, when I was 17 years old I was sexually assaulted......however, this has NOTHING to do with the fact that I have had numerous cycts that have been causing abdominal pain. I probably said nothing that can help you.... but I wanted to share with you that he is dead wrong.... change your doctor and get someone who respects your views!

that sounds just like me. the only difference is mine hurts all the time during sex I was wondering if you ever found a solution for this problem.

Hi there,

I know this post is very old but I was hoping you finally determined what the problem was and how it was resolved. I have a 7 month old baby girl and still cannot have intercourse with my husband. I've been to the doctors twice now and she intructed me to massage my vaginal opening with vagisil for 7-10 days to loosen the muscles. She said that after trauma (such as child birth) the vaginal muscles lock up and over time (say 6-8 weeks) the muscles are supposed to relax on their own but sometimes (in my case) they don't so the massaging is meant to help relax them. I've tried this twice now and still have had no success. I am so very frustrated and just want to have some intimacy with my partner and can't....ugh.

Does anyone have any success stories they can share?

Thanks,
Mrs. Frustrated

Hi I have a 5 month old and I am also experiencing pain during sex. My doctor prescribed me a vaginal insert pill that relaxes the muscles. I have not tried it, but perhaps it will help.

hello new mommies!

i had my second baby 7 months ago and am experiencing the same problem. With my 1st child i was able to have sex without pain/discomfort by the 6th week! and now it's nearly impossible to even think of. My doctor prescribed a vaginal cream called premarin. its estrogen to help relieve dryness ( she believes the pain is from vaginal dryness associated with my breastfeeding). Anyway, it seems to be somewhat helpful but is only a temporary fix. Not sure what will happen when i stop breastfeeding and stop using the cream. Good luck

Hi there,

I have a 7 month old baby girl and am having the same problem. I had a 2nd degree tear after delivery. I have been seeing a physiotherapist who specializes in Women's health (Pelvic Floor Therapy) and this has helped.

Hi, Just wanted to post something as well.I have an almost 3yr old boy and am STILL having pain during sex.I've talked to my doctor numerous times about it.She checked my hormone levels and all kinds of other stuff but can't find anything wrong.I breast fed for 2 yrs and quit almost a yr ago and still have ongoing pains.It absolutely frustrates me,it's killing my love life with my hubby.If ANYONE can solve this problem I will be forever in ur debt haha

I was wondering if there are any answers to this question yet, as I am 6 years post partum, and now accidentally pregnant with my 2nd child, and still find sex excruciating. So bad it reminds me of the traumatic pain I experienced when delivering my son. My Dr told me he couldnt see anything physical that would be causing the pain and recommended numbing cream. I said no thanks as there is no point in me letting my husband use my body while I feel nothing. He then suggested that I could look at surgery to open the scars and remove the scar tissue and sew them back up in the hope they heal better but that it was a large chance that they would just be worse.

I saw a 'fanny physio' and she could feel all my scars and tried to help, but her physio didn't work. My husband and I try lube everytime (which is about 20 times in the last 6 years), we have tried different positions which has helped us find a position that isn't as excruciating.

I no longer can stand my husband touching me as it immediately brings on the fear of the pain, so this has gone from physical to psychological as well and is ruining our lives. The counselling hasn't helped as I still feel the horrible pain as soon as he starts to enter me and during the whole ordeal.

If you have found any answers, please, please pass them on.

I have had the same problem. Doctor here told me it was normal. I went to my country (in Europe) and my doctor there told me I have a yeast infection. (sometimes yeast infections could be without discharge.) I have treated it and pain during sex is gone. I am posting this because I remember I could not find any advice on line back then when I suspected it was not normal. Sometimes we do have to be our own doctors.

I'm having the same problem and most doc's have no idea. I was checked for infections, but all negative. One of them though had the idea that maybe after pregnancy the vagina may have a different ph which can cause constant inflammation. If absolutely sure that there's no infection, may use balanced pH irrigation daily to restore the vaginal pH plus mild steroid cream mixed with antifungal cream. I know in Europe there is a product called Lactacyd Femina - lactic acid is ideal for restoring the ph so try to find a product that contains it.

I had my son 3.5 years ago and have experienced the same pain. Almost feels like a scrape right inside and around the opening. Very uncomfortable and sensitive down there. I'm currently pregnant with #2 and although I'm crazy excited for my new baby, I'm terrified that it will be worse after birth. We had a very active sex life prior to our first child and I literally have lost all interest in sex due to the pain and discomfort I'm experiencing. It's very difficult to explain and even more to live with.

I have a very difficult time during my paps and have discussed these issues multiple times with my OB. She referred me to a Gyno-Urologist who put me through various tests. An MRI, a cat scan,  they attempted to pull a urine sample with a catheter and once they tried to put it in I screamed so loud at the pain it put me into tears and they could hear me clear out in the waiting room. I also bled a lot however they could find nothing. Not a thing. No visible scarring...no scratches, no hemorrhoids, no infection, nothing...nothing...   I did however spend a couple of days bleeding and they had to put me on some meds. She also prescribed a cream which I had to go to a special pharmacy and have mixed. It did not help at all.

From there they did some test where they put me under at the hospital. Took a whole day off work and I was out of it all day after that. Don't remember a thing, but they filled my bladder with fluid ect... again... nothing. Not a thing. Urologist told me from there it was just something I'd probably have to live with. She had no other theories or suggestions.

The only other thing I can think is that it may have had something to do with the fact that the doctor stripped my membranes to induce my labor. From that time on, I have had discomfort down there, and there is no way she will be doing that ever again. I'm just really nervous about this next birth causing even more sensitivity and complications down there. It's hard enough as it is. I'm lucky I have a guy who is understanding about it but it's definitely been difficult to want anything to do with having intimacy. There is also (I can agree) a very mental hurdle within this issue as well.

As many people who complain about these complications it amazes me that there are no doctors out there who really want anything to do with looking into this further. It's a pretty major issue. Very difficult to just have to live with.

I also have excessive pain during sex. I've never had a child. My gyno prescriped Vagifem. She also was not very concerned with my problem. I’ve taken it for about a month and haven’t seen any results. I guess it is typically given to older women who experience vaginal dryness. I am 28. Dr. Oz had an episode about sex over 40. He stated that it is somewhat common for older women to have pain due to dryness and thinning of the vaginal wall. You think there would be something effective for those of us with this problem.

They put me on the same type of creams and drugs for thinning of the vaginal wall... it did absolutely nothing to help. They put me on a cream once that had some type of hormone in it which ended up sending me home from work because it made me cramp so bad I could not even function. I was doubled over in pain and had to soak in the tub for about 45 minutes to get the cramping to stop.

I think thinning of the vaginal wall is their response because they have no real clue what else to respond with or what it is. It is difficult to treat something if they have no concept of what the person is suffering from outside of what we explain. There are all these people in the world suffering from this but no one has studied it...therefore it does not exist.

I JUST HAD MY FIRST CHILD AND IM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. MY DOCTOR TOLD ME THE SAME THING... AND ME AND MY HUSBAND CANT ENJOY SEX... ITS SO HARD TO LIVE WITH THIS. IT FEELS LIKE DRYNESS AND PAIN... THEY SAY SOMETHING ABOUT WALLS ARE THINNING I DONT KNW.. BUT I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE HAVING THE PROBLEM..