After giving birth to a child, a woman enters the postpartum phase. The postpartum period poses many difficult problems to most women and they find it quite difficult to deal with them. Some of the common problems experienced by many women post birth may include weight gain, pregnancy stretch marks, low libido, vaginal dryness, etc. Vaginal dryness is usually experienced by most women during their pregnancy but many women also experience it after childbirth. Postpartum vaginal dryness can give you a difficult time but you should have patience because it will gradually decrease and disappear on its own, after a few months.
Vaginal dryness occurs due to some specific reasons. Changes taking place in the levels of hormones during and after pregnancy is one of the chief causes of postpartum vaginal dryness. Hormonal balance is regained after some time and dryness in the vagina reduces and disappears. Breastfeeding is another reason for the occurrence of vaginal dryness. The longer you breastfeed your child, the longer will the vaginal dryness last. If you are suffering from postpartum vaginal dryness then you can deal with it by taking certain measures. These measures will naturally help to eliminate the vaginal dryness and thus give you relief from it.
How To Deal With Postpartum Vaginal Dryness:
1. Stay Hydrated
Pregnant women suffer a lot of fluid loss at the time of delivery, which results in dehydration. When your body is dehydrated, your brain signals it to send all the available fluids to the crucial organs, so that they maintain their proper functioning. As a result, vaginal dryness may get worse. So the best way to deal with postpartum vaginal dryness is to consume plenty of water and maintain the hydration level of your body.
Generally you should consume at least 8 to 10 glasses of water per day. But when you are suffering from vaginal dryness, this amount of water intake may not be sufficient. So you should increase your water intake to minimize the vaginal dryness.
2. Avoid Caffeine And Alcohol
Consumption of alcohol should be altogether avoided because it is likely to have a drying effect on your body including your vagina. Therefore, you should avoid alcohol intake until your body is able to produce sufficient lubricants and you get rid of the vaginal dryness. Caffeine and certain other beverages also tend to cause a drying effect. Hence, in case of minor vaginal dryness, their consumption should be restricted and in case of severe dryness, they should be completely avoided.
3. Avoid Douches And Perfumed Soaps
The use of douches, perfumed soaps and certain other products may interfere and meddle with the natural chemicals present in the vagina. Therefore, use of these products should be avoided in order to prevent the occurrence of vaginal dryness. You should always use a non-perfumed and non-medicated soap for the purpose of cleaning your vagina. Some experts believe that the use of douches is not healthy for vagina.
4. Indulge In Elongated Foreplay
Foreplay plays the role of naturally lubricating the vagina and preparing it for penetration. During the first few weeks post childbirth, your body may take a longer time to produce sufficient lubrication in the vagina. Hence, you should encourage and support your sexual partner to perform some extra foreplay. This will help you in dealing with the postpartum vaginal dryness.
5. Use Lubricants
You should not have intercourse without properly lubricating your vagina. Penetration in the absence of lubricants, can lead to pain, discomfort and an internal injury too. Hence, if your body is unable to produce adequate natural lubrication, then you should apply a good-quality personal lubricant. You should choose lubricants that are water-based because they are much safer for your body. Read the instructions given on the label carefully and then use it accordingly. Do not forget to properly wash the remaining lubricant post intercourse. You can buy over-the counter lubricants from any drugstore.
6. Avoid Petroleum Jelly Or Lotion For Lubrication
Many women tend to opt for oils, lotions, or petroleum jelly like Vaseline, to lubricate their vagina for getting relief from the postpartum vaginal dryness. But the use of these products should be avoided because they contain perfumes and chemicals that might cause serious infection in the vagina.
7. Eat A Balanced Diet
Postpartum vaginal dryness can be dealt with effectively by making certain dietary changes. Consuming a balanced and nutritious diet can be very helpful in increasing natural lubrication and reducing the vaginal dryness over a certain period of time. A diet high in fatty acid is recommended for dealing with postpartum vaginal dryness. Fatty acid aids in the production of additional lubrication in the vagina. Hence, you should include foods such as fish, particularly mackerel, salmon and tuna, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, raw pumpkin, etc.
8. Increase The Intake Of Vitamins
Certain vitamins play a key role in maintaining the elasticity of the vagina and in reducing the vaginal dryness postpartum. Therefore, women suffering from postpartum vaginal dryness should take care to meet the additional demand of vitamins. Vitamin A, Vitamin E and B-complex vitamins are the crucial vitamins that should be consumed to deal with vaginal dryness.
9. Eat Foods High In Isoflavones
It has been observed that foods that are rich in a nutrient called isoflavone, help to combat postpartum vaginal dryness problem. This is due to the fact that isoflavones aid in the regulation of hormone levels. Cherries, soy, apples, celery, nuts and legumes are rich in isoflavones and hence you should include these foods in your daily diet to get relief from the vaginal dryness. You should also add flaxseed to your diet because it is high in isoflavones as well as phytoestrogens, which help in balancing the hormones. Thus, flaxseed helps in dealing with the vaginal dryness problem.
10. Consult A Doctor
If you do not get relief from vaginal dryness even after following the measures mentioned above, then you should definitely consult a doctor. He/she may prescribe a topical or an oral medication to counter the problem of vaginal dryness. In severe cases of postpartum vaginal dryness, the doctors often recommend their patients for Hormonal Replacement Therapy.
While dealing with the postpartum vaginal dryness, you should keep in your mind that it is not a permanent problem. You will be able to overcome it with the passage of time and with your doctor’s help. So do not get stressed out because stress may hamper the process of recovery.
