Dealing with post-partum vaginal dryness...

[Yo Becca]

Oh, what a fun topic!
After my DD's birth, i had some vaginal dryness while lactating, and just using a lubricant for intercourse was all I needed. Now my DS is 7 months old, and the problem seems worse. Since august (when he was 5 months old), it seems to have escalated. now i'm irritated very easily, not in my vagina but my labia - like wiping hurts, washing just with water is irritating, and sex is painful (externally, not internally). once it is irritated, it stings when it's touched by pee, tp, etc.

1) anybody else BTDT? i'm feeling like a freak...
2) i read online some treatments, including estrogen, estrogen creams, vaginal moisturizers, wild yam cream. i want to use the LEAST chemical/invasive treatment i can - what has worked for you?
3) is this going to continue until he weans? can my diet change anything?

This isn't a problem of needing a lubricant for intercourse - we do, and it's not bothering me internally. but my external vulva tissue is thin, easily irritated and hurt, etc.

i'm using an herbal salve that helps, but isn't directed to addressing vaginal dryness per se.

TIA!

[banana girl]

I wanted to let you know that while I am not experiencing the severity that you are, I have had some similar issues. I thought that I was simply not getting very aroused during intercourse and that accounted for the need for lubricants and what not.... but it could be more than that. Personally, I'm a big fan of lanolin... same stuff I use for my nips, very soothing. Good luck!

[AugustineM]

Ouch, that sounds very irritating. Have you asked a midwife or nurse practitioner or OB about it? I bet they might have you do the estrogen cream, which I don't know if you want to do something that invasive, but if it is a serious bother, I might try it.

I hope you get it resolved quickly!!

[limabean]

Do you think you could have a yeast infection, or is it definitely a dryness issue?

[potatofairy]

i dont know anything about making the dryness go away, but whenever my labia get really hurty, i use aloe vera and it helps a lot.

i use the actual plant, because even the health food store kind you can buy has vitamin c in it and it can sting.

hope you feel better soon

[Stacymom]

I have had this issue for years, and it was really interfering with my life. Intercourse wasn't pianful during, but after, it would be irritated for days! It sounds a lot like what you are talking.

My midwife suggested replens vaginal solution, followed by rephresh to help balance out the ph of my vagina. She also suggested probiotics to help clear out any yeast that might be present.

I also went to see an ob/gyn that specializes in vaginitis. (Fun stuff, that is!) He took a sample of my vaginal cells, and found out that for some reason, the cells of my vaginal wall were shedding at a fast rate, and that mdae the layers of skin thinner and more likely to be irritated. I also had a symptomless yeast infection. So, I walked away with three different kinds of prescription creams, and two different yeast infection treatments. PM me if you want the names/details of the meds.

I totally get the wanting to treat as naturally as possible thing. I saw my family Dr, an ob/gyn, a naturopath, and none of them could help. It was really impacting me, it had been going on for years, and I was at the end of my rope.

The good news? For the past few weeks, I have been able to have pain free sex.

[PPK]

I have a similar problem, only its gone from burning to itching and it only in my labia, not vaginal and I have no discarge, etc. The description of atrophic vaginitis seems to describe what it is. You might want to websearch it.

I'm curious if there's any way to increase the levels of estrogen in my body (to increase secretions) without messing with, or stopping my milk production.

[wombatclay]

My family practice doctor finally suggested something called Replense. I bought it at the grocery store (family planning section). It's not a lube... instead it's a sort of moisturizer for the vaginal tissue. Apparently some mamas react to hormonal changes a lot more strongly than others, and the thin/dry vaginal tissue problem isn't as uncommon as I thought the first time it happened to me and everyone IRL kept saying "oh, just use lube"! Lube wasn't the problem (as you know).

Anyway, I used Replense every few days for about a month? Maybe a bit less than that. It really helped.

[almadianna]

mine wasnt that bad but it was pretty bad... i used this lotion type thing from sympatical formulas called post partum lotion or something like that. it supposedly helps the body restore itself... it really helped me out.

[Yo Becca]

THanks for the advice and suggestions. I'm pretty sure it isn't a yeast infection - I'm familiar with those symptoms and these aren't the same, plus I've cut sugar and flour out of my diet so I'm thinking that greatly reduces likelihood of yeast. But I'll add more probiotics to my diet - that's never a bad idea.

Stacymom - I'm going to make an appt. with a CNM for a well-woman check-up soon. Thanks for the details of your situation - mine sounds similar!

I'll try the replens in the mean time - will pick some up at the grocery today. I've been using an herbal salve from Red Moon Herbs that has been pretty effective - but has to be applied 1-2x/day.