After you have a baby, it can be really hard to feel good about your body. Maybe you're one of the lucky women who loses weight from breastfeeding and is quickly back in your pre-pregnancy pants (and if so, I hate you), but most women deal with extra weight, stretchmarks, belly flab, and some have c-section scars.
I don't think many new moms are singing, "I Feel Pretty" when they look in the mirror.
But all of that normal stuff aside, how about being told you should consider cosmetic surgery for your vagina -- by your OB?!
Well, that's exactly what happened to a friend of mine when she went in to her OB's office at six months postpartum. In addition to doing his exam, he also told her about the new procedure he's offering that she could benefit from -- vaginal rejuvenation. Conflict of interest much?
My friend, while aghast, entertained the discussion to see how far he would really go. While he told her it was best to wait until you were done having children, he added that if she had it done and decided to have more children, then she could just birth them via c-section so she didn't "ruin all his hard work." So, one unnecessary surgery begets another, I suppose.
Because, as we all know, the appearance of your vagina is so important these days that the mother's and children's health going on the back burner is no big deal, right?
I personally find this completely abhorrent. It reminded me of when I went to get my eyebrows waxed and the woman asked, "Do you want your lip or chin, too?" I said no, almost defensively. But when I got home, you bet that seed of insecurity was planted and I stared closely at my face in the mirror, wondering if I did need the waxing after all. Though I know my friend is confident enough to know her OB's offer to spruce up her vagina was ridiculous, what about other women? Will that seed of insecurity lead to unnecessary feelings of inadequacy in addition to the things new moms already worry about? Or worse -- women opting for a surgery they never wanted until they were told they needed it.
I do understand there are real medical reasons for this procedure and that there are women who choose to have it done as well. My beef isn't with that -- it's with a medical professional crossing boundaries into an area he shouldn't, and doing potential damage to a woman's self-esteem.
OBs should be concerned with real medical problems and care -- not plastic surgeons and salesmen in disguise.
What do you think of the OB offering vaginal rejuvenation? How would you react if your OB suggested this to you?
Image via Ko_An/Flickr
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Comments 57
Doug makes a valid point. Americans do have a weird double standard about nudity -- it's okay for "perfect" models and actresses to be naked or nearly so, but the only regular people most of us see nude are ourselves and our spouses/partners. This discourages many women from breastfeeding (because it feels shamefull to expose even a portion of their breast publicly, especially when they are feeling insecure about excess baby weight, sagging skin, muffin tops, stretch marks, etc.).
Slightly OT but in the same vein -- I'm annoyed by the growing trend of dentists pushing cosmetic dental treatments like bleach whitening, veneers, etc. I think it's totally inappropriate and demeaning for a medical doctor of any kind to be pushing "add-on" sales the way the girl at Victoria's Secret wants to sell me matching panties to go with my bra and whatever flavor lotion they have a promotion on that day. The sales mentality involves looking at everyone who walks into the store (or doctor's office) as if they have a dollar sign on their head, and trying to maximize the dollar amount spent and units-per-transaction to squeeze the most profit out of every customer (patient). I want to be able to trust that my doctor and dentist are giving me sound medical advice, treating me as a patient and looking out for MY health and MY best interests, not recommending unnecessary treatments just to make their store (practice) more profitable. Now if my dentist says I have a cavity or something, I feel a little skeptical. Do I REALLY need a filling, or is he just trying to add on to the cleaning I came in for, along with the stupid water pick contraption that his hygienist is pressuring me to buy? It's totally out of control, it demeans the profession, and if I could find a dentist who DOESN'T do this anymore, I'd switch in a heartbeat!
i can not believe the ob would just blirt that out. first off, if he is that much of a bastard, he should have asked if she was done having children then maybe say that, after a year of having a baby not right away. wow, i think i would have smacked the man
Practical standpoint:
First, one needs to decide whether or not they feel improvement is needed. i.e. "I sure could stand to lose some weight. I don't want to increase the health risks associated with being overweight."
Next, one needs to decide if improvement is desired. i.e. "I would feel more confident minus this muffin top. I would enjoy more activities if I weren't so heavy. I want to lose weight."
Biological standpoint:
There isnt a vagina in this world, surgery or not that can prevent infidelity. HOWEVER, for the same reason you shave your legs and other places (hopefully) buy lingerie, change your hair, or break out the handcuffs- you should make an effort to "keep it tight"as much as you expect him to keep it hard, by the most reasonable means necessary,
Regarding cosmetic enhancement, while trivial, I would venture to say that most men do look at "it". Perhaps not as critically as we do. But something that looks like a genetic mutation is probably going to limit your possibilities for pleasure.
In conclusion I think a fit vagina would be more appealing than a fancy vagina. But, if you can manage to achieve both; you go girl!