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
