What ’s normal?

If you’ve had a vaginal birth, with or without an episiotomy, you’ll be feeling a little tender ”down there”.

This may last for a few days to a few weeks after the birth. This is understandable if you think about what’s happened to the vaginal and perineal tissues as they stretched over your baby’s head. If you tore slightly or if you were cut, then the stitches can sometimes prove to be more uncomfortable than the actual birth! Remember, the vagina is a muscle, and muscles stretch