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October 22, 2025 
Aman How Lack of Me Time is Affecting Mothers’ Body Image
Understanding How the Body Changes After Childbirth
The Emotional and Psychological Effects of Physical Changes in Motherhood
Relationship and Intimacy Strain
Is Labiaplasty the Solution for Postpartum Women?
Why Postpartum Women Choose Labiaplasty
How Labiaplasty Can Help Postpartum Women
Speak with a Member of Our Team
Before you become a mother it’s hard to fully comprehend how much of yourself you’ll have to give to your child. Other parents might tell you (or warn you) in advance, but understanding the theory just isn’t the same as living the reality.
According to The Huffington Post, “the average amount of daily ‘me-time’ that mums with children under the age of three are able to receive is 36 minutes – that’s 2.5% of their entire day.” The study goes on to highlight that 73% of mums wished they had more me-time and a further 66% report they’d be a better mum if they had more time to themselves.
This me-time can be spent doing anything you enjoy; it might be vegging out in front of the TV, soaking in the bath, going for a walk, having a massage or manicure, or enjoying a coffee with a friend. But without it, mothers can feel depleted, burnt-out, and overwhelmed.
How Lack of Me-Time is Affecting Mothers’ Body Image
When mothers lack time to themselves during the day, they not only miss out on resting – they don’t have time to exercise. This leaves many mothers feeling uncomfortable in their bodies.
Whether their clothes don’t fit quite right, they’re carrying more weight than they used to, or they just don’t feel physically strong enough, lack of exercise can have a dramatic effect on body image.
And with the prevalence of social media and the pressures of the ‘bounce back’ culture, many mothers feel ashamed about the way they look – carrying a huge amount of guilt and pressure around body image.
The reality is, a woman’s body goes through a lot of changes during pregnancy and birth. This is a natural part of growing and nurturing a baby. However, even with detailed research, advice from family and friends, and pregnancy classes, there are physical changes your body goes through that people don’t talk about and this can leave many women feeling depressed, anxious, and self-conscious about how they look.
Understanding How the Body Changes After Childbirth
A woman’s body goes through significant changes during and after childbirth, especially via a vaginal delivery. For many women, the physical changes can be permanent, without any surgical intervention, causing long-term body image issues and affecting comfort and quality of life.
According to research by Frontiers, “This increase in body dissatisfaction is likely due to women viewing their bodies less as a nurturing entity over time since childbirth, and an increase in the tendency to appraise their bodies in comparison to their pre-pregnancy size and shape.”
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common changes a woman’s body goes through during pregnancy and childbirth:
Enlarged Labia: During pregnancy, a woman’s labia typically becomes darker and more pronounced. For some, this enlargement may protrude past the outer labia, making it visible and uncomfortable when wearing tight clothing.
Asymmetry: The vagina goes through a lot during childbirth, stretching and widening to support the baby’s birth. This can impact the labia, causing irregularities and asymmetry. These changes are more pronounced when a woman has medical intervention during childbirth such as an episiotomy or stitches. However, it can also occur from natural tearing.
Physical Discomfort: Each of these changes can cause physical discomfort, increasing problems like chaffing, inflammation, and risk of infection. This can make everyday activities, such as walking or sitting for long periods, particularly uncomfortable.
Pain During Intercourse: Unfortunately, when changes to a woman’s labia are especially pronounced after childbirth, they may cause pain during intercourse. This is because the altered size, shape, or protrusion of the labia can make sexual activities uncomfortable. Painful intercourse can greatly impact a woman’s self-esteem, comfort, and intimate relationships, having a hugely negative impact on their lives.
At Gynaedoctors, we intimately understand the profound physical changes women go through to bring new life into the world. Add to that the immense pressures of motherhood and we often see postpartum women who feel overwhelmed about how their body has changed and keen to feel like themselves again.
We are proud to offer women trusted, compassionate, and sensitive care during a particularly intimate time – helping mothers of all ages and stages reclaim their physical comfort and confidence through labiaplasty treatment.
The Emotional and Psychological Effects of Physical Changes in Motherhood
According to research carried out by ScienceDirect, “Women experience significant physical symptoms associated with carrying and birthing a child, some of which are violent and all of which are uncomfortable, and temporarily, if not permanently, alter a woman’s body.”
Let’s take a look at some of the most significant emotional and psychological effects of these bodily changes below.
Body Dissatisfaction
Many mothers feel dissatisfied with their postpartum bodies. They feel like their clothes don’t fit right and they are carrying extra weight where they weren’t before. This can lead to feelings of discomfort, self-consciousness, and generally low self-esteem.
Parenting expert, Laura Abba, shares that “pregnancy and childbirth can leave physical scars as well as emotional ones […] The image of the flowing pregnant woman falls away, and we are left with a body that might not seem as if it belongs to us anymore.”
Loss of Identity
93% of mothers feel that since having a child, their identity has been reduced to simply: mother. This is something many new mothers struggle with and it makes them feel undervalued, invisible, and disassociated from the ‘real world’.
According to research, “Identity loss can feel like a numbness and like mothers don’t know or recognise who they are or how they can make sense of their world and fit in their new role.”
Relationship and Intimacy Strain
Many women report the negative impact motherhood can have on their relationships. Often, the physical changes a woman goes through during pregnancy and childbirth leave her feeling dissatisfied with her physical appearance and uncomfortable in her body. This can cause intimacy issues, putting strain on the relationship and leaving many women feeling undesired by and disconnected from their partners.
Is Labiaplasty the Solution for Postpartum Women?
Labiaplasty is a genital cosmetic surgery that helps women address the physical changes caused by childbirth so that they can feel confident and comfortable in their bodies once again.
The surgery focuses on reshaping or reducing the labia minor, restoring symmetry, proportions, and comfort in the vulval area. It is a straightforward procedure that can have a profound impact on a woman’s quality of life and happiness.
Why Postpartum Women Choose Labiaplasty
While some women want to undertake labiaplasty for purely cosmetic reasons, many women – especially those in the postpartum period – seek this treatment to correct changes to their labia that occurred during childbirth, such as:
- Correcting birth-related changes such as stretching, tearing, or asymmetry
- Restoring comfort by reducing labia size causing fiction and inflammation
- Eliminating pain during intimacy caused by excess labial tissue
- Returning women’s labias to their pre-pregnancy aesthetic
- Improving self and body-confidence by correcting imperfections.
Undergoing labiaplasty treatment is a personal decision. Whether the treatment is being sought for cosmetic or medical reasons doesn’t matter; for us it’s all about the profound impact labiaplasty can have on restoring women’s confidence, comfort, and daily life.
How Labiaplasty Can Help Postpartum Women
Removing Excess Tissue: The labia often expands during pregnancy, cushioning the baby during delivery. And while many women find their labia returns to its normal size during the postpartum period, some women find their labia remains enlarged. Labiaplasty seeks to remove excess labial tissue to restore comfort, symmetry, and body confidence.
Correcting Assymmetry: As you know, a woman’s body goes through many changes during pregnancy and childbirth. And many of these are centered around the vulva. One change is asymmetry caused by trauma during childbirth. Labiaplasty seeks to restore symmetry, ensuring the labia looks in proportion with a woman’s surrounding anatomy.
Discreet Healing: Healing completely from a labiaplasty takes around 12 weeks. However, most women can return to work within 1-2 weeks and resume normal life – including sexual activity – after about 6 weeks. At Gynaedoctors, we use dissolvable stitches to support discreet healing and reduce visible scarring.
Is Labiaplasty Right for You?
The postpartum period is a time of significant emotional turbulence for new mothers. From lack of sleep and the non-stop nature of caring for a baby to the loss of identity, loneliness, and physical changes – it can be a lot.
Labiaplasty can be a wonderful way for mothers to take care of their bodies and feel like themselves again – no matter how tricky their birth or how different their physical appearance.
Speak with a Member of Our Team
Deciding whether labiaplasty is right for you can take time and is a big decision. That’s why our highly qualified team is on-hand to guide you through the decision making process. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team who will answer your questions and discuss your concerns with professionalism and sensitivity.
For more information about labiaplasty and other postpartum treatments we offer, please visit our website or explore our blog. We share up-to-date information, advice, and treatments to help women feel like themselves again.
