Labiaplasty and Childbirth - is it best to wait until after I've had my final child before getting surgery?

Question

Is it best to wait until after I've had my second and final child before getting a labiaplasty? While I've wanted one for as long as I've known of their existence (I'm 36), I would hate to spend the money and go through the process only to end up needing a revision. While I didn't experience any noticeable changes to my labia minora or majora with my first baby (16 months), I know each birth is different. Is there a most-common outcome as far as labia is concerned?

Richard Bloy, MD, FACOG · Answer

Labiaplasty can be done prior to your final childbirth. Vaginal delivery would not damage the results of the labia surgery.

Michelle Jones Singer, MD · Answer

It is advisable to avoid having a vaginal birth following a vaginoplasty; however, a labiaplsty is exempt from this rule. Your vaginal opening's look and shape may change after giving birth, but your labia won't change much or increase following a vaginal delivery.

E. Jacob Simhaee, MD, FACOG · Answer

Thank you for your question about Labiaplasty before having your next child.
Although performing labiaplasty should not have any effect on your future natural childbirth, common sense says to wait till you are done having children, in case of any trauma/ Tear in labia minora or if you find out you want to include perineoplasty or other vaginal repairs.

In case for personal or medical reasons you feel having labiaplasty earlier is important for you, as other doctors have mentioned here, doing it should be safe.
Good luck and best of health

Adam J. Oppenheimer, MD, FACS · Answer

You don’t necessarily need to wait until after childbirth to have a labiaplasty. Most of the changes to the labia minora occur during puberty with a very small minority occurring after childbirth. Some women find that after childbirth the outer labia can become slightly deflated or less full. This can lead to an apparent increase in the relative size of labia minora. Sometimes there can be labial tears with vaginal delivery, but this would be actually less likely with a labiaplasty, unless a wedge labiaplasty is used. Overall I do not feel that it is necessary to wait until after having children in order to have a labiaplasty.

Mark N. Scheinberg, MD · Answer

Thank you for your questionMost likely the labiaplasty would not be affected by childbirth but everyone reacts differently and depending on the method used there is a chance you would need a revision. safest bet is to wait until six months after your second child. You must do your homework to find someone to safely perform this. see the video below to to help yourself be more informed

Leila Kasrai, MD, FRCSC · Answer

The main changes after child brith are to the introitus and not the vulva.  There's no need to delay labioplasty for that reason you've mentioned because the length of the labia minora will not significantly change.

Caner Kacmaz, MD · Answer

Labiaplasty is a procedure that corrects cosmetic concerns involving the vaginal lips. For most women, it corrects inconsistent sizing, excess skin, and discomfort among other issues. You’ll be happy to know that labiaplasty doesn’t present any risk for women who want to get pregnant in the future. It does not stop you from conceiving or giving birth either.
The vagina is very adaptable. After labiaplasty surgery, the essential functions of the vagina remain intact. As a result, it’s perfectly safe to get labiaplasty before pregnancy. However, we generally encourage women to get labiaplasty after pregnancy. The reason is that your labia minora and labia majora could change during pregnancy. Every woman’s body responds differently. Many women experience significant labial growth. It occurs mostly during the final stages of pregnancy when the body experiences lots of hormonal changes. While labial swelling can reduce, it can also be permanent.
If you get a labiaplasty before pregnancy, the results may change after giving birth and reverse the work. Best wishes.

Irena Karanetz, MD · Answer

Hello,
Thank you for the question.
Fortunately, the risks of giving birth to children after a labiaplasty procedure are relatively minimal. There is a slight risk of seeing new, hormone-related tissue growth, and of experiencing additional stretching and laxity in the remaining labial tissues.
I would also encourage you to seek an in-person consultation with a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon to further discuss your concerns.
I hope this helps.Best regards, Dr. Karanetz
Dr. Irena KaranetzBreast Fellowship-TrainedBoard Certified Plastic Surgeon

Ram Kalus, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question. An examination in person would be required to properly evaluate you and render an opinion, however if you are a candidate for labiaplasty you do not need to wait. Healing is generally predictably rapid and uncomplicated, and your result should be longstanding and hopefully permanent. An experienced plastic surgeon or gynecologist should have less than a 5% revision rate for his or her labiaplasty patients. Best of luck to you.

Marco A. Pelosi III, MD, FACOG, FACS · Answer

No. The labia majora and minora are not affected by childbirth. The majora are affected by large changes in body weight regardless of whether it's from pregnancy or not. So if that's what happens when you get pregnant, wait before working on the majora. If not, proceed. For the labia minora, it would be rare to see damage to a labiaplasty result from childbirth. If your real fear is needing a revision, then your real goal should be to find an expert in labiaplasty procedures so that you get it done right to begin with. A virtual consult is a great way to get started.

Labiaplasty and Childbirth - is it best to wait until after I've had my final child before getting surgery?

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