The duration of pregnancy is a roller coaster ride of emotions and a wonderful experience of growing a new life in your body and then giving birth. Many changes occur in your body, both physical and hormonal. You would’ve read a lot about swelling being a common side effect of pregnancy but we’re pretty sure they’re mostly related to legs and belly but believe it or not, vaginal swelling also occurs during pregnancy.
If you have noticed that your vagina has swelled up while you’re pregnant, relax! Its not alarming and in fact is quite normal. You might feel the entire area across your vulva to be swollen and its basically all your outside areas that are swollen. We would explain the causes, the symptoms, the prevention and how to reduce the vaginal swelling in the following content.
Is it Normal?
Having swollen vagina is quite common if noticed at any stage during pregnancy but we don’t really discuss it that commonly, but the awareness has bought about enough change that women are now able to express their concerns and talk about their problems. During pregnancy, one gains a lot of weight but do you know that 1/3 of this is actually water weight? Yes! This water weight then accumulates in various parts of the body, usually in the hands and feet. This water can also gather in the vaginal area resulting in swelling and puffiness.
What are the Symptoms of Vaginal Swelling?
Every woman is different and every woman’s pregnancy is different hence giving varying reactions. The symptoms of vaginal swelling can vary from person to person but the symptoms that are generally experienced are as follows:
Prominent Swelling:
If you have experienced or are experiencing vaginal swelling during pregnancy, you’re probably familiar with how it feels like. A swollen vulva and vagina would seem slightly bigger and puffy than before.
Bumps:
Vaginal swelling during pregnancy can cause the presence of varicose veins to be prominent on the surface of vulva. This can feel like bumpy and swelled up.
Itchiness:
Itchiness may not be present for everyone who has vaginal swelling but it is still possible for some. Itchiness may occur in cases of vaginal swelling during pregnancy.
Causes of Vaginal Swelling During Pregnancy?
Now why the vaginal swelling? You must be thinking of about why does the vaginal swelling even occur? There could be many reasons but some of the most common ones are as follows:
Increased Blood Volume:
When you’re pregnant, more blood is needed by your body to nourish both, you and your baby hence the increase in blood volume. As the baby grows and develops, the uterus size also increases putting pressure over the pelvic blood vessels. This increase in blood volume and the pressure over blood vessels can be a combined reason for the vaginal swelling.
Vulvar Varicosities:
As the pregnancy progresses, the vulvar varicosities may cause swelling and some pain in the area. The varicosities are developed either in the vulva or vagina which may cause pain and should be checked by a midwife or your OB/GYN. This is to check and ensure that pain and swelling doesn’t become a problem during delivery or childbirth. In case the varicosities appear to be near the perineum, there is a good chance for a perineum trauma to occur during the birthing process hence you should get a check up for the swelled vagina to be on a safe side.
Yeast Infections:
Yeast infection is quite common among pregnant women and can definitely cause the swelling of the vagina. Not just that but the infection can also result in inflammation ultimately leading to even more swelling.
Boils and Cysts:
Bartholin’s cyst on the vulva or a boil on the vulva can cause swelling as well as itchiness or irritation. It would usually form a lump instead of an overall swelling which can cause intense pain and discomfort later and so, you should seek immediate medical attention for correct diagnosis and advice.
Excess Fluid:
As mentioned earlier that the fluid accumulation the main culprit of the vaginal swelling and the excessive fluid that is trapped in the tissues of the body while you’re pregnant causes the swelling.
Sexual Activity:
During pregnancy, a sexual intercourse can also cause you to have swelling in your vagina. We can blame the hormones for that as the vagina becomes slightly dry during pregnancy and hence less lubrication. To cope with this, you can use a lubricant before any sexual activity but make sure to check the ingredients and confirm that it is safe to use during pregnancy.
Treatment Options for Vaginal Swelling:
The first thing that you should do after noticing vaginal swelling is to make an appointment and consult your doctor, depending upon the situation and condition they would be able to give you better advice. Some of the treatments for relief are as follows:
Cold Compress:
If you don’t feel any itchiness but the swelling is present, you can go for a cold compress to provide you with some light relief.
Hydration:
The more fluids that you consume, the more will be the circulation of the fluids present in your body’s extremities which would help in reducing the swelling. This is why you should keep yourself hydrated and consume adequate amount of water and fluids throughout the day.
Physical Activity:
To improve the body’s circulation, avoid staying in one place and change your body’s position every now and then. If you’re a working person and sit at a desk, keep your body active and take a short walk during the breaks or walk a few steps after every hour so your circulation improves.
Exercise:
When your heart rate increases, the blood circulation and excess water circulation increases too. The more exercise you have the more your circulation improves and the more are the chances of the decrease in the swelling, but be careful that you don’t overdo your body considering that you’re pregnant. Go for pregnancy friendly exercises which won’t harm you or your baby and is helpful. Exercise is generally a part of healthy lifestyle and should definitely be included when pregnant.
Preventing Vaginal Swelling:
There’s nothing much that you can do to prevent your vagina or vulva from swelling up since it’s a normal and common side effect of pregnancy. The best that you can do is drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated and avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time. It is good to keep yourself physically active and avoid health problems. If you do notice vaginal swelling. It is better to go to a doctor, they can examine and diagnose and prescribe relieving methods accordingly.
Swollen Vagina post Birth:
More than during pregnancy, swollen vagina is even more common after birth. In both cases, whether you’ve given birth vaginally or by a caesarian section, vaginal swelling can occur. This is due to the trauma caused during birth, if you have had stitches, that could be a cause but even if nit, the vagina has done enough stretching and may cause swelling. You can find relief by using a cold compress or a cold maternity pad which would help you soothe the area. Other than that, the use of prays containing organic remedies may also prove to be quite helpful.
The Outlook:
Vaginal swelling during pregnancy is common and can occur due to a number of reasons, mainly water retention in the extremities of the body. This can be helped in some ways but not much can be done to prevent it. The key to cope with it is to keep yourself physically active and keep your body hydrated throughout the day. Exercise should normally be a part of a healthy lifestyle and during pregnancy, you should go for some pregnancy friendly exercises.
Apart from this if you notice any vaginal swelling, you should immediately book an appointment with your OB/GYN so that they can examine it in order to prescribe treatment depending upon the situation or avoid any future problems by giving correct advice.
