Dr. Lori Gore-Green, an experienced physician, presents three of the top questions women are embarrassed to ask their OB-GYN.

1. Y O U ' R E
E M B A R R A S S E D T O
A S K
T O P 3 Q U E S T I O N S
Y O U R O B - G Y N
D R . L O R I G O R E - G R E E N

2. F O R F I R S T - T I M E
A N D V E T E R A N
M O T H E R S
A L I K E ,
pregnancy can bring up a
variety of questions that
might feel a little awkward
asking out loud. The good
news is that most women
have had those same
questions at some point and
that there are answers from
trained professionals.
Here are some questions
about pregnancy you may
have wanted to ask but felt
too nervous to do so.
D R L O R I G O R E G R E E N . O R GD R . L O R I G O R E - G R E E N

3. H O W L I K E L Y
I S A B O W E L
M O V E M E N T
D U R I N G
D E L I V E R Y ?
This fear comes up frequently with
new mothers, to the point where
they can become so fixated on not
having a bowel movement that it
inhibits their ability to push.
D R L O R I G O R E G R E E N . O R GD R . L O R I G O R E - G R E E N

4. I T ’ S A C T U A L L Y
E X T R E M E L Y
C O M M O N
to have a bowel movement during
labor, and it’s nothing to be
ashamed of. There’s a simple
reason why it happens: the same
muscles a woman uses to push a
baby out of her uterus are the
same ones she uses when having a
bowel movement. With the added
weight on her colon and rectum as
the baby moves through the birth
canal, it’s a very natural bodily
reaction.
While it may seem embarrassing,
keep in mind that childbirth is a
very private affair. Doctors are not
only undaunted by this, but
generally expect it. They’re trained
professionals and their primary
concern is making sure the mother
and baby are healthy throughout
the entire pregnancy and delivery.
D R L O R I G O R E G R E E N . O R GD R . L O R I G O R E - G R E E N

5. W I L L M Y V A G I N A
B E S T R E T C H E D
A F T E R I G I V E
B I R T H ?
Not really. Believe it or not, vaginas
have muscle memory. The vagina is
also made to accommodate
childbirth; in other words, it
stretches during childbirth and
then contracts to its normal size. If
a woman wants to strengthen her
pelvic floor muscles, there are
Kegel exercises, though make sure
to check with a doctor first before
trying them.
D R L O R I G O R E G R E E N . O R GD R . L O R I G O R E - G R E E N

6. W H Y D O E S S E X H U R T A F T E R
B I R T H ?
Having a baby is hard work! With childbirth comes natural
trauma to the vaginal area, and it needs time to heal. It’s
natural for the sex drive to decrease, given how exhausting
caring for a newborn can be. On top of that, if mothers
choose to breastfeed, that can change her hormone levels
as well, particularly her estrogen levels. This can lead to
problems with lubrication. One potential solution is to use
a lubricant, as well as giving the body time to adjust
postpartum.
If the pain continues to exist months after birth, however,
it’s best to speak to a doctor to make sure there aren’t any
lasting issues.
D R L O R I G O R E G R E E N . O R GD R . L O R I G O R E - G R E E N

7. READ MORE BY
DR. LORI GORE-GREEN
on her blog at DrLoriGoreGreen.org
D R L O R I G O R E G R E E N . O R GD R . L O R I G O R E - G R E E N