Lauryn Bosstick Reveals the Postpartum Recovery Truths No One Tells You About

No one preps you for the weird limbo of postpartum. One minute you’re staring at a tiny human you just made, the next you’re wondering if your body will ever feel like yours again. According to the CDC, 3,622,673 births were recorded in 2024, which means hundreds of thousands of women went through the messy, exhausting, life-altering reality of postpartum recovery. Yet here’s the kicker: As many as 40 percent of women skip their postpartum checkup entirely.

On The Skinny Confidential, Lauryn Evarts Bosstick and Michael Bosstick sit down with Dr. Amir Marashi—aka the “Vagina Whisperer”—to break down what really happens after birth. Whether you’re currently pregnant, recently postpartum, or just curious about what happens down there after kids, here are the unfiltered truths about recovery that every woman deserves to know.

The Postpartum Recovery Truths No One Tells You

Postpartum isn’t over at six weeks

That magical six-week clearance visit? It’s more like the starting line than the finish. While your doctor might give you the green light to resume “normal activities,” the reality is that your body is still very much in recovery mode. The data backs this up: Over 30 percent of women still experience urinary leakage at 12 months postpartum. And pain during sex affects up to 40 percent of women at three months after delivery.

The truth is, recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. Your body spent nine months growing a human and then went through the intense physical process of birth. Six weeks is barely enough time for your uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy size, let alone for everything else to get back to baseline.

Your anatomy is more complex than you were taught

Remember that basic sex-ed diagram of female anatomy? Turns out it was missing some pretty important information. As Marashi explains: “[The] clitoris is really almost the size of a penis…women pack it inside and for men it’s outside.” In other words, that tiny button you see is just the tip—the clitoris is an entire internal structure that wraps around the vaginal area.

And here’s the wild part: Marashi says the front wall of the vagina has about 12,000 nerve endings, compared to 4,000 in the penis. That means women are wired for triple the sensation. Yet most of us grew up thinking female pleasure was some unsolvable mystery. “Clitoral orgasm versus vaginal orgasm—really they are both clitoral orgasms… just different parts of the clitoris,” he explains. Suddenly, it makes sense why postpartum changes can throw everything off. If you’re working with a complex internal network of nerves and structures, and the positioning or sensitivity shifts, of course things are going to feel different.

Childbirth changes the angle of your vagina

Marashi explains that “the anatomy of the vagina changes as we age…it’s all about the angle.” Before childbirth, your vaginal canal had a specific downward angle that works with natural anatomy for optimal sensation and function. But with age, collagen loss, and the physical trauma of delivery, that angle can flatten. Marashi describes how “we lose a lot of collagen in this back wall…slowly, this angle that was like this becomes flat.” 

Think about it like this: If you have a curved road that suddenly becomes straight, the cars (ahem) traveling on it are going to hit different spots and create a different experience. The same principle applies here. When the vaginal angle changes, it affects where contact happens during intercourse, which can completely change sensation.

This explanation is incredibly validating for women who’ve been told their post-baby sexual concerns are “all in their head.” These are real, measurable anatomical changes that have real effects on function and pleasure.

How to support your postpartum recovery

Yes, childbirth can reshape anatomy and shift sensation, but there are ways to support yourself as everything recalibrates. In the episode, Marashi touches on some of the cutting-edge treatments celebrities are exploring. Though, he’s quick to point out many are still considered experimental. The more accessible and proven route is pelvic floor therapy. Think of it like physical therapy for the muscles that carried the weight of pregnancy and bore the brunt of delivery. According to Harvard Health, regular sessions can reduce leakage, ease discomfort, and even improve sexual function. It’s standard practice in some countries. But in the U.S. it often requires you to advocate for yourself—so ask your provider about a referral if you’re struggling.

For more insights from the “Vagina Whisperer,” tune into The Skinny Confidential, available wherever you get your podcasts.

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