Having a baby is an exciting event for a couple, but the after-effects of pregnancy and a vaginal delivery on a couple's sex life may be less than exciting. Women (and men) don't need to suffer in silence: specialized OB/GYNs may have a solution.

When Janice became pregnant with her first child, she and her husband Frank were ecstatic: this baby was a long time coming and it took years for their dream of starting a family to come true. The pregnancy was uneventful and the labor was prolonged and painful as first ones usually are. Little Jason was an 8 pound baby who was born strong and healthy. What else could a couple hope for?

Janice and Frank had always enjoyed an active sex life, and after allowing Janice 6 weeks of healing time, they were both eager to resume their prior intimacy. Although Janice's sex drive was happily undiminished by the hormonal ups and downs of pregnancy and its after effects, she found to her dismay that she could not tighten her vaginal muscles the way she used to.

Assuming she was still recuperating from Jason's vaginal birth, Janice began doing Kegels exercises to strengthen her muscles. But even a year later, Janice's vaginal muscles were still not able to tighten the way they used to, and she and Frank resigned themselves to enjoying less than scintillating sexual experiences.

Couples like Janice and Frank have been suffering in silence for centuries: assuming that decreased vaginal contraction ability in women is just a price couples must pay for the joy of having children. However, there may be a solution to this age-old problem thanks to the miracles of modern medicine.

In recent years, many OB/GYNs have been performing procedures that are designed specifically to tighten women's vaginal muscles that have been permanently loosened and weakened by childbirth.

It is a relatively simple surgical procedure which involves sewing the muscle walls together at the back of the vagina, creating a natural tightness. The opening is narrower and stronger, and men and women can both enjoy the sexual benefits of this procedure. Some women also opt to have this procedure performed for purely cosmetic reasons: not only are their vaginas resculpted, but the appearance of the labia is greatly enhanced, resulting in greater self-confidence in the bedroom.

Although the surgery is not major, it is still surgery nonetheless and therefore the procedure is not for anyone who might be at increased risk for complications. It should only be performed by an OB/GYN surgeon who has been extensively trained in the procedure or who focuses on it as his area of expertise.

No one needs to suffer in silence. Rejuvenating a woman's vagina following the birth of a baby may rejuvenate a couple's sex life as well.