"Relevant" depth, can one ask THAT question?

[AbraCadabra]

I had to stop dilating and was good up to the day I left for FFS, Labiaplasty and BA, now 3 weeks back.

I was also told only to start dilating after one more week had passed i.e. 3 weeks post-op and I did that - almost daily and getting back to my once a day routine I had followed up until then.

This far for the back ground.

I now find having lost at LEAST 1" depth and am now down to 4"or even some less.

It had even before all of this occurred to me wanted to ask some FAAB friends about THEIR depth... alas THAT seems such a no-no that not one of them would bring up EVER among themselves (FAAB) and my sense of propriety has this far prevented me to clearly raise this subject.

I guess guys are not talking about THEIR member-lengths either  Fair enough, eh?

So here is my question:
Am I alone and just silly not to ask - or is this just one of those female taboos hardly ever - if at all, brought up even with one's gynie?

To have now under 4" depth is starting to give me some reason for concern - this to come about only after a 3 week dilating hiatus.
I'm almost 1 year post-op now.

Axélle

[lilacwoman]

hard to imagine most normal men will be happy with 4inches depth?

however the reason you lost depth is the muscle tightened down and you will have to force it open rather painfully and be ready for some blood on your dilator - then to keep the depth you'll have to make sure you leave longer than 4 inch soft jelly dialtor with lots of clean antibio cream in between dialtions until the little bleeding tears have healed and then you will find you have your old 6/7 inches again.

[Julie Wilson]

My experience is all you have to do is dilate regularly again.  There won't be any blood or tearing and you won't have to do anything special or worry about any complications.  If you buy one of these http://tantusinc.com/catalog/Dildos/Silk-Medium and have a pair of underwear that are too small you can dilate while you sleep, though you have to be able to accommodate a 1.5" (inch) dilator.  And I would feel better knowing you were completely healed down there before doing this because the pressure may restrict blood supply.  I did it last night.  What is this about FFS, etc?  Congratulations.

[MariaMx]

And I would feel better knowing you were completely healed down there before doing this because the pressure may restrict blood supply.

THat could potentially be very bad. You could end up with the equivalent of a bedsore in there.

[Beth Andrea]

I remember reading a study on a particular type of SRS where the author compares the depth he was able to achieve, as compared to a OEM girl.

It seems like...Marci Bowers took over for a pioneering SRS surgeon, and it was his study of the surgery technique which included measurements.

Let me take a quick look...BRB

Nope, couldn't find it. It "seems" like a typical depth for a natural woman would be in the 5"-6" range (12.5cm--15cm). My memory hasn't been that great lately though...

[mintra]

My experience is all you have to do is dilate regularly again.  There won't be any blood or tearing and you won't have to do anything special or worry about any complications.  If you buy one of these http://tantusinc.com/catalog/Dildos/Silk-Medium and have a pair of underwear that are too small you can dilate while you sleep, though you have to be able to accommodate a 1.5" (inch) dilator.  And I would feel better knowing you were completely healed down there before doing this because the pressure may restrict blood supply.  I did it last night.  What is this about FFS, etc?  Congratulations.

I agree. I think just keep on dilating regularly, Axélle I'm sure you'll regain the lost depth over time. I'm actually dilating using the exact same silicone dildo in the link every night while sleeping.

[AbraCadabra]

Wow, thanks for all the kind and detailed feedback.

@ Noey Nooneson,
well as I said during my required 2 week FFS post-op time - which included a labiaplasty revision (and BA) I was not allowed (nor was I feeling) to dilate.

See:
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,122585.msg961235.html#msg961235

for details.

So, it's back to (dilating) work - not that nice it being so cold over here at present... but it seems: "we got to do what we got to do..."
I REALLY don't want to draw blood - bloody hell, - sorry to sound girlie about THAT

Axélle
PS: BTW... with "relevant" I really ment nothing else but +/- needed or required.
Is 6" or 7" really "relevant" or where it's all at?
Only an FAAB with some extensive male intercourse experience would really be able to answer that, yes?

[Padma]

I think the issue is that with FAAB women, their vagina extends and expands when they get aroused, so they have more "pubic capacity". If you're dating a bigger man you'd have to experiment pretty carefully - perhaps fit him with a depth stop (serious suggestion - a foam ring could save a lot of pain).

[mementomori]

I think the issue is that with FAAB women, their vagina extends and expands when they get aroused, so they have more "pubic capacity". If you're dating a bigger man you'd have to experiment pretty carefully - perhaps fit him with a depth stop (serious suggestion - a foam ring could save a lot of pain).

doesnt a neovagina do that as well?

[Padma]

I'm pretty sure it can't do it in the same way, as it's not built from the same kind of material, doesn't have muscle walls in the same way, etc. Unless there have been some really serious leaps in neovagina tech in the last year or so, anyway.

[Julie Wilson]

although I am limited to what I can get with a hard dilator when I relax and am aroused and comfortable (with a man, engaged in sexual intercourse) I do elongate and widen.  Something is happening to my body and it isn't just simple dilation.  There is some sort of muscle thing going on.

If the attention is unwanted the opposite occurs, (tightening).

[Padma]

Interesting. I guess tissue is tissue, and mind and body are intertwined.

[mementomori]

although I am limited to what I can get with a hard dilator when I relax and am aroused and comfortable (with a man, engaged in sexual intercourse) I do elongate and widen.  Something is happening to my body and it isn't just simple dilation.  There is some sort of muscle thing going on.

If the attention is unwanted the opposite occurs, (tightening).

the same thing happens to be anally ............ lol

[AbraCadabra]

Well now, going along with Noey's findings using a vibrator of some dimension (42mm diameter, 7"long) ... and initially not being the least aroused the thing hardly wants to get inside in the first place 

Eventually though it will go, and it would be *VERY* painful to force it - before it wants to go.
Call this step one.

Step two, starting to get into it, and I'm speaking here of 1/2 hour quite easily, one wants that thing to REALLY go DEEP, deeper, deepest!
Mother Nature then having HER way I guess?

The difference between the initial (reluctant) and finally (willing) stage is at least 1". Though in my case 4 ½" is the end of the flag pole so to speak – which gets me back to "relevant" depths.

A penis is thankfully not as firm as a normal vibrator or dilator, yet bumping real harsh into our internal dead-end is PAINFUL. Ouch! 

Well, to me it is, and when Dr Sanguan did his check-up shoving a speculum of some proportions up there (size of a barbeque tongues) just 3 weeks back... ouch! Yeak!
It gave me an idea about what it's like to have a pap smear. Not a very nice thing and he did not even take any samples.
At least all had healed very well, was his finding.

4 ½" - relevant depth (aroused)? That is the question – and if ever I find out, I shall share my findings 

Axélle

[Beth Andrea]

I did a search for "dimensions of a vagina" and found this:

http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/21/6/1618.full

Mean vaginal length from cervix to introitus was 62.7 mm. Vaginal width was largest in the proximal vagina (32.5 mm), decreased as it passed through the pelvic diaphragm (27.8 mm) and smallest at the introitus (26.2 mm). Significant positive associations were parity with vaginal fornix length, age with pelvic flexure width and the height with width at the pelvic flexure. CONCLUSION: No one description characterized the shape of the human vagina. Although there is variation among women, variables such as parity, age and height are positively associated with differences in baseline dimensions.

Chart of measurements

It's interesting to note the "linear length" ranges between 40.8mm and 95mm (about 1 3/4" and 4"). I don't know if that is "as the crow flies" (ie, a straight-line measurement at an unstretched vagina), or did they penetrate with some measuring tool? (I know they used an MRI, so it's likely an "at-rest" measurement)

"Proximal vagina" = "...proximal (approximately upper two-thirds) and distal segment (approximately lower one-third)..."

[AbraCadabra]

Mean vaginal length from cervix to introitus was 62.7 mm. Millimeter!!!

This equals less than 2.5"!!!! Now HOW is THAT?!?

e.g. Lilacwoman is talking of 6 / 7" !!!!

Vaginal width was largest in the proximal vagina (32.5 mm),

This equals 1mm more than just 1 1/4" !!!

I have some problems to find these numbers credible.

Is that just me?

Axélle
PS: If it's measured with MRI then it is OBVIOUSLY in 'rested' position, then in deed it would make sense.
BTW 4"= 101.6mm; recall giving birth will cause dilation to 4" comparing that to a 1" introitus rested!
Now I REST my case

[Beth Andrea]

From the study:

...Studies have utilized casts to visualize the vagina in three dimensions and to compare vaginal shape, dimensions and surface contact in various ethnic populations. The casts consisted of wax, rapidly solidifying dental impression paste, polyvinyl siloxane, etc. (Morgan, 1961; Richter, 1967; Pendergrass et al., 1996). These studies were limited by the abnormal distension of the vagina; however, they suggested differences among vaginal shapes and dimensions in African-American, Caucasian and Hispanic women (Richter, 1967; Pendergrass et al., 2000)...

...The goal of this project was to define baseline, nondistended dimensions of the vagina of women of reproductive age using noninvasive imaging.

They do mention their measurements are of a vagina without...accessories...stretching the dimensions. I haven't read the whole article yet, but they may have a comparative chart showing "relaxed" and "distended" measurements. Remember, a neo-vagina is an actual tube of flesh which was made full-length (or nearly so) as part of the procedure. An OEM vagina is only long enough to reach the cervix, and is able to stretch a little bit to accommodate a male erection (typically less than 6"). So maybe comparing dimensions of a neo-vagina and an OEM vagina isn't important (since they serve different functions)?

[AbraCadabra]

From the study:

They do mention their measurements are of a vagina without...accessories...stretching the dimensions. I haven't read the whole article yet, but they may have a comparative chart showing "relaxed" and "distended" measurements. Remember, a neo-vagina is an actual tube of flesh which was made full-length (or nearly so) as part of the procedure. An OEM vagina is only long enough to reach the cervix, and is able to stretch a little bit to accomodate a male erection (typically less than 6")

Thanks for your feedback and interest Beth, much appreciated in deed.
Though there is also the issue of peritoneal reflection which --- so my understanding, normally limits depth as it is part of the pelvic bone...

Axélle

[lilacwoman]

I had colovaginoplasty and got 7inches initially so I made sure to draw lines round the dilators with permanent marker so that at visits to surgeon he could see and try the full 7inches.

Then it got really sore due to the colon mucus irritating the join and the bits of scrotum that he'd used at the front so I practically gave up dilating for a couple of weeks and it 'seemed' to close up...but at next visit he used lots of lube and opened me up...I added the sound effects of woman in labour - and he said 'you've still got 7inches!'. 

So now I still have the 7inches but if I don't dilate for two days it does tighten up and there is a little bleeding when I do.

I find that maybe a hard round dilator is not the best shape and middle two fingers are fine and allow me to put pressure directly on the muscle that makes us tight and is what the suregons stretch during surgery which is why after surgery we feel to be sitting on a golf ball.

[lilacwoman]

to check for actual opening and depth of natural vaginas you could go look at some porn but only if you can stand being triply depressed if you can't achieve either the sex or depth or find porn nasty.