Dilation Anxiety Regarding Width

[bahatim]

Although I have faithfully dilated for the past six months since SRS in June, I never moved up from the 1 1/8 inch dilator until now.  I have consistent depth with that dilator at 5".

I moved up to the 1 1/2 inch dilator a week ago, but it will only go in about 4".  The first day or two it would only go in about 3", so I've noticed progress. I'm concerned and freaked out and hope I can at least most of that other inch back.

Am I just overreacting?  Will that angry inch calm down and return to me?

[Flan]

going from #1 size to #4 is quite a leap x_x

going to the next larger size is the only reliable (and non painful) way to expand tissues.
https://www.susans.org/wiki/Vaginal_stent#Sizes

[bahatim]

I started with a soft dildo which is also 1 1/2 inches in diameter. I thought that would help "prep" me for the more rigid one. Curiously enough, I think that might be the case. At first, I could barely get the soft one in more than three inches, but today it went in five inches.  It was uncomfortable, but not anymore than dilation was at first.

I hope the rigid one will catch up soon.  I was getting worried.

[jade]

You are not a GG, you won't just stretch like that. Take your time, patience is a virtue, and repeated estrogen cream applications do soften the vaginal tissues. Everyone's pelvic bone is different size. Some people will require more training with dilation than others. Softish dildos can be useful as long as you can have a variety of sizes in diameter so you can increase your width slowly. Good luck.

[Sandy]

The general rule of thumb is that width steals from depth, so that as you expand the width of your vaginal it will reduce the depth.

Continued dilation with the wider stent may give you back some of that depth as you will stretch over time.  But the advice already given is good.  Jumping to a much wider stent can be uncomfortable.

Take your time, it will work out.

Also, just as an aside, unless you are dating Mr. Ed, most guys will be quite happy with you as you are and you would find intercourse quite comfortable.

-Sandy

[Renate]

Just make sure that every time that you dilate that you dilate to your full depth.
Don't let the fact that you are using the largest dilator make you ignore the deeper parts of your vagina, use the smaller dilators too.
Gradually going up in sizes should have been your project for the last half year.
What did your surgeon write down for your dilation regimen?

Soft dildoes are not really going to help as they don't enforce a uniform width.

[jade]

I heard silicone dilators are meant to rock