3 Healthy Vagina Health Habits to Commit to This Year

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It’s a little late but Happy New Year!

With 2020 in full swing, what better time to refocus and recommit (‘cause let’s be honest out enthusiasm has started to wane) to your New Year health goals. This includes your vagina health goals. Don’t have any? Why the heck not? I mean, there’s nothing more important than your intimate health. Right? Think about it; adopting healthy vagina habits helps you avoid pesky problems like yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis (BV).

Ready to get your feminine hygiene poppin’ this year?

Here are 3 healthy vagina habits you should be adopting this year:

1. Less Toxic Hygiene Products

Did you know during your lifetime you will use somewhere between 5 to 15 thousand pads or tampons? And sadly, most of them will end up in a landfill as plastic waste. It’s crazy if you think about it! The convenience and ease of a plastic tampon applicator will eventually end up on the shores of your beloved beaches and end up disrupting your waterways. Who wants that? Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you may have noticed more eco-friendly feminine hygiene products popping up on shelves in recent years. These are great alternatives to the plastic overkill that has become a routine part of our lives.

“Green” alternative to help you manage your period include:

• Reusable pads– These cloth pads come in different absorbencies for your light, medium or heavy flow days. These pads have wings that snap into place instead of using adhesive like traditional disposable pads. You can choose from a variety of colors and prints available.
• Menstrual cups- These flexible cups are designed to fit inside your vagina to collect your blood during your period. These also come in many colors and designs. In all honesty, it may take a little trial and error to perfect their use. You can read all about my first-time experience using a cup here.
• Menstrual underwear- These panties are made from absorbent technology and are designed to provide you with leak-free protection during your period. They come in so many colors and styles. Check out the offerings from companies like Thinx or Dear Kate.

2. Honest Conversations about Sex

Here’s the thing, having sex when your married with kids, looks a lot different than newlywed sex, or “freaky time sex” when you’re childless. Truthfully, having sex when you have kids requires a lot more planning and imagination. It’s easy to let the busyness of life – you know, chores, finances, raising the babies negatively impact your sex life. But it’s not too late to throw it back to your glory days.

The secret is to become more intentional with the conversations you have about sex. Be honest with your partner about your likes, dislikes, habits, and preference. Don’t be afraid to share your innermost thoughts and feelings to help reconnect with your partner and to help reestablish the sexual intimacy you once shared.

3. Pick a Birth Control Already!

So, I’ve chronicled my birth control journey before and honestly, I’m not any closer to in finalizing my selection #dontjudgeme. My husband and I are certain we don’t want any more babies, but if I wait any longer for the hubs’ to get a vasectomy, I’m pretty sure I’m gonna end up pregnant, smh. So, I’ve narrowed it down to these options:

• Getting my Tubes Tied

Tubal ligation or “getting your tubes tied” is permanent birth control. There’s no going back or changing your mind. During the procedure, your fallopian tubes are cut, tied, or blocked to prevent your eggs from traveling from your ovaries through your fallopian tubes to meet the waiting sperm. Here’s how it works-Your doc’ will insert a needle or makes a small cut through the belly button, inflate your belly with gas and then insert a laparoscope into your inflated belly. Usually, a second cut is made to your abdomen wall so your doc’ can insert other instruments to seal your fallopian tubes- either by destroying a part of your tube or by blocking it with a plastic ring, or clips.

The downtime is up to one week. So take it easy that week and avoid heavy lifting.

• Non-Hormonal IUD

In the past, I always used hormonal birth control which left me bloated and irritable (but my skin was flawless). So this time around, I decided I would give a non-hormonal birth control a try.

The copper IUD (intrauterine device) tops my list. This small T-shaped device is wrapped in copper wire and works by thickening your cervical mucus making it harder for sperm to meet your egg. The copper IUD is more than 99.9% effective at preventing pregnancy and can stay in place for up to 12 years.

As great as this birth control is, I still hesitate because of some of the side effects like irregular periods, heavier or longer periods, or more cramping which might not get better over time, smh.

If you’re looking for more non-hormonal options, sign up for my free guide.

Healthy Vagina Habits

The New Year is a great time to create new health goals. While putting your list together, don’t forget to add vaginal health to your list. Committing to these goals throughout the year can only help to create a healthy, happy vagina.