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Jaw-dropping image showing what a uterus looks like has people talking

Content note: Graphic image below.

A recent social media post is sparking debate – and misinformation – about the size of a ‘normal’ uterus.

Shape-shifting lady bits

The quite graphic – scroll on with this graphic content warning – update features a very small uterus and ovaries which have been removed from a post-menopausal woman via a radical hysterectomy. (This procedure involves the removal of the uterus and other reproductive organs and is performed to treat a number of medical conditions.)

In the accompanying image, a doctor’s hand holds the uterus and ovaries – and they look very, very tiny.

Commenters in their thousands marvelled at the photo, believing that their own uterus might look like this petite example. But chances are it won’t and this photo purporting to be the norm is actually far from it.

Also? It’s kind of weird that we are celebrating the size of uteruses now! Isn’t there enough body image pressure without marvelling at petite reproductive organs?!

What is ‘normal’?

The now viral post, shared by the Institute of Mums Facebook page, goes on to detail just how adaptable a uterus is – true! – and provide some statistics on its changing size.

For the record a ‘normal-sized’ uterus is pear-shaped and apparently around 7.6 cm long, approximately 4.5 cm wide and 3.0 cm thick.^[1][2]  It typically weighs around 60 grams.

The uterus obviously changes size during pregnancy, stretching to accommodate the baby or babies. During menopause, the uterus shrinks in size as a woman ages getting smaller the further she gets from menopause.

The doctor who posted the original image on Instagram confirms this is a particularly tiny uterus and not really the norm for your average woman.

Anyone else surprised by how small it is?!! ❤️This incredible visual from @docshawarma (via @vbmaternitywellnessllc) —…

Posted by Institute of Mums on Saturday, 6 July 2019

The size of a drumstick

“After you give birth, the uterus immediately starts contracting to shrink itself,” the repost continues.

That part, at least, is true. Anyone who has had a baby will be familiar with those postpartum contraction feels, especially if you are able to breastfeed your baby. The uterus cleverly keeps sizing down in the days and weeks after birth.

While lots of people went for the information shared in this post hook, line and sinker, a number of nurses piped up to flag the photo as misleading.

“As an OR nurse I have NEVER seen a uterus that small on any women,” one wrote under the image. “I am having a hard time buying that is a grown woman’s uterus – and trust me I have assisted on over 100 hysterectomies in 30 years.”

“I actually thought it looked like teen or toddler size,” nurse Tracie continued.

“I agree,” another commenter posted. “I’ve seen many hysterectomy’s never seen them this small.”

“Absolutely agree, I‘m a surgical assistant,” someone else commented.

“As a student nurse in theatre on gynae ops, wombs I saw removed were more the size and shape of a chicken drumstick,” another Facebook user wrote.

“This is way too small and I think it’s photoshopped, I’ve seen lots of hysterectomies and the uterus is usually like a pear, not a walnut,” someone else confirmed.

So there you have it. This photo shows some amazing reproductive organs, but the average woman of childbearing age will sport much larger versions of those depicted. 

View this post on Instagram

Cuteruses Before Duderuses, Ovaries Before Brovaries . . . . . . . . . #uterus #cuterus #obgyn #residency #ovaries #instagay #gaydoc #lgbtinmedicine #surgery #hysterectomy #prochoice #endometriosis

A post shared by Ram Sharma, MD, MPH (@docshawarma) on Nov 3, 2018 at 9:12pm PDT

Posted on July 9, 2019July 9, 2019 by Pip Lincolne

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"I was born without a uterus and a vagina"

April 19, 2016

Subscribe to our ”Context” newsletter: it will help you understand the events.

Photo copyright, Joanna Giannouli

Joanna Giannouli was born with Rokatinsky syndrome

Joanna Giannouli is 27 years old. She has no uterus, cervix and vagina. She talks about the difficulties of living with a similar disorder that affects one in 5,000 women.

When we first went to the doctor, my father tried to pretend that everything was fine. My mother did too, but she was worse at it. By then, she had been blaming herself for ten years. Seeing her broke my heart. nine0005

For the first five years, we hardly talked about it. I just couldn't do it. I felt destroyed and weak. My mother thinks she did something wrong during her pregnancy. I explained to her that they had done nothing wrong, that it was just genetics.

This violation is still considered shameful in society. What hurt me the most was that when my then-partner found out about this, he left me.

I was engaged at 21. Then I lived in Athens. When I told my fiancé about my transgression, he broke off the engagement. All this is in the past, and now everything is fine with me. For the past five years I have had a good relationship with a man who loves me. He knew about my syndrome but chose to stay with me. He knows that most likely we will not have children. He takes it easy. So do I. I'm lucky. nine0005

Photo copyright, Joanna Giannouli

Joanna Giannouli found out about her genetic disorder at the age of 17

My mother took me to the doctor when I was 14 because I never got my period. He did not examine me, because he did not want to touch the intimate part of my body. When I turned 16, the doctor sent me to the hospital for examination. They discovered that I did not have a vagina and that I had Rokitansky's syndrome. Since I was born without a vagina, the doctors had to construct one so that I could have sex. nine0005

The operation went well, very well. I spent two weeks in the hospital. After that, I had to lie in bed for another three months - I just could not get up. I did vaginal exercises to widen my new vaginal tube.

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The first sign of primary amenorrhea is the complete absence of menstruation. And the impossibility of sexual life. That is why I went through the operation at the age of 17. The doctors made me a new vagina. For Athens, this was a revolutionary procedure.

The new vagina turned out to be small and narrow, and sex caused me a lot of pain, and I had to develop the transverse perineum muscle with vaginal exercises. The doctors also had to incise her to widen the "gate" as I call it. nine0005

After that I was fine physically, but not psychologically. It's a kind of burden that you can't get rid of. I had partners who just bullied me because of it. For many years I could not enter into a stable relationship with anyone. This is a terrible situation. It steals from you happiness, soul, the opportunity to be with someone in a good, close and stable relationship. It leaves a void in the soul that cannot be filled. It floods you with anger, guilt and shame. nine0005

_______________________________________________________________

What is Rokitansky syndrome?

• Anomaly in which women are born without a uterus, cervix and upper vagina
• In women suffering from Rokitansky syndrome, the development of the external genitalia, ovaries and the severity of secondary sexual characteristics remain normal
• One of the first signs is the absence of menstruation. Sexual relations are also difficult, since the vagina is either completely absent or defined as a shortened blind sac. nine0058

_______________________________________________________________

Then it was very difficult. I suffered a lot emotionally and psychologically. It was very, very hard.

Almost 10 years have passed since then. I still regret that I was born this way, but I'm no longer ashamed of it. I've been living with this for far too long. And I realized that I can’t change anything, that everything will just be the way it is, and that I need to get used to it.

For the first few years after my diagnosis, and sometimes even now, I thought I was worthless. Defective goods. That I don't deserve to be loved. For many years I was lost. It can destroy your life. I had depression, fears, panic attacks...

But I learned my lesson. Although I don't believe in God, I think what happened to me was kind of a reminder not to take anything for granted.

After that, it was as if I was reborn. I started a new life, a new understanding of myself. My life has completely changed. Before that, I was a typical teenager, sometimes happy, sometimes not. But after that, I grew up very, very quickly. And for that I am grateful.

I became a different person. I live one day. I don't make plans for the future because I don't know if I'll be alive. nine0005

Photo copyright, Joanna Giannouli

2013 scan of Joanna Giannouli's abdomen

Few people know about my syndrome. I wanted to keep it a secret, and my mother told her relatives about it. It was not very pleasant, because people start to feel sorry for you. And I don't want to be pitied. I am not dying. Nothing threatens me. But people began to look at me with such pity that I myself became sadder and sadder.

I couldn't talk about it in Athens, or in Greece in general, because people there are very conservative. Sometimes I felt like I was living in the Middle Ages. nine0005

In Greece no one could help me, I could not find anyone with whom I could talk about it. And I really needed it! Almost all women with this syndrome experience shame. I found two such women who were willing to talk about it, but after a while they just disappeared - they were too ashamed.

I would like to be a biological or adoptive mother. The mother is not the one who gives birth, but the one who raises the child.

I don't really think about it now, but maybe in the future I will have children. I love kids, so we'll see. nine0005

Talking about this sort of liberates me. I want to support all women with this syndrome in this way, because I have gone through the circles of hell and I know what problems this leads to. Because of this, many women committed suicide.

I found strength in myself because I want to help other women in my situation. After all, if we do not help each other, then who will do it for us?

Speaking of all this, I feel stronger.

Your tummy is growing - observation of pregnancy from A to Z in Kyiv

According to popular beliefs, if a woman has a so-called "sharp" protruding tummy, then she will give birth to a boy. And the owner of a rounded belly, which, as if encircling a pregnant woman, will become the mother of a girl. Doctors consider these statements no more accurate than fortune telling on coffee grounds.

Doctors are convinced that there is not a single absolutely infallible way to determine the sex of an unborn child. The intuition of mom and dad often fails. Parents want, for example, a boy, but a girl is born. The desired and the actual do not always coincide. nine0104 Doctor's assumptions - he can be based on the same folk signs that are known to parents. There are no scientifically based medical methods for determining the sex of a child. Ultrasound data are rather subjective, since the position of the fetus periodically changes, and the genitals cannot always be seen clearly. In addition, the experience of a doctor is also important, which must correctly decipher indefinite spots and dots on the monitor screen. You can trust only the new perfect equipment, which gives a high-quality image. nine0005

What determines the size of the belly of a pregnant woman? “You can only guess the gender of the baby!” doctors say. And they say with skill: the shape of the abdomen has nothing to do with it. He protrudes forward, since the child during pregnancy is above the entrance to the pelvis. The growing uterus does not fit in the space allotted to it and gradually shifts towards the soft and pliable abdominal wall. But the size of the belly is different for every woman. And it depends on the individual. Specifically:

nine0002 Pregnancy
Up to 12 weeks, the size of the uterus does not yet go beyond the pubic joint, and therefore pregnancy is not noticeable before this period. A little later, the uterus reaches the pubic symphysis, and a slight protrusion of the abdominal wall appears, which is more noticeable in women of the so-called asthenic type, thin.
From 15-16 weeks, the doctor can feel the height of the uterus, which is located in the middle between the womb and the navel, about 4 transverse fingers above the symphysis. The height of the uterine fundus is a very important indicator, it corresponds to the gestational age. How many weeks, how much is in centimeters and the height of the fundus of the uterus. But the circumference of the abdomen is measured at the level of the navel and this is the same important indicator when observed during pregnancy. If you multiply the circumference of the abdomen by the height of the fundus of the uterus, then you can calculate the approximate weight of the child. nine0005

36 weeks. The uterus is in the highest position during the entire pregnancy. In this case, the abdominal circumference is about 90 cm. Before childbirth, the fetal head descends to the entrance to the small pelvis, while the abdominal circumference increases markedly. By childbirth, the expectant mother's tummy averages 96–98 cm.
After childbirth, the reverse process of gradual contraction of the uterus occurs, which is called involution. Approximately 6 weeks after birth, its dimensions become the same as before pregnancy. nine0005

Single or multiple pregnancies
Of course, the more babies expected, the larger the belly will be: two or three babies need more space, although each of them usually has a smaller weight and height than a single "inhabitant".

Physique of a woman
- the structure and size of the pelvis - in women of small stature with a narrow pelvis, the stomach is more noticeable than in "fat women". It moves forward, because it is limited from the sides by the pelvic bones. nine0104 - a tendency to be overweight - lush forms hide an increasing belly, it is less noticeable than in a thin woman.

Diet
Some women have a big belly because they gain weight quickly. Fat deposits appear from ordinary overeating. Everything eaten, as they say, "goes to the stomach." Mom gains excess weight, and hence the baby, who will then have a harder time being born.
A normal weight gain for the entire pregnancy is considered to be about 12 kg, and in different periods the expectant mother gains an unequal number of kilograms. nine0104 Obstetricians advise to carry out the prevention of a large fetus, and for this, adjust your diet. It should be based on meat and plant foods. Flour and sweet are practically excluded. A special taboo for beer - it gives a noticeable metabolic effect, the weight increases as if by leaps and bounds.

Pregnant lifestyle
A woman who is not accustomed to a lot of movement during pregnancy gains weight easier and faster, but after childbirth it is more difficult for her to lose weight. The attending physician may recommend a special set of simple physical exercises. But you should not start seriously playing sports, only with the onset of pregnancy. Especially the types associated with heavy load or injury. Swimming may be the most suitable, since the load on the spine is excluded. It is quite possible for active athletes to continue their classes, but with a load less than 20% of the usual training regimen, of course, if there are no contraindications. nine0005

Features of the course of pregnancy
- the amount of water - with polyhydramnios they are located around the spine, which makes the stomach round and voluminous.
- edema - the abdomen is compared to the hips, the waist becomes less distinguishable, and the whole figure looks more obese.

Pregnancy
During the first pregnancy, the muscles of the abdominal wall are elastic and strong, they keep the stomach in a fairly high position. And with each subsequent pregnancy, they stretch, so the stomach can be located a little lower. For some women, the doctor recommends wearing a special bandage to maintain the shape of the abdomen. The bandage is selected individually. nine0005

Fetal size
The larger the baby, the more space it needs in the tummy, the wider the belly becomes. By measuring the belly of a pregnant woman at the time of admission, the doctor can quite accurately determine the weight and height of the crumbs even before birth. This is necessary to know in order to pre-determine the tactics of childbirth. If the fetus is very large compared to the size of the mother's pelvis, a caesarean section may be planned.

Appearance of a woman
If the face is swollen, puffy, age spots appear, they say that “the girl took away all her beauty”. And with a boy, on the contrary, the expectant mother is getting prettier. Doctors partly agree with this: girls “borrow” female sex hormones from their mothers, while boys do not need them. nine0005

Calculation of the conception day formula
Can be used when the exact date is known.

Taking measurements
The doctor measures the belly with an ordinary centimeter tape. It is located at the level of the navel in front and in the middle of the lower back. The doctor needs to know the volume of the abdomen in centimeters in order to control the development of pregnancy. The height of the standing of the bottom of the uterus and the circumference of the abdomen are determined. These indicators coincide with the gestational age. The number of weeks is the number of centimeters in the height of the uterine fundus. Multiply by the circumference of the abdomen and get the estimated weight of the child. nine0104 Doctors also use these numbers to find out the estimated weight of the child.

Changes in the uterus
The biggest changes during pregnancy occur in the uterus. It increases in size by about 5 times, becomes 200 times heavier. The internal volume of this organ increases by almost 500 times. Under the action of placental hormones, muscle fibers increase in size.

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