Below the Belt with Sexologist and Zenzsual Co founder Dr. Sofia Herrera
On today’s episode we are talkin’ ALL things private and going below the belt with Dr. Sofia who has a wealth of knowledge and is truly so fun to follow. I am obsessed with her and her whole product line, and what they are doing for our women’s health, especially in midlife. Sexual health and conversation often times feels “tabu”, but it’s a really important topic for us to discuss openly. In this episode, I asked her ALL of the things that many of us would be too scared (or shy) to ask!
Women’s health is largely misunderstood. Unlike men, women go through a lot of changes in life and we are constantly having to adapt. The lack of knowledge about these changes can lead women to make decisions that could have some harmful consequences. Dr. Sofia set out to teach women, like us in midlife, more intimate sexual health.
Pain During Intercourse After You Have a Baby That Seems to Get WORSE in Menopause and Midlife
Pain during intercourse is the number one killer of someone’s sexual drive. When you’re constantly experiencing pain, you’re likely not going to desire or love to get intimate. The pain after delivering a baby is naturally induced by the hormonal changes a woman goes through (regardless of delivery method). During this time, a woman’s body is prepared to feed and take care of the baby, so all of the hormones produced in our brains and ovaries are actually blocking desire and vaginal lubrication — which is the main culprit to the pain you might experience during this time (in addition to the potential vaginal tear from delivery). Since women are SO creative, if we experience pain and are not aware of our body’s changes, we might jump to conclusions that something is wrong with us, and tuck away in our brains the “wanting” of intercourse. This is the easiest pain to alleviate with correct lubrication or changing our techniques of entry.
What Should You Look For in a Lubricant?
There are a TON of lubricants out there. Unfortunately, a lot of them cause some not so enjoyable side effects. The perfect lubricant is water based. If it’s not water based, they tend to be oily, and will get stuck in the tissues of the vagina and can cause a host of infections. You also want to make sure you use one without glycerine, without silicone, without fragrance/flavor, without phenoxyethanol, and without parabens. All of these can cause really bad side effects. In addition to being water based, you want to look for one that is actually good for you even AFTER intercourse. One with hyaluronic acid is actually really moisturizing for your body (who knew that you should be moisturizing your vagina?!)
What Happens to Vaginas as We Age?
Our bodies and vulva depend a lot on estrogen. As we age, our hormones change and diminish. When the estrogen begins to dip, we can get really dry. When we age, our vagina loses the capability of retaining as much water as it did previously. When this happens, we can experience dryness. Imagine a sponge. When it’s wet, it’s plump and full and spongy. When it’s dry, its shriveled, jagged, and just not as plump and full. This is exactly what happens as we age, which is why moisturizing your vagina with high quality gels is SO important. Acting like water to a sponge, the gels being added daily to your vagina (both externally and internally), you will essentially “keep your sponge wet”, healthy, and plump.
What is Going on With the Odor Down There in Midlife?
After a woman gets her first period, and all the way even past menopause, a woman gets a smell that is very particular to that area of her body. It’s NOT a smell of flowers, or strawberry! Sorry ladies. Nope, it can’t smell like perfume. It smells like a vagina and is slightly acidic. And yes, when we workout, it might smell like B.O. because it’s actually the only other place on our body (the folds between our legs and vulva) that has the same type of glands as our armpits do! It’s normal (even if we don’t like it!) Even if we don’t like the smell, it is NOT healthy to clean inside your vagina (like with a douche). When you do this, you affect your microbiota in the vaginal microbiome that protects us from infections. The ONLY safe spot to clean is the external vulva — NOT the inside. The inside is like an oven, and cleans the inside itself. To clean your vulva, make sure you are using something smooth that has NO detergent (look for SYNDET), includes hyaluronic acid, and other good ingredients for your lady parts like Zenzsual cleanser has. Make sure you are not over-cleaning and only wash like 1-2 times per day.
Listen, this and SO MUCH MORE (including toys and techniques) is on the episode! You’ve gotta tune in and learn what Dr. Sophia has to share with us.
About Dr. Sofia
Sofía Herrera Mendoza is a renowned Venezuelan doctor; specialist in gynecology, obstetrics, hysteroscopy, laser, and Personal Coach. In addition to medicine, her passion is education, which is why she has dedicated to informing through traditional and alternative media. In 2017, she came to the United States as a “Celebrity Doctor” in the information area through social networks. With personalities such as Ingrid Matcher and María Marín, she maintains weekly information programs through different platforms.
With more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Herrera has been a pioneer in social networks, establishing open communication on issues concerning women’s comprehensive health. She is the author of 2 Books: “Tu Cuerpo” and “Basta de Hacerte Pipí en Los Pantalones”, both Best Sellers in categories of new releases on Amazon. She wrote them in order to alert and inform that they should be aware that knowledge is the most effective tool to prevent or treat diseases early with greater success and a positive impact on health.
Her advice can also be obtained at “Your Intimate Health”, where together with Dr. Klara Senior, she is co-founder and main speaker for the Zenzsual brand.
Sofia Herrera wan to spread her health message for women and adolescents in order to truly generate empowerment through the conscious transformation of healthy habits.
For more information, be sure to check out: www.zenzsual.com/nataliejill
In this episode, you will learn:
- Why we might experience pain during intercourse in midlife
- Why proper lubrication and moisturizing is necessary below the belt
- What you need to do to take care of yourself down there in midlife
