48 hours of labor and emergency invasive surgery left @YukikoDraws‘s pelvic floor in shambles and, in today’s comic, she shares with us how she’s been muscling through on her path to recovery. A sobering and deeply honest story about the difficulties of post-pregnancy recovery and a reminder that you aren’t alone if you see yourself reflected here. Turns out, giving birth is pretty darn rough on the body!
I can’t recommend following @YukikoDraws‘s Instagram enough, especially if you or those in your life are exploring the baby-making-thing. It features so many amazingly helpful comics about her experiences, ailments and little honest vignettes all to do with being a new and soon-to-be mother.
We’ve also got a small collection of comics on Pregnancy too for you to check out.
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↓ Comic Transcript
Page 1
My Pelvic Floor & I by @YukikoDraws published August 22, 2023 on ohjoysextoy.com/my-pelvic-floor-and-i-yukikodraws
@YukikoDraws with a chibi-like cartoon style with detailed hair. Her comic pages are a textured brown paper with colored pencil drawn on top. Her art is lively and expressive.
Narration: A few years ago, after being in early labor for 48+ hours...
Series of chibi drawings of the artist, @YukikoDraws, heavily pregnancy in various uncomfortable positions and looking miserable. Each illustration is accompanied with captions reading, "Debilitating pain ever 5-10 min. "Never again. I hate cis men." Walking & hip-shaking to intensify labor. Morphine can't save me."
Narration:I GAVE BIRTH FOR THE FIRST TIME!
@YukikoDraws is thrashing in pain on her back as a baby is delivered from between her legs into a doctor's hands. There is blood and pain lines.
Narration: Vaginal births are no joke, and mine had a twist: My placenta would not come out so I had to have an emergency D&C (dilation and curettage) surgery to remove it.
A very traumatized, pained, and pale @YukikoDraws is on her back on a medical table with a doctor hitting her stomach with a fist and their hand between @YukikoDraws' legs- but it is obscured by a cartoony skull. More blood and vibrating pain lines.
Page 2
Narration: The long labor & invasive surgery left my pelvic floor quite damaged- I had a third degree tear (which is doctor speak for "yiiiiiiiiikes"). The exterior healed quickly...
@YukikoDraws examines their undercarriage with a hand mirror. She pictures The Joker's slash-mouthed face with an arrow pointing to a perfect, pristine pink orchid blossom on the righthand side. Inside the thought balloon, the narration explains, "(My vulva went from The Joker's mouth to pretty-much-back-to-normal in a matter of weeks!)
Narration inside of a spikey yellow caption box: ...but the damage done to my pelvic floor muscles required a lot more work.
@YukikoDraws is walking outside with her baby strapped to her front, a backpack full of groceries on her back, and another bag of groceries in her free hand.
Narration: I really underestimated what had happened to my body. Because I COULD still move around. I didn't feel like I had to "recover." In reality I just didn't take PF health that seriously - I knew what kegels were, but had no idea about damages.
An educational box appears on the page, bearing the title: Say hello to the pelvic floor muscles.
Caption: A group of muscles at the bottom of your torso that holds up all your important insides in their proper positions. Think of the cardstock lining at the bottom of a paper bag.
A helpful diagram illustrates a transparent paper bag standing upright on its own, with the flat floor of it highlighted in yellow.
The following informational blocks are divided into four cells:
Title: "NORMAL" PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES
Image: A cross-section of a person's midsection is on display, showing the intestines, bladder, and all that other good stuff. On either side are two little blue guys labeled "CORE" who hold the organs in place, while below are three yellow (like the paper bag's floor, from earlier!) guys labeled "PF" who support all the organs over their heads.
Title: DURING PREGNANCY
Image: The same torso now has a medium-sized baby floating in there upside down, with all the organs and little support guys pressed out and away against the walls of the swollen belly.
Title: RIGHT AFTER BIRTH
Image: Crop of a torso showing the organs inside all askew and the anthropomorphized muscle people obviously discombobulated and not quite in their right places.
Title: IN RECOVERY
Image: The little muscle people are looking very determined while they exercise with weights.
Page 3
Narration: The physical symptoms of my PF damage were:
-[Emoji face of eyes closed into two slits with the mouth one long horizontal line] An unnerving sense of heavy "weight" in crotch, especially after walking or carrying thing.
-[Grimacing emoji face] Incontinence (from sneezing/coughing)
@YukikoDraws stands next to this list, looking forlorn. A 1 ton weight is drawn sitting in her stomach and below her three big yellow drops of pee fall between her legs.
Narration: Keeping a baby alive was incredibly taxing, managing my PF health on top of that felt nearly impossible.
Looking like a mummified corpse who has been drained of all life, @YukikoDraws reclines among her nursing pillows, breastfeeding her baby on the couch. Medical and sanitary paraphernalia lines the arm of the couch. The baby looks plump and well-fed.
Now on a doctor's table, a masked @YukikoDraws looks very confused at the doctor inspecting between her legs.
Narration: My PF Physiotherapist didn't help as much as I'd hoped. I didn't really connect with her instructions, and felt more anxiety than empowerment about my recovery.
Doctor: Pretend you're picking up a blueberry with your vagina. Nod your clit. Bladder might be prolapsed?
Page 4
Narration: All of this overwhelmed me and exacerbated the emotional side effects.
@YukikoDraws holds her face in her hands with anxiety lines raining down on her.
Narration: I felt so much SHAME for being a "ruined woman with a loose vagina."
Immediately below that narration in smaller text and with a yellow triangle warning sign, a follow-up caption explains: "Tight vagina" is a DANGEROUS patriarchal BS. Healthy PF muscles are strong but also able to relax and release.
In shocked defeat, @YukikoDraws looks at the diagrams on her phone, showing the physical exercises she is supposed to be doing.
Narration: I felt INADEQUATE for not being able to keep up with physiotherapy homework exercises.
@YukikoDraws stands and sneezes into the crook of her arm while her other hand defensively shoots in between her crossed legs, from which a little yellow blast shoots out and away from her body. Above and behind her, the caption box melts into yellow rivulets, containing the narration, "Pissing myself is HUMILIATING."
Late at night, the reader can see through @YukikoDraws' see-thrugh blanket as she lays in bed in her pajamas with her hands clasped over her crotch. Her vacant eyes are clouded with anxiety as the caption box melts down into her ear with the text, "...And I was constantly TERRIFIED of having a major prolapse."
Narration: Couple of years later, however, I had a turning point - a friend shared a similar experience and recommended a different pelvic floor physiotherapist.
Another mom holds an infant and toddler in her arms as she cheerily informs @YukikoDraws about a link to check out, helpfully illustrated by the chain link emoji. In turn, @YukikoDraws immediately hits "BOOK NOW" on her phone.
Narration: I decided to switch things up and get a second opinion.
Page 5
Narration: It was a breath of fresh air.
In a face mask, @YukikoDraws reclines on another doctor's table with her bare legs bent, this time with cords running up to her crotch. The cables connect to a small white rectangle, which in turn connect to a black laptop with a graph on the screen.
The masked doctor calmly explains, "You have a Grade I prolapse of urethra and rectum, we can likely manage through exercises." A yellow caption adds, "CLEAR DIAGNOSIS"
She continues, "I'm only giving you simple homework, consistency is key."
"Pull your anus up. Squint anus like the sun is shining too bright." The doctor instructs @YukikoDraws, with a yellow caption adding, "SIMPLER CUES"
A caption points to the graph on the laptop, explaining, "Live visuals of contractions helped me connect to my body"
@YukikoDraws stands triumphantly, flexing her arms, and wearing just a sweatshirt and white underwear. Colorful blobs explode in back of her.
Narration: My PF is still a work-in-progress... but I'm finally feeling optimistic about my recovery now that I have someone who can guide me to connect positively with my body. It's all too easy to feel isolated and ashamed of this (often-hidden) struggle. But it's more common than we realize, and WE ARE NOT ALONE!
In an electrically-charged caption box, the narration reads, "We should all feel empowered and ini control of our bodies!"
Transcribed by Erika Moen on April 21, 2025
My Pelvic Floor & I by @YukikoDraws published August 22, 2023 on ohjoysextoy.com/my-pelvic-floor-and-i-yukikodraws
@YukikoDraws with a chibi-like cartoon style with detailed hair. Her comic pages are a textured brown paper with colored pencil drawn on top. Her art is lively and expressive.
Narration: A few years ago, after being in early labor for 48+ hours...
Series of chibi drawings of the artist, @YukikoDraws, heavily pregnancy in various uncomfortable positions and looking miserable. Each illustration is accompanied with captions reading, "Debilitating pain ever 5-10 min. "Never again. I hate cis men." Walking & hip-shaking to intensify labor. Morphine can't save me."
Narration:I GAVE BIRTH FOR THE FIRST TIME!
@YukikoDraws is thrashing in pain on her back as a baby is delivered from between her legs into a doctor's hands. There is blood and pain lines.
Narration: Vaginal births are no joke, and mine had a twist: My placenta would not come out so I had to have an emergency D&C (dilation and curettage) surgery to remove it.
A very traumatized, pained, and pale @YukikoDraws is on her back on a medical table with a doctor hitting her stomach with a fist and their hand between @YukikoDraws' legs- but it is obscured by a cartoony skull. More blood and vibrating pain lines.
Page 2
Narration: The long labor & invasive surgery left my pelvic floor quite damaged- I had a third degree tear (which is doctor speak for "yiiiiiiiiikes"). The exterior healed quickly...
@YukikoDraws examines their undercarriage with a hand mirror. She pictures The Joker's slash-mouthed face with an arrow pointing to a perfect, pristine pink orchid blossom on the righthand side. Inside the thought balloon, the narration explains, "(My vulva went from The Joker's mouth to pretty-much-back-to-normal in a matter of weeks!)
Narration inside of a spikey yellow caption box: ...but the damage done to my pelvic floor muscles required a lot more work.
@YukikoDraws is walking outside with her baby strapped to her front, a backpack full of groceries on her back, and another bag of groceries in her free hand.
Narration: I really underestimated what had happened to my body. Because I COULD still move around. I didn't feel like I had to "recover." In reality I just didn't take PF health that seriously - I knew what kegels were, but had no idea about damages.
An educational box appears on the page, bearing the title: Say hello to the pelvic floor muscles.
Caption: A group of muscles at the bottom of your torso that holds up all your important insides in their proper positions. Think of the cardstock lining at the bottom of a paper bag.
A helpful diagram illustrates a transparent paper bag standing upright on its own, with the flat floor of it highlighted in yellow.
The following informational blocks are divided into four cells:
Title: "NORMAL" PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES
Image: A cross-section of a person's midsection is on display, showing the intestines, bladder, and all that other good stuff. On either side are two little blue guys labeled "CORE" who hold the organs in place, while below are three yellow (like the paper bag's floor, from earlier!) guys labeled "PF" who support all the organs over their heads.
Title: DURING PREGNANCY
Image: The same torso now has a medium-sized baby floating in there upside down, with all the organs and little support guys pressed out and away against the walls of the swollen belly.
Title: RIGHT AFTER BIRTH
Image: Crop of a torso showing the organs inside all askew and the anthropomorphized muscle people obviously discombobulated and not quite in their right places.
Title: IN RECOVERY
Image: The little muscle people are looking very determined while they exercise with weights.
Page 3
Narration: The physical symptoms of my PF damage were:
-[Emoji face of eyes closed into two slits with the mouth one long horizontal line] An unnerving sense of heavy "weight" in crotch, especially after walking or carrying thing.
-[Grimacing emoji face] Incontinence (from sneezing/coughing)
@YukikoDraws stands next to this list, looking forlorn. A 1 ton weight is drawn sitting in her stomach and below her three big yellow drops of pee fall between her legs.
Narration: Keeping a baby alive was incredibly taxing, managing my PF health on top of that felt nearly impossible.
Looking like a mummified corpse who has been drained of all life, @YukikoDraws reclines among her nursing pillows, breastfeeding her baby on the couch. Medical and sanitary paraphernalia lines the arm of the couch. The baby looks plump and well-fed.
Now on a doctor's table, a masked @YukikoDraws looks very confused at the doctor inspecting between her legs.
Narration: My PF Physiotherapist didn't help as much as I'd hoped. I didn't really connect with her instructions, and felt more anxiety than empowerment about my recovery.
Doctor: Pretend you're picking up a blueberry with your vagina. Nod your clit. Bladder might be prolapsed?
Page 4
Narration: All of this overwhelmed me and exacerbated the emotional side effects.
@YukikoDraws holds her face in her hands with anxiety lines raining down on her.
Narration: I felt so much SHAME for being a "ruined woman with a loose vagina."
Immediately below that narration in smaller text and with a yellow triangle warning sign, a follow-up caption explains: "Tight vagina" is a DANGEROUS patriarchal BS. Healthy PF muscles are strong but also able to relax and release.
In shocked defeat, @YukikoDraws looks at the diagrams on her phone, showing the physical exercises she is supposed to be doing.
Narration: I felt INADEQUATE for not being able to keep up with physiotherapy homework exercises.
@YukikoDraws stands and sneezes into the crook of her arm while her other hand defensively shoots in between her crossed legs, from which a little yellow blast shoots out and away from her body. Above and behind her, the caption box melts into yellow rivulets, containing the narration, "Pissing myself is HUMILIATING."
Late at night, the reader can see through @YukikoDraws' see-thrugh blanket as she lays in bed in her pajamas with her hands clasped over her crotch. Her vacant eyes are clouded with anxiety as the caption box melts down into her ear with the text, "...And I was constantly TERRIFIED of having a major prolapse."
Narration: Couple of years later, however, I had a turning point - a friend shared a similar experience and recommended a different pelvic floor physiotherapist.
Another mom holds an infant and toddler in her arms as she cheerily informs @YukikoDraws about a link to check out, helpfully illustrated by the chain link emoji. In turn, @YukikoDraws immediately hits "BOOK NOW" on her phone.
Narration: I decided to switch things up and get a second opinion.
Page 5
Narration: It was a breath of fresh air.
In a face mask, @YukikoDraws reclines on another doctor's table with her bare legs bent, this time with cords running up to her crotch. The cables connect to a small white rectangle, which in turn connect to a black laptop with a graph on the screen.
The masked doctor calmly explains, "You have a Grade I prolapse of urethra and rectum, we can likely manage through exercises." A yellow caption adds, "CLEAR DIAGNOSIS"
She continues, "I'm only giving you simple homework, consistency is key."
"Pull your anus up. Squint anus like the sun is shining too bright." The doctor instructs @YukikoDraws, with a yellow caption adding, "SIMPLER CUES"
A caption points to the graph on the laptop, explaining, "Live visuals of contractions helped me connect to my body"
@YukikoDraws stands triumphantly, flexing her arms, and wearing just a sweatshirt and white underwear. Colorful blobs explode in back of her.
Narration: My PF is still a work-in-progress... but I'm finally feeling optimistic about my recovery now that I have someone who can guide me to connect positively with my body. It's all too easy to feel isolated and ashamed of this (often-hidden) struggle. But it's more common than we realize, and WE ARE NOT ALONE!
In an electrically-charged caption box, the narration reads, "We should all feel empowered and ini control of our bodies!"
Transcribed by Erika Moen on April 21, 2025