Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

1 2 3

Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Childbirth

May need c section. Staples or stitches?

65 replies

spub · 01/03/2006 11:31

I had a 3rd degree tear with dd and may need a c section when I have my sedonc baby this summer. My friends who have had sections couldn't really agree on whether staples or stitches were "preferable".
Any experience/thoughts?

OP posts:

Report

bundle · 01/03/2006 11:40

I think it depends on the surgeon..I had stitches both times and the 2nd time the result was better than the first. the stitches run inside and all you see on the outside is a small plastic blob (a bit like the ends of map pins in a cork board), midwife cut one end off at home about a week later, and then pulled out the "thread" (thickish plasticky stuff) which felt strange but definitely didn't hurt. staples are often used in areas of the body where you won't see the scar eg scalp.

mumfor1standfinaltime · 01/03/2006 11:45

Never heard of staples! I had stitches which desolved by themselves, didnt need to touch them at all and no problems. Ds is 13.5m.

lahdeedah · 01/03/2006 11:56

I would insist on dissolvable stitches.

I had one of those continuous stitches that bundle mentioned, where they pull it out after 5 days, but mine healed into the wound and I ended up back in a delivery room on the gas and air while they cut it out!! The doctor who sorted it out for me said she would go for dissolvable stitches every time. That's definitely what I'll be insisting on next time!!

uwila · 01/03/2006 12:04

I had the long string with "plastic blob"s thing. It was good for me. I've had it twice, actually. I had knee surgery 12 years ago where they used the staples and that scar is MUCH wider.

spub · 01/03/2006 12:05

Thanks for the messages so far! Interesting to get other people's perspectives.
Am bricking the birth in any case!!

OP posts:

buffythenappyslayer · 01/03/2006 12:07

i had staples,and if your squeemish,dont read the rest of this!!
i had to have an emergency section as my placenta had come away and i was bleeding internally.(i kept telling the doctors that something was wrong,but they didnt listen,then after 4 hours of me cryine with a pain in my stomach,they rushed me in to theatre).anyway,i was in theatre for 2 and half hours as they couldnt stop the bleeding.(the doctor went in to my mum,held out his arms to her and said 'i am so very sorry' my mum thought i was dead!!he apologised saying he should have listened to me).so,i had staples.i also had a chest infection.everytime i coughed i had to hols my scar as it was the most excruciating pain i had ever felt (and ive had 4 natural deliveries!!)well,i told a midwife that under my dressing didnt feel right,and that i could feel something there.she took the dressing off (it was some of that white gauze stuff,with a wide elatoplast over it and she ripped it off me,taking a chunk out of my side!!bitch!!)and she stood back,and the covered me up and ran out!!my staples had come out!the c section cut wasnt below my bikini line,its about 2 and half inches above.a doctor came in and had a look.it had got infected and was open at the left hand side!i was told to go have a shower and i stood there crying and holding my stomach whilst pointing the shower head on it.they didnt re staple,but i had dressings on for 7 weeks.it was a horrifying experience,so if you do get the choice,go for stitches or glue!!(sorry if you have passed out by now!!)

spub · 01/03/2006 12:16

ooh. Bloody hell. the staples are not sounding like a good option.
Buffy, hope you are all ok now. Love the name incidentally!

OP posts:

WigWamBam · 01/03/2006 12:20

I had the continuous stitch that Bundle mentioned, and it was fine.

My dad has just had staples in his knee (he's had a knee replacement) and they're not pleasant. They took ages to remove, it was painful when they did, and they have left him with more scarring than ordinary stitches leave. I've never heard of having staples for a c-section, and I would try to avoid them myself if I could.

buffythenappyslayer · 01/03/2006 12:21

thanks spub!!am ok now (ds is now 6) and my last was born naturally.every now and again it gets abit red,its the full width of my pelvis,not your usual neat little scar!i hope everything goes ok for you in the summer!!

milward · 01/03/2006 12:22

Had staples for my cs - no problem at all - never felt a thing when they were taken out.

tissy · 01/03/2006 12:25

buffy, you had an infection in your wound, and it would have fallen apart whatever was used to hold close it . I had the long stitch with the bobbles, and when it was rmoved a section about an inch long at one end opened up. Once the pus was away (nice!) it healed up fine.

buffythenappyslayer · 01/03/2006 12:27

they told me it had got infected because of the staples coming out of the end.also had pus,agree,not nice!!(yuk!!)

JanH · 01/03/2006 12:32

Do you get a choice, then?

DD1 was born in a New York teaching hospital 24 years ago and I had a single dissolvable thread (IYSWIM) which was fantastic. (I also had no overhang from that one, which is amazing with hindsight considering I'd gained 4 stone during the pg!)

Had the other 3 on the NHS with old-fashioned black thread stitches. They all healed OK though the scars were never as lovely as the first

Piffle · 01/03/2006 12:32

I had staples with my ectopic laparotomy which is similar scar to c section
I was horrifed to look at it, it looked so freaky.
But...
IMHO the healing was quicker and the scar ir much tidier than some of my friends who have had c sections.
Painless to remove too.

mythumbelinas · 01/03/2006 12:35

i didn't have a c section, but similar. I had an ovarian cyst removed and staples over a 9" cut. Looked like a train track at the time, but it was fine. Staples removed after a week and healed very well (just a v short and v thin pale pink line now)
I have the staples in a little jar somewhere .. for keeps sake!!

mawbroon · 01/03/2006 12:36

I had staples for my cs. Looks a bit like a zip and the midwife laughed as she said she had never seen so many staples in a cs wound (27 IIRC), but they were fine for me and there were no probs getting them out either

janinlondon · 01/03/2006 13:04

Have never heard of being offered a choice. Most hospitals now stitch rather than stapling, but it will be up to the surgeon I think.

TuttiFrutti · 01/03/2006 13:09

I never got the choice. Check with the hospital whether you will but I think it's unlikely.

I had stitches, the non-dissolvable sort which had to be pulled out by a midwife a few days later. They were fine. She just pulled them out with a pair of tweezers and it was less painful than having my eyebrows plucked!

Twiglett · 01/03/2006 13:11

had one long running stitch .. easy to remove

never had a choice on staples .. wouldn't want anyway I don't think

lahdeedah · 01/03/2006 13:32

I don't think they offer a choice - but the doctor I saw said that if you make a special request (in my case for dissolvable stitches) they have to respect it. I am going to be putting it in big bold letters on my next birth plan!

fruitful · 01/03/2006 13:34

Had a continuous stitch with a bobble the first time, and dissolving stitches the second time. Much prefer the dissolving ones.

A midwife who checked my scar at one point commented on the dissolving stitches and asked if my surgeon was a woman. She was. And it is a very neat little scar!

I don't know if you get a choice, but you can always make a request, can't you?

JanH · 01/03/2006 13:36

fruitful, my lovely first scar was done by a woman too!

Another choice for your birthing plans then - OBSTETRICIAN MUST BE FEMALE AND HANDY WITH NEEDLE!

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

lahdeedah · 01/03/2006 13:37

fruitful - that is very interesting! the surgeon who did my c-section using the continuous stitch was a man. The doctor who recommended using dissolvable stitches next time round was a woman. She said that is what she would use both for herself and her patients.

mythumbelinas · 01/03/2006 13:44

I had a discussion about my stitches before i went into the operating theatre, but was told dissolvable ones weren't an option for the possible cut they might be doing.
As i had mentioned i had staples (was quite a shock when i woke up, coz nobody had mentioned staples) but surgeon (man) came by to talk about my surgery and reassure me (whilst massaging my feet!) telling me he'd made it as neat as poss so i could still wear a bikini!!
How nice!

mousiemousie · 01/03/2006 13:47

Staples for me - no infection, no pain on removal but scar sore for a long time - however I don't think that was anything to do with having staples instead of stitches

Flip

1 2 3

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.