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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Episiotomy and 2nd degree tear

37 replies

spandau1980 · 24/05/2016 14:36

After a dreadful birth with my fifth child I he to have a episiotomy forceps and got a second degree tear too

I'm 17 days post birth

I'm very tramatised and still hate what happened

My scar appears healed but last too days it's pulling and feels like needles inside and have a few lumps that hurt to push

Am I expecting to much too soon or am I never gonna feel ok again

Also my the entrance to my V the stitches came out so have a > shape gap that isn't closing up 😫😫😫

Any advise words of wisdom reassurance pls ???

OP posts:

frangipani13 · 24/05/2016 14:49

I don't want to scare you but I would see the GP if I were you. I also had a 2nd degree tear and episiotomy and felt mostly fine after two weeks. Good luck

Original poster

spandau1980 · 24/05/2016 15:23

Saw her last week and the midwife and they all said looks good but the but that's come apart is obs still sore and the scar is hurting underneath
Hate this :(

OP posts:

lavenderdoilly · 24/05/2016 15:29

Keep telling them. It took a year before I had what's called a Fenton ' s procedure because of over scarring. Which, in the early days, they seemed to pretend wasn’t happening. So sorry you are going through this.

31weeksgone · 24/05/2016 15:32

Mine was about like this, red raw with lumps, an open wound and it did heal, but it took about 14 weeks. When mine was checked by the midwifes it wasn't infected but they did describe it as 'gaping' but it did heal, and it doesn't hurt anymore and I'm 7 months post partum. Get your midwife or GP to check it and keep an eye on it, you could need anti-biotics and a laxative so you don't have to strain to go to the toilet which can do more harm than good. for you I still feel slightly traumatised about it all, horrible experience. Congratulations on baby

frangipani13 · 24/05/2016 17:23

To promote healing I was told to lie on a towel after a shower without pants on to allow air to the wound. ..I also used warm water with a few drops of tea tree in a squirty bottle after peeing which helped a bit.

lavenderdoilly · 24/05/2016 17:30

Frangipani, I was told all that too. If it doesn't work op must insist on being properly checked out.

frangipani13 · 24/05/2016 17:53

Absolutely agree Lavender

Cakescakescakes · 24/05/2016 18:02

My third degree tear took a while to heal and partially opened again. What really helped with the discomfort was sitting in a warm shallow bath with 5-6 drops tea tree o in it then lying on a towel to air dry. Did this every night before bed. Kept wound clean and helped with the pain. I had an episiotomy second time round and did this too and it was equally helpful. Things got back to normal eventually!

locomomma · 24/05/2016 20:36

Keep pushing to be seen!! I was swatted away a few times about seeing a perineal specialist on this preg following 3 deg tear on last preg. On my 3 deg tear, healing helped by letting air at it after every shower I'd lie on my bed legs akimbo and witchhazel on pad was good too.

Ughnotagain · 24/05/2016 20:40

Oh OP, I know how rough this is. My epis stitches came apart and I had an infection. I think I spent weeks frantically googling trying to find the answers I wanted.

Mine healed fine, to be honest. And it did take a good few weeks. By I'd say about two months it was pretty much fully healed (and I know that feels forever away now, but it will pass).

Has it got worse since the midwife checked you last week? It might be worth going to be checked over again.

Original poster

spandau1980 · 25/05/2016 15:06

Hi all
Thank you for your replies
It feels like lumps under the scar tissue that feel like needles being driven in if pushed
Is this internal stitches can't see any other stitches on surface now
And yes two months feels like a really long time 😩
Had a dreadful pregnancy and hoped to bounce back now I feel like I'll never play the piano again 😩

OP posts:

lavenderdoilly · 25/05/2016 15:07

You're not supposed to feel like that. Please insist on a proper check. And keep insisting.

Me624 · 25/05/2016 15:35

I had a big episiotomy and stitches (forceps delivery) and was very uncomfortable for a good while. I had exactly the same as you where the stitches came out right at the entrance to my vagina so it was kind of gaping. It wasn't healed properly by my 6 week check so I got the GP to have a look and he said give it another few weeks because often they do heal well on their own but just take a bit longer. DS is now 12 weeks and it has healed up really well now, I felt ready to DTD at 10 weeks and had no pain at all.

Original poster

spandau1980 · 25/05/2016 20:44

ThAts reassuring ME624 thank you
Lavender I'm gonna call doc tomorrow and get seen its really painful when I squeezed the area it bled a bit too
So stressful when ur tired and exhausted with a newborn
She's had poop problems and sore bum so been trying to sort her milk out too so been a very rough start so far xxx

OP posts:

iniquity · 26/05/2016 04:57

Hi Spandau,
My episiotimy stitches were gaping in two places after a horrid birth.
I know exactly how awful it is, I just wish the medical establishment would understand the distress it causes! Just when you want to go out and show off your newborn you have this hideous fanny wound to deal with. I was in such despair I almost bought some surgical glue to stick it back together!
I barely left my bed for 6 weeks and it had closed up by then. It has totally healed now and fanny looks the same as before.
It does seem you are touching it way too much. I know how temping it is but that will not promote healing and could bring an infection. Also every time you look at it you are opening it up a bit so try to avoid that.
I wish you a speedy recovery and I'm sure all will be fine in a few weeks.

icklekid · 26/05/2016 05:08

It will get better but it will take time. I had episiotomy and 2nd degree tear. My stitches gapped and I had an infection too. I remember being so gutted at 6 weeks that people who had a c-section were healed and I wasn't! I saw a nurse every fortnight until was healed and not sore any more. By 8 weeks things were a lot better and once you can start getting out and about without pain I felt much more positive.

Mummabear22 · 26/05/2016 06:03

I had this and it turned out to be a rather nasty infection! 2 lots of antibiotics later and at about 3/4 weeks post birth, I felt normal again. Hope it gets sorted soon.

underrugsswept · 26/05/2016 06:03

I had a 2nd degree tear and although things look a little different down there now (labial tears too and I have a V where some of the stitches didn't hold) it healed quite quickly and I don't give it a thought now. I'd see how you feel in another 2 weeks.

Ughnotagain · 26/05/2016 08:41

iniquity I agree, I really don't think medical professionals understand the devastation this causes. I think my case was pretty normal by all accounts (infection/stitches coming apart, but it healed normally) and I still felt like my entire world had fallen apart. Post partum hormones and a wound that makes it difficult to perform basic bodily functions... It's horrible. I had to pee in the bath for days. My OH came upstairs the day before my infection was diagnosed and found me trying to pee in the shower crying in pain. It's awful.

I'm personally quite sure I already had the infection when I left hospital but the midwife who checked (had a cursory glance at) my stitches didn't notice it. Nobody told me the importance of baths over showers. I know it sounds basic but when you're exhausted after a three day labour and trying to deal with your first baby you just don't even consider this kind of thing.

I got a little obsessed with checking it daily with a compact mirror to see if it had healed further yet. Then I made myself stop and checked twice a week. Then weekly. And then one day I forgot about it. Checked a few days later and it was fine.

My GP I saw at our 6 week check was actually the most helpful. And by that point it was mostly better anyway.

Sorry, that was a little long. But this kind of thing bothers me so much. A year later I'm healed completely but it still makes me angry.

lavenderdoilly · 26/05/2016 08:55

The charmer who did me went to ask a colleague on a&e how to treat stab wounds when her efforts had gone badly wrong.

Original poster

spandau1980 · 26/05/2016 12:04

Fanny wound made me laugh thank you needed that!
I've got very angry and cried a lot feel mutilated it's awful
I'm obsessed with looking at mine too
Must stop prodding it about
Sigh
Had choice of this or c section
Devil and deep blue sea

Baby had cord round her neck I had excess fluid heart rate dropping and hands over her head blocking her exit
All my others were natural deliveries
First was twins !!!! So very upset this went so "wrong"
Glad others feel better now
Gives me hope that things ll settle down xx

OP posts:

Original poster

spandau1980 · 27/05/2016 16:52

Went doc a got some antibiotics
Have issues taking them but she said looks clean so give it til sat if it's an infection it ll raise its head
Just wanna feel ok x

OP posts:

MotherofPearl · 28/05/2016 23:06

Spandau, congratulations on baby being out, but so sorry to hear of difficult birth and the aftermath. I really sympathise. I ended up with forceps and episiotomy this time - same as with both my previous 2 births - and I've had similar problems with my stitches. They got infected and I've been on antibiotics, and then the stitches opened up on one end , leaving a gaping wound. I've only been able to sit down for the last week or so (gave birth on 4 May). I'd recommend the antibiotics, and as others have said, exposing the wound to as much fresh air as possible. Hope you're feeling a lot better really soon - you deserve it after the horrific pregnancy.

Original poster

spandau1980 · 29/05/2016 18:04

Hello :)
MOP huge congrats 😍
I no longer feel sick yay
But boo on the episiotomy
Yes I'm taking the tablets sob
It feels like razor blades down below ... Will I ever play the piano again 😫😫😫

OP posts:

MotherofPearl · 29/05/2016 22:37

Thanks Spandau. Problems with tear/episiotomy stitches seem to be quite common - you'd really think that they would have better care for women in this situation because it is so painful and upsetting. But I'm confident that you will play the piano again! We'll all go back to normal eventually.

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