stitches - how long before this pain gets better?

[tyaca]

been five days, second degree tear. on paracetomol every four hours, pain bad and awful mobility.

when does it start to get better? how long til it goes completley?

[gigglewitch]

light is at the end of the tunnel, my friend.. It is hell, but does sort out. I remember very clearly every day of hell after DS2, which lasted for ten days and felt like ten years. It hurt so much I cried at about the stage you're at now. Had to resort to p#ing in the shower as it stung so hideously, nowhere comfortable and walked like a ninety-year old. But it does get better, honestly. Try Arnica tablets, which might just help the bruising go a bit quicker. Ten days wasn't a magic 'cure', but a hell of a lot better.

[talkingmongoose]

God, it's the weeing, isn't it?

I used to wee in the bath.

Baths were very helpful generally, I had 2 or 3 a day.

You have all my sympathy.

[gigglewitch]

agree about the baths.
Mine had savlon- the stuff in the blue plastic bottle which doesn't sting and actually feels quite soothing. Also might help when you have to resort to weeing in the bath. lots of us have done this, whether we all admit it or not

[LadyOfWaffle]

baths, sometimes with salt but don't dry out, KY jelly around the area to avoid rubbing (just normally), sleep with no knickers - infact stay as knicker free as you can and sit on towels. Mine eased up after a few weeks.

[tyaca]

cheers guys, just been able to take next lot of paracetemol. properly limping, feel like i've been punched there

re the peeing - i've got a jug (actually a cafitiere ) by loo and just keep chucking warm water on myself. manages pain during pee itself - but still feel aftershocks for five min after. i swear dh thinks i'm being melodramatic and he hears all these funny sounds, but its like i'm going to be sick during that time straight after

re the no-knickers thing.... of all the times... . dh back at work tomo and slightly bizarrly am looking forward to a morning au naturel on towels on sofa.

might brave a salt bath. was thinking of seeing dr for stronger painkillers if poss, and maybe going for the salt if could get better relief

10 days huh? ok, that makes tomo - day 6- dealable with. broken the back of this. now, if the last lot of paracetmol could just kick in now, i could contemplate bed.

[Niecie]

I had stitches which were horrible with DS1 and the episiotomy didn't start to feel better until the midwife took the stitches out on day 7 - didn't bother waiting for them to dissolve as they were just too restricting and painful. After that it was another 3 days but much better than before so 10 days sounds like a good estimate.

I was advised to have two baths a day with 5 or 6 drops of lavender oil added. It helped although it is difficult enough to fit one bath in a day with a newborn let alone 2! I still associate the smell of lavender with newborn babies

Congratulations on you new baby. It will be better soon.

[HeathersMummy]

I was a sore for a couple of weeks, but best tip from health visitor was to take lots of baths and dry down below with a hairdryer. Can't tell you how embarrassed the first time I did it, but it works a treat

[tyaca]

oh, jammi - ouch! i always get infections, dont know why. fingers crossed this is one i miss out.

had seven hours sleep last night - proper deep sleep, best since lo born six days ago. today felt best so far. pain in fanjo def easier to deal with, so hopefully have turned a corner. pain comes back as get later in evening, but from waking and thru day, tis all ok. (have prob jinxed this all now)

[meebles]

I remember it aching more the tireder I was. I took lots of baths, diclofenac and co-dydramol, and wierdly found that those huge maternity pads felt quite supportive when it felt like the whole world was about to fall out down below.

[Bky]

I too had a second degree tear, I remember waking up and every day feeling worse not better.

But I know that on day 10 I felt a huge amount better for the first time and after that things got much better quickly.

[tyaca]

hi all - felt a lot better yesterday - day seven. had had a good seven hours sleep which i think made all the difference. meebles, know what you mean about the tiredness thing, even tho last couple of days a lot better, by end of day, final feed v v dif

[beforesunrise]

second the hairdrier idea. mine were v painful until mw had enistein moment and checked my iron levels- low iron can hinder quick healing. so get yourself some floradix just in case (i am totally evangelical about the stuff- should get them to pay me!)

[Mungarra]

I had a cut and stitches with my first birth. Really it took about 3 weeks for the stiches to completely stop hurting. I suppose it was OKish after about 10 days.

[mylittlepudding]

Don't hesitate to add in ibuprofen/voltarol if you can take it. It's def not unreasonable for the first week or two. And may save your sanity.

[TheBlonde]

Are you doing your PFE? they will help the blood flow and healing

[CoteDAzur]

3 weeks.

Pain was so bad I took painkiller/anti-inflammatory suppositories. Paracetamol didn't do anything.

Use antiseptic dry powder spray down there. Better than blowing it dry.

Once it heals, immediately start using an anti-scarring cream, as the scar tissue that usually forms is a nasty source of pain for a very long time.

Forget wearing clothes or even panties. Wrap a towel around your waist.

Huge sympathies. I know it's very hard.

[CoteDAzur]

LOL at pelvic floor exercises.

OP doesn't sound like she can exercise down there and I envy your post-birth status if you think PFE are possible five days after birth

[BabiesEverywhere]

Boots do Fem Pads, which are gel pads which you cool in the freezer and pop into disposable paper covers (buy seperately from Boots)

Buy some and swap as frequenty as you can hobble to the freezer. I had a third degree tear and these helped the pain a lot.

HTH

[BabiesEverywhere]

Feme Pad Link

[TheBlonde]

CoteDAzur - best to start squeezing straight away, at hosp with no2 they checked I could do them before I left!

[CoteDAzur]

That is what I am saying. YOU could do PFE right afer birth. Some of us are not so lucky. Does OP sound like she can do PFE?

[TheBlonde]

What I am saying is that she should try
Mine seemed to have no effect to start with

Make sure the MW checks them, mine didn't with DC1 and they were infected which didn't help

[queenofthedumbquestion]

My MW told me to use lavender oil in the bath, but to add it to a bit of milk (cow's, not yours. Well, so I assumed) as it makes it disperse in the water better.