labial graze not healing - why??

[morocco]

anyone experienced this? I gave birth 6 wks ago and was told I had bad labial grazes. one side has healed fine but the other side is still sore. I finally plucked up the courage to check it out and it looks more like a tear to me than a graze, a long thin line just inside (sorry if tmi) that still hurts and also still bleeds if I prod it (ouch!) obviously I won't be doing that again, but is this normal?? and what can be done?
tia

[elibumbum]

I'd see the Dr about that if I were you. Have you had your 6 wk check up yet? Most Docs will only have a look down there if you ask them to! You could also try tea tree oil or lavender oil in your bath - they both help with healing.

[lou031205]

Are you breast feeding? I only ask because I went to the doctor after 7 months of discomfort, and she said that because I was breast feeding, the oestrogen levels are reduced down there, which prevents healing.

DOn't have to give up breast feeding, you can be prescribed a topical oestrogen cream to apply.

[morocco]

i'm going back yet again to docs later this week but wonder if i should push for a gyn appointment cos it just doesn't seem to be healing
i had an episiotomy last time and it healed much much quicker, but can just a graze get infected?

[Piffle]

witch hazel is excellent for grazes dirt cheap from boots
xx

[morocco]

wouldn't it be very ouch though? I am a big coward at the thought of yet more pain in my nether regions

[Piffle]

nope put it in fridge tis bliss for the nethers put on cotton wool pad
honest

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

Badidas in the bath helps healing and shouldn't be too ouch as quite diluted.

I would make sure your GP actually takes a look at it when you see him/her this week - they should be able to assess what needs doing from there, referral, etc.

[Piffle]

oh morocco chamomile tea as well

[hairdo35]

I have the same problem although i had an episiotomy which took 2 doctors an hour to stitch but I also tore and they left that to heal naturaly. I am nearly 3 weeks on now and its still not healed. Only advise I have been given from Midwife etc is Salt baths (not a painfull as it sounds), and let plenty of air get down there (easier said!). I also got an infection in the tear and ended up on anti biotics which I now think has cause thrush on my right nipple from breast feeding! I have another check up next week at which point the mid wife may recommend more stitches!! You should definately push with your GP to have a look and get it sorted!!

[colditz]

Put a long loose skirt on and no knickers

[lou031205]

Morocco, are you breast feeding? It really was the answer to why I hadn't healed.

I was going back to work and so stopped at 7 months, which is when I healed.

But, like I have said, there are other alernatives that mean breastfeeding can continue uninterrupted.

[Piffle]

lou?????????
I had two grazes with ds1 and dd and healed really well and was bf
What's the link there then?

[PinkTulips]

Caullophylum cream did the job on my grazes down there both times, works very quickly so might be worth a try

[expatinscotland]

I healed, too, whilst bfing dd2.

But I have to say, I found the graze more painful than the episiotomy stitches. Those just itched.

[totaleclipse]

Cooking salt in the bath worked wonders for me, it does'nt sting either.

[mears]

morocco - not evidence based but our community midwives recommend Sudcreme for labial grazes - works wonders I am led to believe.

Sounds as though your graze was deeper than that and was a tear.

Give in another week - if still bleeding go back to doctor.

Breastfeeding shouldn't make any difference regarding healing.

[expatinscotland]

I never really saw what the 'graze' was. Was too scared to look, tbh.

But it did hurt like a mo' fo'!

Witch hazel in a spray bottle did it for me.

Worst bit was that I'd gush blood everytime DD2 latched on and started suckling. No idea why.

[Guard]

Thanks for this thread. V helpful as I have a graze after DD3 (Monday am) and wondering how to speed healing. With DD2 I had a tear (which is now the graze) which took ages to heal and eventually needed a gyn who sorted it there and then. Hurt like mad for the rest of the day that he sorted it out (no pain relief though) but I was up and fine the next day no more bleeding etc - it was great. That was at about 8 weeks. Doctors etc had been a bit more "give it time and rest" but it needed help - so I would push if I were you.

[littleducks]

i had a graze, i think it took longer than 6 weeks to heal but slowly did so much so i had forgotten about it but at the time it felt like a chunk was missing! i was still bleeding for over 8 weeks postnatally, as my drs do a 8 week check not 6 week.

[morocco]

oh wow - just rechecked this thread, thanks everyone for posting and for all the ideas and tips - I was feeling a bit about the whole thing.
I hope the tea tree has done the trick cos no pain or bleeding for 2 days now, but if it comes back again, i'll insist on a referral i think and in the meantime, try the sudocrem (I'd wondered about using that, mears, so thanks for letting me know it can help) and the other creams
those grazes are so so much more painful than my last episiotomy - ouch!

[Tashopk]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could advise. I had my baby 6 weeks ago I had a lovely pool birth delivery. The mw said I had a very small tear on labia and that it didn't really require stitches. I am still in serious pain when I pee it doesn't feel as though it's getting any better still now and the mw just keep saying give it time but it hurts a lot and feel as though sex or any kind of intimacy is a million miles away. Did anyone have the same and what can i do to heal quicker??

[lmh3]

Hello, in the same boat here! Probably a bit premature to be posting but I had my little one 5 days ago today....no tearing buy the midwife said I had a labia graze, she wasn't sure if she wanted to stitch or not so got a second opinion and they decided not to....

It's really very sore, weeing isn't so bad as I drink a lot so it's diluted and tend to make sure it doesn't flow over it.

How much salt should I use in the bath? Also it looks very red and raw which I suppose is normal but don't know what it should look like?!

Any guidance or advice would be so appreciated. One more thing, the midwives said it looked like it should heal together as it seemed to neatly line up when left but am concerned that it will just heal with the small tear?

Thanks :)

[brokencrayons]

When they said "graze" to me, that's just what I thought I had. Reading my notes I had a 2nd degree tear, so don't let the word graze fool you x

[BlinkAndMiss]

I thought is never heal this time - 2nd degree tear with stitches inside and out and a graze. The graze hurt far more than the tear as they were healing, at 6 weeks they were still both agony (my stitches worked their way out and they don't re-stitch as a general rule). My drs now do an 8wk check and by then I was fine, I can't feel anything uncomfortable anymore but still daren't look . So I must have healed up somewhere in the 7th week, I've taken loads of tea tree oil baths and made sure the area was clean and dry especially in the hot weather we've had. It felt like I would never heal though and thinking about it seemed to make it worse.

[Beesandbutterflies]

Sorry to hijack the thread but just wondering if someone can tell me what a labial graze actually is and the difference between that and a tear? The mw said to another mw I had this but never said to me and it's not in my notes.