AIBU to ask how long episiotomy pain usually lasts?

[Ithurtstoomuch]

I had to have an episiotomy during a different procedure. When I spoke to the surgeon in hospital and told him it hurt more than the reason for the operation he said ‘you basically had a baby’. I had two c-sections so have no idea what this hell is!
Operation last Thursday, heavy painkillers while in hospital, I got back started moving around and IT FUCKING HURTS!!
I’m not a troll, I changed my name because I feel very vulnerable. AIBU please can you tell me about your experiences?
Even after 8 days I can’t use underwear,
can’t sit down (I bought the recommended pillow but it ‘pulls’ so not that helpful), can’t pee without it stinging (I should put water while peeing), can’t go half a day without painkillers.
HOW LONG MORE BEFORE THIS HELL SHIFTS A BIT?
Yesterday a poor man had to listen to me sob while I was asking him to cancel a dinner reservation I made because I didn’t know if I could sit down in two weeks.
(My husband tells me it all looks
ok. Also, I’ve had my more than fair share of operations so I know what pain is but NOTHING has hurt this way)
Thank you

I had 2 x episiotomies with my 2 9lb daughters. Also a 2nd degree tear with both. 1st one I struggled with, turned out they had stitched me 'too tight' and it couldn't heal as wound edges kept pulling apart.
2nd one, I was walking round the park by day 3, stopped taking pain killers by day 4.
If it's this bad by day 8, maybe get it checked?

I had an episiotomy and it was definitely sore for a long time (weeks, and months to be fully back to normal) but it was more achy than ‘can’t sit down’ within a few days. I think you should speak to a doctor if it’s this bad.

I'm very similar one very painful, 2nd was difficult forceps delivery of a 10lb baby and no problems.

With the first one when I had 6 weeks check up my GP said, "did the person who stitched you have a personal grudge against you?". Yes it was bad. Varies so much.

I would ring your GP and ask for a swab to check for infection. I had an episiotomy with my first child (& a C-section with my second) and it wa so sore. I couldn't sit comfortably, took a cushion to a restaurant but had to go home and even standing I felt all this pressure and pain. Even baths were tricky especially as I had piles. After a week of it seemingly getting worse my midwife took a sample. She visited me a few days later to say the sample went missing but she looked me over and said it all look fine and healing well. It should be grand but contact my GP if I've a fever etc. So I just left it and 3 months later I get a letter from my surgery saying to please ring about my cultural sample. 3 months later! I don't know what happened but it turned out I did have an infection but doctor thinks my body must have healed itself. So I think it is expected to be painful for a week but if it's getting worse not better after this I would imagine it needs investigating.

Oh god I never even considered that it might be infected. However the pain is more than anything I have ever felt before so it could easily have been badly done.

Depending on what the surgery was, you might have some hefty bruising Thats sitting alongside it.

That won’t be helping if that’s the case.

I had a pretty brutal birth and by ten days was probably more comfortable than you’re describing. Really do use water for weeing. Amazon sells peri bottles which makes it really easy. Can also do warm saline rinse (aka hot tap water with a shake of salt)

well DS is 17 so that long!!!
Actually its only a bit sore from time to time (usually after sex) so I am sure it will get better for you but please do get it checked

I would call your GP to see if a medical professional can take a look- my episiotomy, the dissolving stitches had not come away properly and the skin had started to grow over them, so the stitches had to be removed. Once they were out the relief was immense and I felt much better within 24 hrs as my skin began to properly heal. This was 26 years ago, and I still wince thinking about how sore it was.

I had an episiotomy with DS1 - I think it was probably 6 weeks before I could walk properly for moderate distances.

I would get checked for infection - sadly it's quite easy for it to happen in that area. I needed antibiotics after mine. GP should be able to do it. You also need to keep on top of the painkillers - don't let them wear off and then take more. I alternated paracetamol and ibuprofen for a few weeks.

I called the hospital and am waiting for a call back. I checked myself (first time, I have been asking my husband who has been saying the swelling was going down so all seemed well) and I do have two hematoma bubbles, basically two hemorrhoids, which are clearly the site of the problem. Every time I touch them they make me cry in pain. It's those. Given my husband's comments they haven't been growing, but I wonder whether a stitch was done too tight and the skin around them can't relax.
Fuck me this is awful pain.

Thanks for all the help btw, I can't think straight but all these tales of pain are really awful. Women really do bear the brunt of life.

My oldest is 28 and I can still remember the pain from my episiotomy! It granulated and I had to have it cauterised 😵 It tore into my anus and I then got an anal fissure 😡 When I gave birth 4 years later (couldn't have sex for a year after and it always hurt afterwards), the midwife cut all the over stitched lumpy scar away and I've felt like a new woman ever since. Don't let them fob you off. I know you haven't just given birth but I know the hell of mine was part of the reason I had ppd.

One of the reasons I had two electives. So sorry that sounds so painful. You need to get it checked out properly

Oh bless you. I had a third-degree tear and huge haemorrhoids after giving birth, and the pain was horrendous. Honestly, I'd rather have a C-section than go through that again. At one point I sat down too quickly and actually passed out from the pain, no joke!
It does get better with time, though. When you're at home, try to avoid sitting for long periods if you can. I spent most of my time lying on my side or back. Plenty of salt baths can help, and it's important to keep the area as clean and dry as possible.
I would also definitely get checked over by your health visitor or GP, especially if you're worried or the pain isn't improving. ❤️

Thanks a lot for all your messages. Talked to the surgeon and he said that I clearly have an infection, so he's ordering antibiotics for me. Btw, the 'hemorrhoids' are at the site of the stitches, on my vagina. At least now I know where the pain comes from, and I hope that the antibiotics are really what I need!

BTW, I have been checking AI with all my fears in the past few days and it kept telling me that all was well and it would take 2-4 weeks to be able to sit down comfortably. It's only because of all your messages that I understood I needed to ask for help. Thank you.

When you say you spoke to the surgeon, has a professional actually seen the wound? And Whats the time frame for you getting the antibiotics?

If no one has seen it, and the antibiotics aren’t getting to you soon it’s probably worth a follow up round of phoning.

I had a lot of pain but not for the length.of time you describe. I think the level of pain you felt when it was done depends on the pain relief you were given for it and the sewing up. I can understand if you didn't have pain relief during the labour and suddenly needed an episiotomy they wouldn't have time to give any pain relief. But there should definitely have been pain relief when they stitched it and, since you mention it was during a different procedure it's odd and not great they didn't numb it.

Pain after is normal but Inwas advised to sit on hard chairs etc as while this is less comfortable short term in encourages it to heal. This was the Dutch health care system though and they have an... Interesting attitude towards pain. But I would say it wasn't agonisingly painful for as long as you describe. I definitely think you need to have a health professional check that it is healing OK (not just prescribe antibiotics although those should help). There is no point suffering in silence.

I got the antibiotics and I will be taking them for a week. I have a review on Tuesday but I won’t wait that long. If I don’t see myself getting a bit better tomorrow I’ll call/text again.
He didn’t think he needed to see me. It was done privately too so I do think it’s bad that I’m being left on my own with this. I ‘hope’ it’s an infection and that I’ll be able to see progress.

I was sitting on a chair in hospital and I did come home by car. I can’t do either now as too painful though of course I was on massive amounts of painkillers there. My husband is telling me that the whole area looks much less swollen and ‘angry’ than when I got home, also that the ‘frontal hemorroids/hematomas’ are reducing and don’t seem to be choked by stitches or anything else so I am hoping that it’s a minor problem that can be
resolved quickly, but the pain is unbearable.

This sounds awful @Ithurtstoomuch .I really hope the antibiotics start kicking in ASAP.
I also had increasing pain after my episotomy, with swelling and what seemed to be blisters forming along the site of the wound. It appeared that I had had a reaction to the suture material. A week afterwards I went back to the doctor who removed the sutures, and the improvement was immediate. Don't hesitate to push to be seen by someone if the pain doesn't let up very soon.

I just woke up because of the pain and peed.
I don’t know if I didn’t feel them before
or if they are ‘shrinking and multiplying’,
but instead of two ‘bubbles’ I now feel more.
It feels like what you are describing.
If I don’t feel better but tomorrow night I’ll make sure that someone sees me.

You poor thing! Can you make an appointment at your local surgery for someone to have a look at it? It could be as simple as needing a stitch snipped a tiny bit? Not explaining it well but basically after I had my youngest (nasty tear not episiotomy) I healed well but a week after something started to “pull” and really hurt. Midwife looked and my skin had started to heal around a suture in a way that bloody hurt. She snipped it somewhere and almost instant relief.

Hope you get some relief soon.

Weeks in my experience. I got an infection too. Maybe 6wks for me. I also had 3 failed forceps attempts and 3rd attempt at ventouse, and extensive bruising that I had a special lamp treatment for.