Episioptomy not healed properly- really worried & feel like a freak!!!

[mummy2lola]

Hi there, I'm posting because I need some advice, and sometimes it's easier to talk to strangers than those close to you. I had my DD 8 weeks ago now, and had to have an episioptomy, which I thought was healing ok. I've stopped bleeding, and I'm very clean and kept the area clean. I felt things feeling a bit strange down there, and decided to take a look in the mirror. at first all looked normal, but where the flaps ( not technical word!) are it's not healed shut between them, and I can see inside.
The muscles inside my vagina are visible if I open up the slit. When closed it appears normal, but when opened up it reveals a slightly enlarged vaginal opening. I can see white bits of skin in there too, which may or may not be scar tissue....i dont know!!!
My anus is only a small thumb's width away from the tear/slit, so I know I have not healed properly or the slit would be closed. Air now often gets into my vagina and it released as a "queef" when I sit down. Water often gets in during baths and flows out when I stand up. I really need some help!

I've resumed sex and it hasn't hurt half as much as I expected it to, as I thought everything was ok down there, but its obviously not :-( I'm a bit worried- has anybody experienced anything similar????.

Go and see your doctor and get it checked out - always best to be on the safe side especially with such a sensitive, important area!

I found sex still painful for a long time after a forceps delivery and when I finally got up the courage to see someone about it a year later it was because my episiotomy hadn't healed properly - so different symptoms to yours but perhaps the same problem. The gp referred me to a gynaecologist, who referred me to a surgeon. It was a quick operation in day surgery, though under general anaesthetic, where they cut open the episiotomy and did it again. This time it healed well and no more problems. So although it's embarrassing, and the last thing you want right now is more people staring at your fanjo, I would recommend going to your gp. Hope you get it sorted quickly! And congrats on the baby!

It does sound as though the wound is healing without coming together quite as well as it should. Please go and see your GP, this is not such an unusual problem. You can have it 'restitched' if necessary - 2 of my close friends have had this done and have had no further ongoing problems. Please don't be too shy to have this sorted, the GP will have seen it before.

It's so embarrassing and I such a private person. I do agree,MIT just doesn't seem to have healed properly,MIT has healed with a big gap in the middle :-s feel embarrassed enough sharing this with total strangers!!!! Would they completely re-cut it, and then sew up again? It feels so wrong to just have a gaping hole- feel like a complete freak of nature

Definitely not a freak of nature - you're a new mum!! It's all perfectly natural and very very common. I'm honest when I say I don't know any women who didn't have problems post episiotomy - myself included!

A lot of women need some sort of reconstructive surgery after childbirth. It is not your fault, you are not a freak. It is simply that you now need some extra help to carry on with your recover. Ideally, you should see your GP, have you had your 6 week check yet?

I've had my 6 week check and the dr didn't look at my healing down there because I was still bleeding. It doesn't hurt as such, but there's a dull ache that feels like a bruise, and when I looked in the mirror between the vaginal lips, there's a gaping hole and I can see inside it, such as muscle and white skin, or scar tissue...what do you think happened, and I'm sure it wasn't like this before, but I've never looked at myself in that detail before- what should it look like between the vaginal lips? Sorry to ask such questions- I can't bring myself to look again. If left would it eventually heal from the inside out???

I think you need to go back to your GP and ask them to give you a proper check now that you have stopped bleeding. I know it can be embarrassing, but 10mins of blushing will be worth it if you can stop worrying.

Very true- I am incredibly worried, and I guess that's the only way to find out if its normal or not....bite the bullet and blush!,

Your GP really will have seen it all before. I had a 3rd degree tear and episiotomy that took ages to heal so I went to my GP who was lovely and very supportive. The aching feeling is perfectly normal and is just part of recovery - your body has been through something really major!

Lots of people have their stitches redone afterwards and all is fine. It seems that with everything that is going on during birth often we don't get fixed up as well as we could.
probably because everyone is so focused on the baby.

No one here can diagnose as we can't actually see what's going on, but your GP can tell you how things are and the best thing to do.

Please don't let embarassment put you off. It's worth getting it sorted or at the very least having peace of mind. You can do this - you have been through labour!!