Feels like broken glass in vagina 7 MONTHS after childbirth! Any ideas?

[Haleana]

Hi,

I had a complicated delivery with my DS just over 6 months ago. It involved an induction, foetal sampling, a node being put on his head, third degree episiotomy and ventouse. Not to mention a pretty large haemorrhage. I expected sex to be painful for at least a few months but even now it is just as bad. However, I'm not convinced this is a 'normal' kind of pain after childbirth as it feels like broken glass up there...

I'm begin to get really frustrated and upset with this now as we want to have more children at some stage soon. But how on earth would I manage to give birth if I can't even have sex successfully?

I have seen my doctor countless times about this and all they keep doing is giving me very painful examinations and scratching their heads. I asked to be referred to a gynaecologist but my doctor wants to 'figure it out herself'. Ridiculous.

Could the ventouse have caused nerve damage?? My DS was dragged out very quickly as he was suffering in the birth canal.

Beside myself here.

Not sure that I had the "like broken glass" feeling, but I did have traumatic birth and very painful sex after DS1.

My wonderful cure was seeing a physio who specialises in anything pregnancy related. I was actually seeing her for SPD, but when she heard about the traumatic birth, she asked if she could do an internal exam to check me out fully. She found that I was unconsciously reflexly tensing internally as soon as she came anywhere near me, as happens with other body parts after trauma. (Sorry if TMI). Anyway, she showed me some exercises and within weeks I was better and have had no problems since.

Hope you find some help somewhere, it's a rotten problem to be left with.

could you have undissolved stitches still in place (they may have used non dissolving ones and recorded them as "dissolving" ones by mistake). I had similar type of pain, and it was bits of stitch which hadn't broken down, sticking through the skin inside me - once we got all the bits out, it was back to normal in days.

I would insist on the referral. It's part of the oath/code of practice that doctors should ask for help & refer patients on if they don't know what to do. You are not your GP's guinea pig!

I assume thrush has been checked for? That can make sex extremely painful.

It could be vulvodynia or muscle spasms or a few other things, but you need to see a specialist IMO.

Yeah it's definitely not thrush. I've had a couple of excruciating examinations that have shown no infection. The most info I've had is that the nurse saw that it looked very red and sore inside but she couldn't see anything that might obviously cause the pain.

Have my next examination on Thursday. I'll insist on a gynaecologist referral.

Getting very fed up with it. Not sure if it could be undissolved stitches as the pain is quite deep and on the opposite side to where my cut was. Will ask the doc about that just incase though.

Are you breastfeeding still? Only I had the same thing - after an extremely easy delivery with no tearing at all - and it turned out that the pain during sex was due to oestrogen depletion due to breastfeeding. It's not that common in breastfeeding but does occur - basically it's the same as what happens to some women after menopause (another type of hormone depletion). Oestrogen feeds the lining of the vagina and if there's not enough it gets very raw, hence the pain. I went to the GP a number of times and they couldn't work out what the problem was so when my daughter was about 7 months old I was referred to a gynaecologist at the Royal Free and he made the diagnosis straight away. Apparently very few GPs know about this - he said they only do 6 months of gynaecology training so it's not that surprising. I was prescribed a hormone replacement cream called Orthogynest, which again is something usually given to menopausal women.

Hope that's helpful!

Sorry, meant to add after the bit about Orthogynest that it says it's not to be used during breastfeeding (because it contains a hormone) but I was assured - and checked this with the consultant as well - that using a small amount a couple of times a week was absolutely fine (the dose for a menopausal woman is a full applicator every day). I used it a few times but actually just found that as I started dropping feeds (I stopped completely when she was 11.5 months) it got gradually better - natural hormone levels being restored, presumably.

I have had something similar, just got it diagnosed now - 2yrs since DS was born. I had an area that apparently was most likely a missed graze/tear. It never quite healed and kept getting infected/ulcerated. GP didn't spot it or the first consultant. Have to have a small op to take away area and restitch.

Push for that referal, i wish i had got it sorted months ago.

Hey guys! Thank you for your help. I went for my examination and the doctor did indeed find a graze/tear which has been missed which is up inside my vagina on the wall. Anytime I try to have sex or use a tampon, it gets caught and that is what seems to be hurting so much.

So glad we know what it is. Now waiting for my referral to the gynaecologist.

You were spot on dribbleface, thank you!