Episiotimy, I need all your hints and tips for dealing with life after one.

[Hermya321]

Hello, I've had to have an episiotmy (sorry my spelling is all over the shop at the moment) after a forceps birth. I'm currently doing a shuffly cowboy impression and would really really appreciate any and all hints and tips to aid my comfort and healing. Thank you!

I had a big episiotomy too, it does get better quickly. My tips:

• baths with tea tree and lavender oil
• witch hazel on the sanitary towel
• paracetamol and diclofenac
• my midwife said to put sanitary towels in freezer before use
• sit in pillow or cushion all the time

It gets much better quick I promise

Drink plenty of water to make sure you don't get constipated.

pee in the shower (I know, but you need the warm water to stop the urine from stinging!) or else use a small jug of warm water whilst you pee on the toilet.

When you need to pass a stool, hold a sanitary pad against your stitches.

Have lots of warm baths with salt in to promote healing.

Use the shower head (with the temp turned down to hand warm) to wash daily.

Take arnica to help with the bruising - it really works! Also take painkillers regularly.

Use your abdominal muscles and something to lean on when getting up and downs from sitting.

I have heard those rubber rings are good for sitting on, but have never tried them.

DO not, under any circumstances, be tempted to get out the hand mirror and look!!!

Oh, and you may be surprised by how quickly you will heal, good luck and congratulations on your new baby

Get some of the gel pad things from mothercare
here I found they really helped.

Lavender oil baths.

if you get even just a whiff of a funny smell go straight to gp in case it is infected - but hopefully it won't happen

buy a swimming rubber ring, but you could use a beach inflatable tyre thing too, I used one for feeding and it was such a relief.

I put it on the rocking chair and was able to sit there for as long as I wanted without any discomfort at all. Would highly recommend it.

Another one for lavender oil baths.

Be prepared to show your scar to the doctor at your 6 week check - they like to see that it has healed well.

Probably best to avoid wearing thongs for a couple of months at least!

Long-term, you might find tampons uncomfortable for the first year or two, so find a brand of sanitary towels you like. Don't worry though, the discomfort eventually disappears.

I didn't have an episiotomy, but I did have stitches. I found taking regular (2 a day) shallow baths with sea salt, lavender and tea tree soothing. I also made sure I spent some time letting the air get to the wound on the advice of the midwife. After a bath I would hang out in a big, thick dark towel for a while. I second use those femme pads, I had 2 - 1 in the freezer, 1 in my pants! I used a jug of warm after while weeing for a long time just to be sure. Make sure you drink plenty, eat loads of fruit & veg so you don't get constipated. Rest loads, I found lying/sitting on the bed more comfy than chairs. It does get better!

Cuppa - my gp didn't want to see, both times/different pct's. they just asked.
but anyway, if it still bothers you at the 6 week check, mention it and get it checked out.

Tea tree oil in the bath is a godsend!

Also please please please make sure someone checks your stitches even if its just once. Don't be embarrassed to keep asking if the mw won't check, keep phoning them to ask or go to your gp and ask them, you really need the reassurance that you're healing properly.

Congratulations

Tea tree oil or lavender baths.

Lean right forward, like, head between your knees, when you do a wee. It was the only way it didn't sting like buggery for me

Stay at home and take it easy. I went for a walk too soon and I think I pulled the stitches apart a bit. It was so painful after that and took longer to heal.

Having said that, it was after a second degree tear that I felt the most pain. The episiotomy I had with Ds1 wasn't nearly so bad and I felt pretty normal after 2 wks, whereas witht he tear it was nearer a month.

I had episiotomy 6 weeks ago and I'm not sure about it, never had any pain but the stitches went a while ago and I don't think it's healed properly. I'm going for my 6 week check today and I'm going to insist the doc looks because I have no idea what should be normal at this stage.

So painful, and so darn difficult to spell!

Don't walk about more than you can possibly help. Don't even think of taking baby out for a walk yet. Lie down as much as poss to reduce swelling.

It'll be feeling much better in a few days - tho I found mine took much longer to feel completely better.

mousy the doc didn't insist on seeing it, but offered to check. And then said 'Ooh, that looks lovely, actually'!

Lavender oil baths, rubber ring to sit on, witch Hazel to put on maternity pads (put it in the fridge for extra cooling sensation!), ice pack and ibuprofen.

Also be aware there might be an excess skin flap where they stitched you back together (though there doesn't have to be one). Mine looked massive and really ugly to start with but has now shrunk to acceptable size...

I second all the advice you have been given. My husband could buy me a 50 carat diamond ring today and it will still never be as good as the episiotomy ring (the rubber ring!) that he got from the pharmacy. He had to go all over town to find it and that just made me love him even more!

Additional advice... you don't have to transfer from the care of midwives to health visitors after 10 days and if they feel that you need the extra medical attention they can delay that transfer until 28 days. What that meant was that when the midwife came, she was just as interested in me as she was in the baby, and checked out at my tear on each visit. I used to have to lie on my side on the sofa gingerly with my bottoms off while she lifted a leg to look!

My other piece of advice is to get some loose fitting tracksuit bottoms and give your maternity jeans/joggers etc a miss. E.g. I am a size 8 and had got clothes in maternity size 8 but in order to leave plenty of room, I got size 10 jogggers (£3 each from Primark). I lived in them for weeks!

Do get someone to have a look at it - infections don't always smell, mine never did though one of my MW denied that it was infected as it didn't smell, luckily we have swabs which can test for infection.

If you have any doubts then don't wait until your 6 week check in pain - GPs are allowed to see women between birth and 6 weeks!

Take lots of pain killers, try to alternate them so that you always have some in your system. Mil-par is also a good stool softener.

Get lots of help with your baby - not only have you had an episiotomy, but you have given birth, lost blood etc and bouncing right back to "normal" isn't a reality for many women.

Well the nurse at my 6week check says its fine. Not particularly pretty looking but all healed well, despite the stitches going early. She advised the use of KY-Jelly at first with intercourse (hahaha DH will be pleased) And she said it will probably be a bit painful inside.

She told me to tell everyone on here that most episiotomies heal fine, and the pain is transient. There are very few dodgy ones by the time 6 weeks is up, and if anyone is the slightest bit worried, just book an appointment with the GP who can look, and refer back to hospital if necessary.

Keep it clean by rinsing with water after weeing and before wiping with toilet roll, mmm, nice memories. I could sit down in comfort after about 2-3 weeks and it has healed well.

Lavendar oil baths are fab, and I'm someone who is usually sceptical about such fluffy ideas! And keep yourself very clean down there to avoid infection, I had two baths a day, DH scrubbed the bath inbetween.

Let everyone else do the running around for you so you can rest and not rub your bits too much by moving around. It gets better much faster than you'd think, you'll be sitting comfortably again soon.

Oh, and do your pelvic floor exercises - they get the blood circulation going down there and that promotes healing too.

Another thing to add to a bath are calendula (marigold) flowers. You can get them dried - wrap some in a muslin, knot it and drop it in the bath while it's running. I had a bath every single day while I was healing.

Also - if it's a deep episiotomy be aware that it can take longer than they say to feel perfectly normal. Mine healed fine but it could still feel tender if pressed months afterwards. Quite common apparently.

ahhh wish I had thought of the rubber ring. sitting on anything was hell.

i sat in warm water with lavender oil at least 4 times a day for the first week. warm water from shower head was very soothing.

also, get some tea tree oil wipes.

your first poo will scare the life out of you - you may well be constipated in first few days. you will be convinced that the stitches will open - they won't!. drink lots of warm water, get fybogel, hold stitched area with tissue when you need to go.

Thank you all! Dh has been shopping and got some of the stuff you guys recomended.