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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

If you don't have epidural, how painful are stitches?

29 replies

Jane7 · 26/04/2011 12:06

I'm 30 weeks with my second and I'm thinking about birth options. Last one was pretty bad - induced, three day labour, epidural, secondary degree tears and masses of internal stiches.
I'm fairly keen to try to have things a bit more natural this time round but then I'm scared about tearing again and having stitches with no epidural. Last time, midwfie topped up my epidural because even after local anaesthetic, it bloody hurt when they started to stitch. What are other's experiences? I know I might not tear so badly this time, but to be honest, they did such a good job of stiching me up tightly last time, I'm sure I will. I feel just as small as I did last time (sorry if tmi!)

OP posts:

BooyHoo · 26/04/2011 12:08

they give you a local anaesthetic before they do the stitches but i'll be honest, i still needed teh G&A for them. they were sore.

Cattleprod · 26/04/2011 12:08

Not very painful, especially compared to crowning, forceps etc. The local anaesthetic injection worked fine, and I'd already put lidocaine gel on the area - don't know if that helped or not.

Bit sore for a few days afterwards though.

vickibee · 26/04/2011 12:10

Very apinful but not at the time - it is for weeks afterwards when you cannot sit down and it throbs all the time

pirateparty · 26/04/2011 12:14

Had a second degree tear but no epidural, just local anaesthetic and honestly didn't hurt. Even the local going in was fine. I guess we're all different and will depend on the person doing it, but can hand on heart say it wasn't painful.

GwennieF · 26/04/2011 12:15

I had a local anaesthetic and G&A but it still smarted a little. Afterwards, even up to a fortnight after, walking for any distance was uncomfortable but it wasn't really painful as such.

I took paracetemol a couple of times a day for a week or so and had salt in my baths every day and I think that helped.

Eglu · 26/04/2011 12:16

I had stitches after DS2 with a bit of local anaesthetic. The mw also gave me the G&A. I didn't really have any pain from having them done. I was using the G&A but that was more for after pains than the stitching. It was also done in my bedroom at home. Not too bad at all.

LaWeasel · 26/04/2011 12:22

Needed the G&A.

I don't remember it being that bad, but I was knackered and it would have been tough to beat the labour!

Moulesfrites · 26/04/2011 12:26

I had local anesthetic and g and a, and it was bearable - think the gas made me out of it again - was having a lot of nonsensical banter with the woman who stitched me up!

Original poster

Jane7 · 26/04/2011 12:28

Thanks for all these replies. Maybe I was just unlucky that it hurt so much the first time. I think it was something to do with my stitches being internal and quite deep. Anyway, fingers crossed I won't need quite so many second time round.

OP posts:

detoxdiva · 26/04/2011 12:29

Not painful in comparison to what you'll have just done

I tore with both my dc - once in hosp and once at home. I was given G&A to help relax while the local anaesthetic was given and during the stitching. Once you've had that injection the area is numb anyway so all I could feel was the sensation of the stitching - undignified but not painful!

Try and relax as best you can, use the G&A to help and you'll be fine.

Nagoo · 26/04/2011 12:33

Unbelievably painful in comparison to birthing a 9.5 lb baby.

The local didn't work for me and the stitching was inhumane.

second baby I didn't tear though. But I wouldn't have put up with it again :(

munkii · 26/04/2011 12:57

Yep as Nagoo says, I had a drug free birth (not through choice) as the stitches were the worst bit they kept stopping to ask if I was OK, my response was just get on with it! They did give me gas and air though and I got to hold my DD throughout which helped... a bit!

OP you will be fine- the buzz of the birth gets you through.

walkbesideme · 26/04/2011 12:59

I had gas and air and a local anaesthetic for the stitching and I couldn't feel anything.

mandoo · 26/04/2011 13:03

Mine were not really painful at all. I was stitched by a doctor rather than a midwife. He told me that as soon as I could feel more than just a pulling or pushing whilst he was doing it to say and he would give me more anaesthetic, which he did. I had 4 injections in the end. I also had GA but didn't need it.

However one of my friends said she would rather give birth again than have stitches so I think it's different for everyone.

Good luck and remember you may not even need them!

SummerRain · 26/04/2011 13:03

I got no local anaesthetic, plus they shoved a tampon up me as i was still hemorrhaging and they couldn't see what they were doing. And they kept faffing around with the wrong needles/stitches and lots of running back and forth to the operating theatre to get the right stuff.

they did give me a pain relief pessary afterwards though

I had no epi and didn't use g&a either but it was manageable... definitely worse than labour but manageable. Worst thing was dp had fucked off out to ring everyone not realising they were going to stitch me so i had no one's hand to break hold.

i refused stitches with my next to labours though as the stitches they used hurt so much i couldn't walk and they didn't dissolve like they were supposed to, i had to take a nail scissors to them 3 weeks later.

Cies · 26/04/2011 13:06

I had a local anaesthetic injection and didn't feel a thing. I only had 4 isolated external stitches though.

GoldenGreen · 26/04/2011 13:35

I had quite a lot of stitches both times and was fine with the local anaesthetic and G&A

mejon · 26/04/2011 13:48

I had a 2nd degree tear this time and didn't really feel the stitches. The injection of local anasthetic was more painful tbh. All I could feel was a slight tugging sensation. With DD1 I was cut (can't spell episiotomy!!) and was given local anasthetic and G&A. Despite the G&A doing absolutley nothing for me during the birth itself - I was completely off my head with it when I was being stitched up!

juneau · 26/04/2011 14:04

I had a local anaesthetic before I was stitched and I didn't feel a thing. I only had a 1st degree tear though - maybe that makes a difference? But I really wasn't in any discomfort afterwards and didn't need to take any painkillers later.

neversaydie · 26/04/2011 14:50

I had an induced labour, and ds was back to back. During most of it I was on diamorphine, but it wore off just as I entered the final stages, and I did the rest of it on gas and air and bloody mindedness.

So then the doctor appeared to stitch me up, assumed that I had had an epidural and got weaving. It was the one and only time I yelled through the whole experience - he was very indignant. It is the closest I have ever come to kicking a man in the balls.

Pinkjenny · 26/04/2011 14:52

I had no pain relief other than G&A, as ds came very quickly. I'll be honest, the stitches weren't exactly my idea of fun.

But, it's soon a distant memory.

Zimm · 26/04/2011 15:22

Could not feel mine - area was totally numb from the gel.

NorkilyChallenged · 26/04/2011 15:28

Why did I read this thread?

I had stitches with epidural first time, so fine. Second time, birth with no pain relief but couldnt' actually let them stitch me. Couldn't stay still enough for them to even do the local anaesthetic injection so they didn't stitch me. Have total phobia and am worrying about tearing this time...

wolfhound · 26/04/2011 15:32

Nothing to worry about. Tore both times, second time second-degree internal tear that needed quite a few stitches. Kept on the gas and air (and had a local anaesthetic). Wasn't comfortable but perfectly bearable. Especially with a gorgeous new baby on my chest!

wetwelly · 26/04/2011 15:33

Horrendously horrifically painful!! After 3 natural births and 3 second degree tears it was the stitching that I will always remember as the most pain I could ever possibly imagine - so much so that with each baby I ended up in theatre with a spinal block for the stitches - which is a total PITA after giving birth naturally. Epidural for my fourth baby and wonderful blissful experience with stitches no problem. So my opinion is epidural all the way!!!

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