Urethra pain after childbirth?

[Chunkychicken]

I had my DS on Sunday, and despite it being a surprisingly quick delivery, I felt very happy and that things had gone well. I had a couple of stiches internally (& 1 outside) but think this was caused by the scar tissue from stiches I had following my DD's birth 2.7yrs ago.

However, in the last day or so, my lower abdoment has felt quite tender and sometimes, when I move or spread my legs slightly, generally just moving about normally, I have had some quite sharp and uncomfortable pains in and around my urethra/upper pubic area. It feels like the type of pain you get on peeing with cystitis BUT it is not linked to a full bladder or going to the loo. It somestimes just hurts when I move - like getting up from the chair. The only description I can give is like razor blades in your urethra.

I also have diastasis of the rectus abdominis, which means I have to be careful lifting etc and it seems that sometimes the pains come when I have been trying to lift something (like my DD) or move myself.

Does anyone else have any experience of this? Could I have "bruised" my urethra or sent my pelvic floor muscles into shock or something?

I don't think I have any urinary incontinence and it doesn't seem worse if I have a full bladder. In fact, it just seems to be worse in the evening, as it has been okay for most of the day. I told the MW today and she just thought it might be related to a tear near the urethra/clitoris area, but it doesn't hurt when peeing, so I'm not sure this can be right.

Anyone know anything about this? TIA.

It could be a UTI: after delivery these can sometimes feel different in terms of symptoms.
Do you have a fever or feel generally unwell?
I definitely think you should ask the MW to follow this up or ask your GP. Pelvic or suprapubic pain could also be due to a post-partum infection which would need to be treated with antibiotics.

I don't feel unwell at all, tired but not poorly. I've an easily accessible GP so will keep an eye over the weekend. Thanks.

I had this. So did a friend in my NCT group. It was painful but intermittent. It felt exactly as you describe.

It went away after a week or so. The MW told me it was bruising to the urethra. I was very bruised externally after delivery.... I had black bruises extending down onto my thighs so her explanation that there was internal bruising made sense to me.

Thanks pasta. As it is getting better and I have no other symptoms, I think it must be the same as you. If it was an infection, I can't imagine it'd be ad intermittent or improve on its own (although I will keep an eye on it obviously!). It does seem to be related to how I move, which would make sense if it was bruising. Glad I'm not the only one - or rather, wish nobody had it, but glad I'm not going mad!! :)

If it's getting better on its own then more likely to have been bruising as you say. Glad you're in less pain now.

Thanks 3b1g :)

Also, it could be your stitches. Mine we like barbed wire, my mum took some sewing scissors and trimmed them down to the knot. They were made of some sort of thin wire rather than a soft thread and the end bits dug in if I sat in certain positions.

Hadn't thought of that how. Didn't have many stitches though, only 1 externally I think, & I thought in a different location, but it all 'shifts' around a bit with the swelling & so on, so I'll have to woman up and take a look maybe...