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Childbirth

does witchazel help painfull stitches?

12 replies

jeanini · 09/05/2006 22:31

ive heard putting witchazel liquid on your sanitary pad after giving birth helps bring out the bruise from the stiches. my manager from work said she used it after her mw suggested it and it stung like hell but seemed to speed up the healing. Has anyone used it and does it work?

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butterflymum · 09/05/2006 22:34

Yes. Put on a piece of gauze though.

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bebejam · 09/05/2006 22:38

my SIL recommended putting a liberal dose of witch hazel in a hot bath and soaking for awhile. I had a very traumatic ventouse delivery with more stitches than a county fair quilting circle... and it really did help the healing and discomfort.

But I never applied it directly, as it seemed that it would sting like hell (and had been through a 38 hour labour- so wasn't looking for more pain) But soaking in the bath wasn't stingy.

have had friends who say hot bath with lavender or cyprus oil drops also helps, but not tried that..

hope that helps, feel better soon!

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butterflymum · 09/05/2006 22:41

From memory, the initial 'stinging sensation' was very quickly replaced by a very soothing sensation. Straight onto sanitary pad would mean it was absorbed too quickly to be of much benefit.

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Passionflower · 09/05/2006 22:49

Yes I used it and it does work.

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maximillion · 09/05/2006 23:05

I would describe the feeling as more like sitting on an open fire than a 'stinging sensation'. Don't remember trying it a second time!

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jeanini · 10/05/2006 19:48

thanks for all your advice- do you think putting it in the bath is best then rather than putting it on a sanitary pad?

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butterflymum · 10/05/2006 20:15

Haven't heard of putting it in bath. Folded gauze or similar seemed to work best and it really was soothing. If you still want something for bath, and I know this may sound daft, you could carefully ( so that it stays in more or less the one place) put a handful of salt in the bathwater then sit on this.

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SoupDragon · 10/05/2006 20:19

Tea tree oil in the bath is good. Doesn't sting either!

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anniemac · 11/05/2006 11:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

expatinscotland · 11/05/2006 11:16

It helped my graze a lot. I mixed it w/cool boiled water in a spray bottle.

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Piffle · 11/05/2006 11:19

tes do it! I soaked a thick pad of cotton wool and kept it handy after weeing as me graze caused a lot of stinging
tis a really top good tip even if you suffer little damage down below it still is lovely thing