Stitches

[Eve]

I apologise if this is a silly question. I had a long, difficult delivery with my 1st boy (ventouse in the end) and ended up having 9 stitches, which took forever to heal and were painful for weeks. My 2nd is due in May, I am not worried about giving Birth again, but having stitches fills me with fear.

My questions are, if you have had stitches once are you more likely to tear a 2nd time and is there anything that can be done to try & avoid tearing.

What about that mum from the North West who recently gave birth to a 1 stone baby naturally! OUCH!!!!!! First baby too!

Eve, I would also advocate a bottle to give you a better aim. I also used to gently dab a little almond oil with a drop of lavender essential oil in it over my stitches to try and help healing and keep the area moisturised without it getting too "icky". I'm not sure how much this helped but it made me feel like I was doing something useful. Mine were eyewatering too but I know that it is because they were pulled too tight. You may want to mention how much trouble you had last time, make sure its on your notes and raise it with your consultant, so that they bear your fears in mind with number two.
I have lots of "handle with care" scribbles all over my notes written by my consultant, which I'm hoping will ensure I get slightly less rough treatment than I endured last time.

Bloss my midwife suggested spending time on all fours to get the baby to turn. I didn't do it enough as it didn't but during the labour I found pushing my back against my husbands a real help.

Eve, when dd was born I couldn't wee (bruised and battered), while I sat on the loo the nurse turned on the taps, running water and all that! Eventually they said the only option was to sit in a bath of warm water, which I wasn't too keen on, but, it worked. Can't remember how many 'baths' I had that day.

Bloss - I hope your baby doesn't stay posterior as I had a posterior labour the first time.... and would not wish this on anyone.
Make sure you sleep on your left side, ensure that your knees are always lower than your hips when sitting down.. NO SCROUTCHING (spell?) - and yes squat or go on your hands and knees...
Can't your midwife recommend someone to help turn the baby ? My baby turned posterior during labour and stayed that way throughout. It is quite common for babies to turn back to anterior during labour... fingers crossed !

Message withdrawn

MY FIRST CHILD WEIGHED 6lbs 9ozs I HAD STITCHES
I ALSO HAD STITCHES WHEN I HAD MY SECOND CHILD

I GAVE BIRTH TO MY SON ON THE 11TH NOVEMBER 2000

I HAD GAS & AIR AS MY PAIN RELIEF, I WAS IN LABOUR FOR 7 HOURS
I GAVE BIRTH TO A HEALTHY BOY WEIGHING 8lbs 11ozs, BECAUSE HE WAS BIG I
HAD
TO HAVE STITCHES AS I HAD TORN INSIDE AS WELL AS ON THE OUTSIDE
THE PAIN WAS UNBELIEVABLE AS THE MIDWIFE STITCHED, IT TOOK HER OVER 30
MINS
TO COMPLETE AND I USED A WHOLE BOTTLE OF GAS AND AIR, I WAS IN TEARS, I
FELT
LIKE I WAS BEING TORTURED. THE MIDWIFE COULD ONLY SAY SORRY AT THE TIME,
BY
THE TIME SHE WAS DONE SHE WAS DISTRESSED AS WELL AND LEFT THE ROOM AS SOON
AS
SHE HAD COMPLETED THE STITCHES
I AM SO GLAD THAT IT WAS MY SECOND CHILD, BECAUSE IF HE HAD BEEN MY FIRST
THIS EXPERIENCE WOULD HAVE PUT ME OFF HAVING ANY MORE CHILDREN
JACKIE

Vegas/ Jackie, that is a horrible story. What an unpleasant memory for you. I cannot understand why you were not given more local anaesthetic. I do remember my stitches first time round being a bit uncomfortable, despite having been given more local anaesthetic, but nothing as bad as you describe.
Does anyone know if the pudendal area is particularly difficult to numb? I can't see why it should be.

Vegas. What an awful story. What do you think should be done to improve things?

I had a horrible experience with stitches first time around. The doctor (harrassed and in a great hurry) just ignored my distress, while the midwife rather irritably advised me to use the gas & air. I felt violated, and complained afterwards. I was told that the anaesthetic had probably 'bled away' as the stitches were put in, since I was quite badly torn.
Two weeks ago, I had a carpal tunnel decompression op to my right hand, under a local anaesthetic. The surgeon asked me to tell him if I could feel any pain, and when I did, he injected a bit more anaesthetic.
Why couldn't they have administered more anaesthetic after childbirth? I know which is the more sensitive area!
The good news, Vegas, is that the next child was born breech, large episiotomy but all handled really well and no pain, and the other two were born with no injury to the perineum. So it can be done!

I had stitches and it was far worse than labour and giving birth. They took away the gas and air and said there wasn't a numbing injection that would work as the nerve endings down there were difficult to numb. I had to endure an hour and half of three midwives stitching, unstitching and restitching until they were satisfied - they said they needed to get it right so I didn't scar but when I finally summoned up enough courage to look down there it just looks a right mess even now two years on. I'm hoping if I have another baby I won't have to have stitches.

I had a "puddendal block" prior to having ds delivered by forceps. ! I was offered an epidural or the block but was told that the block was "hit or miss" - ie it might work, it might not. I was exhausted by that point (it had been a v.long labour) and was literally falling asleep even during the contractions. I hadn't wanted an epidural anyway and knew it would take time to get orgnaised and I was shattered, so took the view that I would take the risk of short term pain.

In my case, it worked so well that dh, who had been very nervous about the "blood and gore" bit of child birth, was happy to watch me being stitched up as I was so obviously NOT in distress.

I gave birth to my second son in Sept 2000, my first was born in 1995. My first weighed 7lb 1oz and took 9 hours to arrive. I had an episiotomy followed by stitches for which I had a local anaesthetic felt nothing. Badly bruised, it took me ages to get back to normal again. So I was dreading the birth of my second. The whole thing took just 4 hours, no episiotomy just a small tear, he was born 6lb 7oz, a few stitches under a local and I felt great. No bruising, no pain assuming because it was my second time around. It's only natural that we worry about what's going to happen, we can't help it. I panicked as well, had dreams about it and everything, but it was better than the first time around and my baby was smaller.
One thing that is very good for reducing swelling and bruising is witch hazel. Good luck everyone and try not to worry too much.

I ended up having a section for my last two children, the first was a MISDIAGNOSED breech which they only told me about one week later being afraid of what I would say (no they didn't scan me in the last week or so!!) The third is far to long to go into but they made another boob and ended up undoing me and stitching me back up three times during which time I almost popped my clogs. The moral of this is avoid caecarians when at all possible. The stitches I had after my first normal birth were nothing in comparison.

I had a very good labour with a bit of gas and air at transition. The stitching was another story . First they left me 4 hours as they were under staffed, then the mid wife decided she wanted the Dr to look at me. The DR then wanted a second opinion from her senior. By this time I was almost hysterical imagining all sorts of horrors down there. When the first Dr finally stitched me up she was obviously not happy telling the midwife off for not giving me an episiotomy. It certainly felt like she was taking her temper out on me. After being fairly dignified throughout labour, I screamed the place down even though I had local and gas and air. It really was a horrible experience. However, I do have a perfect little boy and I did heal well. Herbs in the bath helped which I got from my active birth teacher, and also homeopathic remedies like arnica taken during and after labour. If I have another baby I'm doing at home if possible, so I have very little medical intervention

I know its been a while since a posted this, but to give an update.

DS arrived 11 days late, 7lbs 3oz ....AND I ONLY HAD 1 STITCH...and thats because little monkey came out with his hand up by his shoulders ( and he hasn't stopped trying to suck his thumb since).

I think what made the difference was that I had him at our local maternity unit, the midwife pursuaded me that I didn't need to go to the main hospital and she kept me moving the entire time. I delivered sort of on all fours bent over some pillows with only some gas and air...howled the place down though!

Used arnica and had lovely herbal baths afterwards and stitch healed really well. Also as I was seriously anemic prior to birth the consultant give me a blood transfusion which doubled my iron levels in a couple of days and left me feeling so much better for the birth and even now.

I swore by my epidural for the 1st birth and but now would recommend to get moving and less intervention the better. After such an awful pregnancy it was nice to have an 'easy' delivery and a beautiful boy.

....and the best bit is I am never doing it again...2 is my limit!!

Lovely news Eve, congratulations.

Great news, Eve, glad to hear it all went well and hooray for small Maternity Units, too!

Congrats and love to you and yours Eve.

Congratulations - lovely to hear you had a positive birth experience without the need for an epidural. I think sometimes nobody believes me when I say that is possible

Many congratulations Eve, glad you had a good experience this time round!

Well done Eve - You should be proud
Calendula is also good for healing wounds.