Labial tear - is this normal? Sorry if TMI...

[moominmaiden]

Hello everyone...

I gave birth to my lovely DS five days ago. After loitering in the birth canal for the best part of an hour, he suddenly shot out much faster than the midwife - who I think was planning to make a cut - had expected, leaving me with three very ragged labial tears. If I'm understanding my notes correctly, there are two tears on the 'flaps' and a second degree tear on the bit that connects them.

The midwife who stitched me up apparently did a really good job (MIL, a nurse, was there for the delivery and watched the stitching up with keen professional interest!) and I didn't feel anything due to a combination of local anesthetic and the remains of the epidural.

She gave me a suppository to reduce the swelling and warned me that it would sting when I peed and when the stitches shrank.

A couple of hours later I went for a wee to prove I was fit for discharge and didn't feel any pain, presumably because the local anesthetic was still working. In fact I went to the toilet normally for a couple of days afterwards.

The day before yesterday it started to sting when I peed. It has got to a point now where the stinging is enough to bring tears to my eyes and continues for about half an hour afterwards unless I take certain measures - i.e pour a bowl of cold water over myself as I pee and immediately press an ice cold flannel to my undercarriage.

The rest of the time I'm not in pain, but uncomfortable enough to be walking around like John Wayne.

I change maternity pads every time I go to the loo, so between 6-12 times a day. They are bright red to pink with a yellowish tinge. I asked DH to take a look at the area tonight and he didn't think it looked infected.

Is this normal 5 days postnatal? And if so, is there anything else I can take to relieve it? I've been trying ibuprofen.

The yellowish tinge I would keep an eye on.

The bleeding sounds about right and I can only thank the goddess I had no tears bad enough to hurt when I weed. But yellow mentions infection usually and that us not good.

I've read of others on here pouring water while they wee to dilute it so the stinging doesn't start?

Hey, I had a labial tear too as well as a second degree tear further down. What you described sounds about right to me. I'm 6 weeks PP now and feeling good down there., but was really sore for 2-3 weeks afterwards. I recommend peeing in the shower (gross but really helps with the pain!) and drinking tons of water so your pee is less acidic. Good luck - sorry not much help x

Yup, I'm pouring water on it. DH (who gets all the best jobs) says that the pads smell of pee, mostly, so I think the yellow stuff is me being a bit incontinent as I've been too sore to do pelvic floor exercises and it wouldn't be the first time I've had a little leak

I've had a little look online and it sounds like the worsening pain is normal at around this stage. Midwife is visiting tomorrow so I'll check with her.

It could be stinging more because I haven't been drinking enough water, perhaps. I'll be drinking pints of the stuff tomorrow to try and dilute my wee!

Sorry, bogwoppin - posted before I saw your reply.

I tend to pee just before getting out of the bath, which you're right does relieve it.

Also get your MW to check the sticthes. I refused the first check as I felt too mingy and tired but then panicked for the next couple of days that they had split/infected/fused :)

I had bilabial tears with DD 18 months ago - the little monster had her arm up by her head

I remember the stinging and found it was helped massively by pouring warm water with a drop of tea tree oil over the area as I peed, which is also antiseptic and I think slightly anaesthetic.

All fine now - no noticeable scars or discomfort!

I was the same OP, no stinging for first couple of days and then it started hurting all of a sudden. Not sure why but think its normal as the area starts to heal.
Do keep on with the painkillers, pouring water over yourself when peeing etc. It will get better soon I promise.
Definitely get your mw to take a quick look on her next visit though, even if its just to put your mind at rest.

I had labial tears with two of mine. First time I was stitched and was in agony for 3 weeks until I cut the stitches out with a nail scissors. Instant relief. They were supposed to be dissolving stitches but clearly weren't and had been done too tight.

Next time I refused stitches and was fine the next day. A bit tender but nothing serious

Get the stitches looked at, sounds like she may have done them too tightly for the delicate skin there.

I found filling a sports capped water bottle really effective for squeezing onto my stinging bits whilst I went to the toilet. I found it was easier to direct the water and prevent it hurting. Sending lots of sympathy

Oh you poor thing. DD is a teenager now but I had a similar birth with lots of rips and I can remember how much the stitches hurt when I was back at home. I gave up with the jugs of water and just stood in the shower to pee! Found that much better as there was more water going over the area. Whichever method you use make sure you're tipping water over your stitches before you start peeing and use plenty of water. Get the biggest jug you can find!

i had an "extensive" second degree tear when i had just over DD 3 weeks ago....

TMI, mine tore right open, the whole way (at home in the water, with no pain refief) I was stitched at home though by my 2 midwives

I have to say the pain at the time was ok and even a day or so later... about 5 - 10 days later the pain when weeing was excruciating.... even with me pooring a jug of water etc etc.....
it would make me cry (not sob but cry my eyes out) every time for several days.... it really WAS horrendous.

after about 8 days it started to improve slightly and slow, just making me whince and go aggggh and breath through the pain and by about 2 weeks it wasnt that bad.

as wells as extensive second degree labial tear i had grazing to the torn bits.... and other grazes and first degree tears that they left to heal naturally

I took LOADS of arnica and bathed daily in lavender / tea tree...

by about 2.5 weeks it didnt hurt that much...

just over 3 weeks later "down there" is completely healed.

I hope that helps but for me it got a lot lot worse before it got better and the pain was excruciating

Drink lots of water so your wee is really dilute, you'll find it doesn't sting anywhere near as much.

Thanks all. The midwife visited today and said that the second degree tear is almost completely healed, but she can see why the labial tears are sore (DH, under extreme duress, has just told me that one of my labia was basically ripped off, which would explain the sudden and total loss of his libido ). She doesn't think it's infected but DH, who is on 'pad and fanny' sniffing duty thanks to my anosmia, thinks it smells funny and wants me to see the GP, so I'll make an appointment tomorrow as to be honest the discharge on the pad looks a lot like pus to me...

He went out today and bought tea tree and lavender oil. I'm mixing the tea tree in the water and soaking my fresh pad in the tea tree water before pouring it. It doesn't remove the pain when I pee but the soaked pad makes the pain go away much more quickly afterwards

Thanks again for all your responses xx

Oh you poor thing, I had similar (though not labial tears, 2nd degree tear and episiotomy) a few months ago. See your GP tomorrow ASAP - make them give you an urgent appointment - they can give you a bactericidal ointment that will really help (eg. bactroban) and if necessary oral antibiotics. Very painful, I feel for you. It's not fair, is it!
I also wish I'd heard about valley cushions at the time (can hire through NCT - weirdly expensive to hire but I wish I'd known about them as I would have found them a relief, any pressure from sitting really hurt). I actually found the lavender oil irritated my skin after a while but big handfuls if ordinary table salt in bath seemed to help instead. Good luck xx

I've just been sitting tilted to one side, and have been soaking my pads in tea tree oil diluted in water (which I then use for pouring when I pee).

In other news it transpires the stitches are infected as I suspected. I started getting a lot of pain in between toilet visits last night and ended up back at the labour ward where the doctor confirmed and prescribed antibiotics. I'm a bit miffed that the community midwife who examined me earlier in the day didn't spot any sign of infection...

Shows the importance of getting a second opinion I guess!

I had a major labia tear with my second 5 weeks ago (a varicose vein that burst and made me lose 700mls of blood in one go actually, so maybe 'tear' is me being optimistic...). Anyway, the itching from the stitches were agony after a few days, even without any infection. I'm very surprised they didn't send you home with antibiotics to prevent infection, I went home with a 10 day course. I also took daily evening baths with 6 drops of tea tree oil in the water to keep things clean, it really helped with the soreness.

Now after 5 weeks, despite the fact that for three days after the birth the midwives, and I quote, "could not tell what was what" because of the swelling, I'm pleased to say I have no pain or soreness or anything at all left from it. I've got a hospital appointment tomorrow to check it's all under control and I am not worried.

I hope the antibiotics work fast and that you healed well now.