Third degree perinium tear in labour

[MrsMuskett]

Hi guys,finally delivered on mon morning,but little man was born via vontuse and I had a third degree prenial tear :( 3 days later n I'm very sore,bleeding,stitches hurt,can't hold a trump in (sorry tmi) it's just horrid.just wondered if any of u guys have had a tear n how long it took u to recover??

Yes, me!

I had a troublesome forceps delivery in July with an episiotomy and a 3rd degree tear. The midwives merrily chimed 'do your pelvic floor exercises' but for almost a fortnight the whole area was so swollen it was impossible to try to clench it at all. It was agony and made feeding difficult as it hurt so much to sit down. On my first night at home, I had incontinence of poo, and felt so humiliated that I wept....

Fast-forward to now and everything is ok. Big relief. Stitches healed well, I can feel everything ok and clench it all fine. I've had no incontinence of poo or wind since the first week.

I would say things that helped me were pain relief, washing after every time I went to the kip, and patting fry with a clean towel, bathing once a day in a bath with lavender oil, lactulose to make my poo soft, and I bought a cold pad from boots that went in the fridge to put down there to relieve swelling and pain.

At your six week check make sure someone checks your stitches/healing and be honest about your symptoms. It's embarrassing to admit them, but help is available if you need it.

Finally, it is really really important to start doing your pelvic floor exercises as soon as you can, and keep doing them. I would do them every time I feed the baby to help me remember.

Sorry for the essay. I just want you to know that you're not alone! And congratulations

Kip = loo
Fry = dry

And I realised I never actually answered your question - it took 2-3 weeks for the pain/swelling to gradually go.

Everything Clenching said really. For me it took more like 6 weeks to be sitting comfortably and 6 months before I was discomfort-free. Several years down the line and I have no issues at all. Had ELCS following year as I read info on increased risk of later life incontinence with repeated tears, and since there was no particular reason I shouldn't tear again (v straightforward delivery, no instruments), I chose not to take the risk.

Oh, and beware of rash/sores from too much time sitting down/in bed! I got a kind of nappy rash from the maternity pads and sitting in bed all the time, was agonising.

I had a 3rd degree tear. It was nearly 8 years ago, but I do still remember the pain of doing a number 2 (I would just sit there and cry every time) and I did bleed with that for about 3 months, but I think that is unusual. Here's my advice:

• Wash after every visit to the toilet - shower is best. Dry down below with a hairdryer not a towel
• DO NOT sit in a bowl of salted water. I did this and it pulled my stitches apart a bit.
• I found sitting with knees up was comfortable, (sideways on sofa IYSWIM, leaning on sofa arm) or in bed, with baby on chest.
• (Sorry if TMI) KY jelly round bum before doing poo, makes it come out more easily. Also I had lactulose for a couple of weeks but I didn't really like it.
• Talk about the trauma. I don't think I realised how much the birth affected me until later (eg. being rushed to surgery to be stitched up and having to leave baby behind). I have a good dh who listened a lot, and I also had a post birth counselling session with my NCT leader.

The good news is: I am fine now. I had twins 3 years later and my pelvic floor was strong enough to hold them in until they were due. You will heal, but it takes time.

You poor thing. I found the pain afterwards worse than the birth. I found weeing in the shower the best option (a pain as you're constantly in and out). I also used maternity pad with a fleecy nappy liner on top. It made it much softer as I found pads a bit scratchy. Someone recommended I sit on a rubber ring. It helped at the time but the next day I was in agony. I also fed sometimes in a warm bath (with my mum holding the baby out of the water? Good luck, 2 weeks later it was a lot better.

I had my baby 2 weeks ago by forceps delivery and I could have written your post myself. It is only now that I am starting to be able to sit and move comfortably. My stitches have started to dissolve so less pressure down there.
I agree with what others have said about washing every time you go the loo. I also developed a kind of nappy rash from the maternity pads, I just used nappy cream!! Works a charm! Also helped with the itching that happens with the healing!
Baths are a god send! It's a break even if only for 10mins plus I've found skin to skin/breastfeeding better if my OH brings baby up to me and we bath baby with me.
I am still taking lactulose to help with the poo situations, as sometimes it is close calls! But with lactulose at least I can go everytime I go the loo so there is no worrying about being caught out. The baths help with this too!
I have only just been able to start my pelvic floor exercises, and cannot stop a wee mid stream yet, but it slows down iyswim so it's starting to work!

Sorry if tmi and long but I just wanted to let you know you are not alone and it slowly gets better!!!

I had one 3 years ago. Id have gone through the actual birth ten fold rather than the pain afterwards. I sympathise it's agony. It took me a long time to heal but I think I'm in the minority. I'm having an elcs in April so clearly things have resumed to workin order

10 years ago next week! Third degree tear after he got stuck and apparently I exploded.

At the time, i was so swollen and sore, i thought I'd never heal. It took around 3 weeks before I could sit down, 6 weeks before I could walk comfortably and around 6 months before I wasn't aware of it all the time.

But it healed fine, and I went onto have ds2 by a straightforward delivery 3 years later. In fact, the tear healed better than the episiotomy I had with ds2.

Going to the loo was the worst thing. I had lactalose which helped. Also, holding a folded maternity pad against the stitches when you go to the loo really really helps - it gives you confidence that you're not actually going to tear again.

I had a 3rd degree twice. The first time I did not know about lactalose and as a result it took me 9 weeks to be able to sit down properly. Second time round I used lactalose and healed within a few weeks. Hope it heals quickly and congratulations.

It's not really something tgat is talked about much, tge pain afterwards.

I had a Ventouse with dd that left me with a bad two way 2nd degree tear. I found maternity pads a help as it was a bit cushioned

Thanks guys, seems loads of us have had this problem unfortunately :( I'm on iron tablets too so poos black and like mud, yuk, sorry :s I'm cleaning n dabbing down there so hopefully ok. Midwife said stitches healing well,swelling gone down n I'm bruised well, so all sounds good. It's just the sitting positions n trumping without leaking, it's gross :( at least we've all got something beautiful out of it xx

Its interesting reading all the advice, I had them aswell after giving birth 11 days ago-all for for the first 6 days then when the stitches started to heal it just felt so irritating and itchy, tea tree baths help loads. I agree it's not talked about a lot, so it's nice to hear others experiences.

I agree with everything that's been suggested. It took me 2-3weeks to recover better after my tear.

I took a jug of clean water with me to the loo and poured it over my bits as a weed to reduce stinging.

Maternity pads. (Yes to folded and pressed against you when have a poo)

Bathing in tea tree and lavender oil.

Also, fill a condom with water, freeze it, wrap it frozen in a pair of clean knickers and then hold that to your bits - provided cooking relief and also brought down the bruising.

This is going to be way TMI but oh well... Everytime I go to the loo since having DD 13 weeks ago it feels like a knife is cutting me open in order to pass poo. Sometimes there's blood, sometimes not. I had 3a degree tear. Is this normal and how you guys feel/felt? My GP referred me to a colorectal consultant around 6 weeks ago but now reading this its making me think this is normal and I might be wasting their time :S

Sorry OP for intruding on your thread!!

Claire - sounds like an anal fissure

Claire, I had blood and incredible pain for 3 months. It did eventually heal. Yours has been going on longer, so could be more serious. Try the KY jelly or Vaseline. Good luck.

Claire, I had blood and incredible pain for 3 months. It did eventually heal. Yours has been going on longer, so could be more serious. Try the KY jelly or Vaseline. Good luck.

Had midwife again today,all swelling gone n bruising a better,stitches healing well. Wee's don't sting,and poo's soft enough not to hurt,so I think in healing well. U sound like u need some more medical help Claire, better to be safe than sorry down there hun,hope u feel better soon. Thanks for all the advise and help guys xx

I saw this recommended on another thread - might be worth a try?

www.amazon.co.uk/Earth-Mama-Angel-Baby-Bottom/dp/B002XHFD78

Thanks for the advice guys - will wait for my referral for the colorectal surgeon to come thru then :(

Hi ladies, really helpful to read these as I suffered the same thing recently. Can I ask you how ling it took you to resume a sexy life and how it was when you did? (Sorry if TMI/,too personal).

Thans

Marking my place- 4 month old and I've had very similar experiences. Best advice I've been given is to remember how long a perfectly straight forward birth takes to recover from- then add ventouse/tears/pph etc and remember what you've been through as well as the wonderful outcome:-)

Healing well now 2weeks later. Still need lactose to poop,but bleeding is down to a minimum,stomachs gone down loads n I'm managing some pelvic floor exercises. I can sit with comfort and do most of my housework, no hoovering yet though. N I must be feeling better cos I'm wondering when I can av sex again lol. Hubby's a bit gutted cos I've told him to wait till I've seen consultant which will be in December so they'll check me all out n hopefully everything's on the right track x

Same as everyone else's advice really. It's bloody awful, I'll not be having any more kids after my traumatic delivery & the most humiliating few months of my life which followed. 6mths on and things are almost back to normal (I hope) still have to go to the follow up clinics, physio etc &DTD around the 5mth mark!

Things will get better, try not to be scared & ask for help/advice from the pros if u need it.