Episiotomy and 2nd degree tear

[spandau1980]

After a dreadful birth with my fifth child I he to have a episiotomy forceps and got a second degree tear too

I'm 17 days post birth

I'm very tramatised and still hate what happened

My scar appears healed but last too days it's pulling and feels like needles inside and have a few lumps that hurt to push

Am I expecting to much too soon or am I never gonna feel ok again

Also my the entrance to my V the stitches came out so have a > shape gap that isn't closing up 😫😫😫

Any advise words of wisdom reassurance pls ???

I had a similarly awful experience first time around. I thought it would never be better again, and all the HCPs around me were saying it would be fine in however many weeks, and it just wasn't.

Scary doesn't even cover it. I cried so much.

However... I'm relieved to say it does eventually get better. In my case I had to have the stitches manually removed by my GP as they weren't dissolving and were preventing the wound from healing. Also had some silver nitrate applied to the scar tissue. I had an infection too so glad you have antibiotics.

After that all healed I realised I had issues with a weakened pelvic floor. I found sex uncomfortable and had mild continence issues front and back. A pelvic floor physio sorted me out but it was a full 14 months after the birth till I felt normal again (would have been sooner if I'd seen the physio sooner - nobody except my HV thought to tell me such a person existed!)

I felt so hopeless at the start and I had a long road ahead, but I wish I'd known I would eventually be ok. I'm sure you will be too

Thank you xx
I feel like all along the scar is hard underneAth and feels like razor blades when I touch it
Is this normal healing ???

I have to admit I was too afraid to look at, let alone touch mine. It's such early days, but I wonder if it's the stitches you can feel?

I had some horrid stinging sensations when weeing, which also took a while to disappear. When the pain got too much, the only thing that helped me was getting into a warm bath.

It's tough. But try not to spend too much time analysing it. Look after it well (washing only with water, patting dry not wiping, airing for at least ten minutes a day, changing your pad each time you use the bathroom) and you'll be doing your best for it. I would also avoid touching it directly in case you inadvertently introduce bacteria.

Hugs! I really feel for you.

Just wanna feel better and worrying mine ain't healing properly or if this is a permanent feeling as its horrid
Do they do internal stitches ? Can't see any now on outside ?

Yes I expect they are internal too. You are only a few weeks in though, it's such early days still. I have only just started feeling pain free down there after dc 2 (6 weeks old) and that was a decent stitch job and no infection on a 2nd degree tear. Please don't spoil your first weeks with your baby by constantly worrying about this. I did that with dc 1 and if I could go back and change that I would.

Have you spoken to your midwife or health visitor about your ongoing worries? Maybe that could help?

Going back to docs today
It's just so painful and feels like a razor blade is stuck where the labia was cut
It's healed but looks too far over?
Antibiotics not helped as don't think it was an infection
Really gutted as the pain is intense and feels horrible like a bad paper cut but from a a razor ALL THE TIME
I suffer with PND as it is so this is just tipping me over the edge
Anyone else experienced this ???

Wow spandau you poor thing!! I had an episiotomy with 3b tear after forceps and I don't remember that feeling at all. It was pretty awful but not razor-blade-like. Definitely keep persisting with the HCPs. Hope you're feeling better and playing the piano soon :)

Poor you Spandau. Horribly familiar. I had a Fenton ' s repair eventually. Everything felt like barbed wire. Persist with docs etc. No it isn't good for your emotional recovery either.

That's the feeling lavender 😞
Take it it doesn't get better if u had to have it redone:(

I had to get it redone. It was a year before they realised it wasn’t solving itself. Don't wait that long.

Being referred back to gynea :(

You're on the right track now. Best wishes.