Episiotomy.. need reassurance

[charlie13032017]

Had my beautiful little boy 2 weeks ago and had to have an episiotomy (failed ventouse- forceps delivery)
I got MW to check stitches as still a little sore, slightly gaping but no infection.
Has anyone else had their stitches come undone and how long did it take to heal? Just feel a little useless as I still can't walk around properly and my partner returns to work Monday :(
Has anyone else experiences a slightly heavy feeling in top part of fanny when walking too?
I know 2 weeks is still fairly early but I would like to able to do thing with my DS.

I had an episiotomy and forceps delivery with DC1. I would say that 2 weeks is still very early - i remember still being quite quite sore at that stage and also remember the heaviness. Provided the midwife is happy there is no infection i'd give it another couple of weeks as there will also be bruising from the assisted delivery. It should get better gradually but if you are still in pain or have any more concerns get your midwife or gp to check. I think that i took about 6-8 weeks to heal properly and the gp told me that this was a pretty good guideline. She mentioned that it takes a while for your muscles to knit back and that the wound heals outwards. Congratulations on your lovely baby and hope you feel better soon.

Hello! Congratulations on your new baby 😊 I can remember feeling like my insides were going to fall out after I had ds1 (keilands forceps and episiotomy). 2 weeks is very early days, I promise it will get better gradually. Do your kegels and give it some time, I think it prob took 6 months for mine to heal properly. Take it as easy as you can and don't worry xx

I had an episiotomy with DS and whilst my stitches 'held' it still took quite a long time for me to feel 'healed'. Probably a few months. Mine was due for revision last year because I had been left with a ridge of scar tissue which caused pain during sex, so watch out for anything like that as well. I didn't get the revision as I got pregnant again so will wait and see what happens with this birth.

Oh yes. Sorry but it took a good 6-8 weeks to feel slightly more comfortable when moving / sitting . I asked reluctant GP to check at my post-natal check-up as I was still so sore.
Make sure you keep up your post-natal / pelvic-floor exercises. They will help.

I had an episiotomy and a few days after my stitches came open. I had a tiny infection, they only found it with a swab, it looked fine. I took antibiotics and it cleared up nicely. I then made sure I had time for a bath with lavender and tea tree oil each night to keep it clean. It did take probably 4-6 weeks before it was properly healed over. I was utterly paranoid at the time that I'd always have a hole there and it'd never be normal again. It's fine now.

It might be worth seeing your GP and getting them to check your stitches. There may be an infection that needs treating (despite the midwife thinking it was ok - they are not always right!) that could explain why it's still sore. Mine didn't really hurt, just took time to heal.

Mine took ages to heal - months not weeks. However, it did get there eventually! I suspect anaemia had something to do with it in my case - couldn't tolerate any of the supplements for long, and had pph.

I had to have a big repair (Fenton's procedure) a year later. The hospital made a real mess - hospital infection and all sorts. I tried to live with it and I couldn't in the end. Screwed things up big time. Don't put up with it.

All my stitches came out but it did all heal up and I remember that feeling of heaviness. The midwife can check for you if you are concerned.

Episiotomy and forceps delivery with back-to-back DS1. Episiotomy repair broke down, infection set in, I was in hospital for a week. Antibiotics gave baby thrush, repair broke down again and the advice was to leave well alone and it would eventually heal itself, which it did, after a fashion. I can still feel it today if I've been standing for a long time. DS1 is 30. As pp said, don't put up with it, make sure it's properly treated.

Oh and the problems with mine were partly caused by being cut be a left handed midwife with left handed scissors. In effect the cut was in the "wrong" place which made it difficult to stitch up and so the initial repair wasn't as good as it could have been.

Thank you! He's perfect.

I hope mine doesn't take months, I really want to be able to do things and walk properly without aching. I still don't sit on the toilet for a pee (kind of squat over it)
I might make a doctors appointment then, don't really want to wait another 4 weeks until my 6 weeks check up.
Would just like to go back to feeling pain free haha

I think months is the norm I'm afraid but it might just be two or three. To be fair, mine gradually and incrementally got better and I went back to jogging at about 7 weeks after birth, just to give an indication of how I was feeling 'down there' at that point.

Oh great :(
Any recommendations for pain relief? Something safe for breastfeeding.
Will pelvic floor exercises speed recover to?

Also, when did the 'heaviness' eventually leave. I feel like something's hanging from the top of my fanny (sorry!) when I stand/walk

Hi charlie, after a birth like yours, months is the norm.
An episiotomy can take up to 6 months to heal (like others here mine took around 2 months) and pelvic floor muscles take at least 3 months (with daily exercises 3 times a day) to start strengthening and 6 to be in much better shape.
Take it easy and ask people to come round. The first 3 months can bring on cabin fever so to speak.
All the best

Yes. Me.

Op huge hugs as it is truly awful. Go back to your dr as in the end I had my stitches removed at about 2 weeks as they were causing more irritation than help. After a week they don't really hold anything in place. Sounds like may be good idea for you too. I also had long recovery - not trying to scare but prepare that it could take several months. It's all lies when they hey say 6 weeks is the magic number! I too had to have remedial surgery at 3m postpartum and 6 months of pelvic floor physio.

The sensation of everything hanging out sounds much like my experience when I had a prolapse. Would def suggest asking for referral to pelvic floor physio as this really helped me. I thought it would be useless but that and my op changed my life.

Two weeks is early but you know things don't feel quite right so do make a fuss as the quicker it is sorted the better. I nagged and nagged and kept being told it was too early to tell etc but then at 3m when still not healed they were able to act and fix it and I got sorted with physio too much sooner than most.

It will get better I promise! I thought I would never heal and never be the same but I am fine now. At 4m I could have sex again albeit quite painful, at 9m everything felt 'normal' again! It just takes time, a lot of it

I'm 5 months PP from a 'normal' VB and had the same aching heaviness you're describing and am now having pelvic floor physio as I have a prolapse. Do go and get checked out and ask for a women's health physio referral. With the forceps they should be happy to refer you. Good luck.