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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Episiotomy stitches

18 replies

Grimmfebruary · 12/02/2018 20:21

Anyone able to advise on how long it took for them to start dissolving/completely heal?

Only 2 weeks post birth and have been told I’ve kept them really, really clean and they are healing but I’m not brave enough to have a look 😂

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Original poster

Grimmfebruary · 13/02/2018 11:06

Anyone?

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Isittimeforbed · 13/02/2018 11:12

The superficial bits should be well on their way to healing by now, although it'll take a while longer for it to be completely healed. Depending on the method they used to repair it there may not be much to see anyway although often a couple of bits of stitch fall off as the rest dissolves. Is it feeling ok?

gussyfinknottle · 13/02/2018 11:14

I'm not the best person to ask because I had to have it all redone. My advice is to keep in regular contact with a health care professional (chances of it being the same person are slim, I'm afraid). If it doesn't feel right - tell someone. Keep telling them until you are satisfied with the answer not until they are satisfied they have told you all you "need" to know.

Original poster

Grimmfebruary · 13/02/2018 11:16

They’ve been checked as one stitch gas come undone and a bit of it was ‘open’ (midwifes choice of words). It’s uncomfortable but not painful. As far as I know they just used stitches to get it together

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Situp · 13/02/2018 11:23

Don't worry OP, I had one pop with my first and could feel a hole the size of my fingertip. MW said it would close by itself and it did.

I think mine were sore for about a month. Biggest issue was constipation and developing a fear of going to the toilet for fear of opening then.

I had a short bath each day with a bit of Dettol in. Made me stink but kept them clean.

Get a mirror and have a look
They won't be as bad as you are imagining.

lindsaydoll82 · 13/02/2018 11:27

It took me a few weeks before I was brave enough to look!! I was the same as you, I kept them really clean and I'm sure they were away after a month. I've forgotten already and it was only 6 months ago

ANother27 · 13/02/2018 11:28

I had episiotomy stitches and got special antibacterial soap (designed for 'down there' I could hardly feel mine after about 3 weeks or so. I was never brave enough to look but did have a feel of them! Haha

Original poster

Grimmfebruary · 13/02/2018 11:30

Oh god I haven’t even got myself to the point of feeling them 😂😂 I’ve been using witch hazel gel (more for the cooling element than healing properties haha) but I’m just uncomfortable and still slightly swollen.

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MagicFajita · 13/02/2018 11:33

To be honest I wouldn't look just yet! I looked after about three weeks and kind of wished I hadn't , I had no idea what good healing looked like so just freaked myself out.

I also popped a stitch when sneezing about a week after. It's all fine down there now

Original poster

Grimmfebruary · 13/02/2018 13:22

I think I popped one of my by catching it on a maternity pad 😂 I’m quite clumsy and uncoordinated so it could have been anything really haha.

No I’m not brave enough to look quite yet, as long as it’s a vague impression of ya former self after healing I don’t care 😂

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DryHeave · 13/02/2018 17:18

I had an episiotomy, stitches and ended up having follow up with a gynae consultant at 10 days, 2 weeks and 8 weeks as they’d opened. The wound has now come together and healed (a few weeks ago and I’m 10 weeks PP).

If you look, the stitches look a bit like spaghetti. I was advised by the consultant to not have a bath until fully healed as the bathing/soaking makes the stitches dissolve before you’ve healed. Was told to have showers only.

mummabubs · 14/02/2018 16:29

Dryheave is right... unfortunately I wasn't given any care advice for my episiotomy, including the showers only rule. So on day 4 I was still feeling a bit sore and thought a warm bath would make me feel better. All it resulted in was a "gaping" in my stitches (the word makes me want to gag now!) and I needed 3 weeks of physiotherapy to get it to start healing again. 🙈🙈 15 weeks later and it's completely healed but still a bit sensitive to the touch and DTD on the one occasion we attempted it was agony- I really hope your recovery goes more smoothly OP and I know for some it does!

AppleAndBlackberry · 14/02/2018 16:49

I've had an episiotomy and a 2nd degree tear and both felt fully healed by 4 weeks. The episiotomy felt pretty good after 2 weeks but the tear opened a bit and seemed to take a bit longer.

user1499786242 · 14/02/2018 17:01

At 2 weeks pp I went to he midwife and she said I was taking slightly longer to heal than some woman, could still see a stitch!
One bit looked open to me but it did heal and close by itself a few months later
A gp told me 'it heals from the inside out' which makes sense and is often why some women get little openings that seem to take a while to close but most do!

Like someone has said, if it doesn't feel right get it checked though! Don't be fobbed off! I was in a lot of pain for a long time! Thankgod it all ended up fine but at the time I was terrified!!!

Pregnant again and this thread is bringing back alllllll the memories 😭

stepbystepdoula · 15/02/2018 14:26

Depending on the severity and number of stitches probably 4 -6 weeks to heal. Salt baths can be good to aid healing too. Don't be in a rush to Look, things can look quite different with or without stitches, give your body a bit longer to settle. 💙

BroccoliOnTheFloor · 15/02/2018 14:31

Mine were pretty painless by 2 weeks. I had some bruising around there which hurt much worse! Did not dare look until 6 weeks; by that point there was nothing to be seen.

Worldsworstcook · 15/02/2018 14:33

19 years ago DH took mine out after two weeks with a pair of nail scissors. They were sharp and sore and the relief I felt!

Original poster

Grimmfebruary · 15/02/2018 23:04

Well baby is 3 weeks on Monday, swelling is pretty much gone, still a bit bruised and sore. Still not brave enough to look 😂 will probably not look until 4 weeks have passed 😂 not in a rush to get back on the horse or anything - just impatient to heal as I’m slower than I was and feeling much older than I am!

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