Episiotomy open and infected

[Mississippilessly]

Anyone else had this? I am 5 days post partum and so upset.

Poor you. It will still heal but may take longer since it has come apart. Are you taking antibiotics? In some areas there is a special clinic for women who have had perinatal trauma. It would be worth finding out if this happens in your area. Congratulations on your baby.

My episiotomy and 2 internal tears got horribly infected (took 2 weeks of 2 sorts of antibiotics to clear) and the bum-cheek end of my extended episiotomy came undone as well. Sending so much sympathy your way: it is utterly miserable.

HOWEVER, I’m a year on now and the scar has healed beautifully. The bit where the stitches popped did a ‘granular heal’ so is a bit less near than the rest, but not really noticeable. Do you have any stitches left in or has the whole lot opened up?

My main advice would be...
Lots of air - no bottoms on in the house and get puppy pads to sit/lie on for the bleeding (remember not to answer door to postman with no pants on )

Keep on top of painkillers especially if it’s just paracetamol because of breastfeeding - it works so much better when you do evenly spaced doses rather than waiting til you’re desperate.

If the pain is still bad when you’ve finished antibiotics go and get checked again; once mine had actually done their job I was amazed how much of my pain was infection rather than the injuries themselves.

Know that 5 days is no time in terms of healing - it’s a slow process but you will feel so much better again eventually.

Keep in mind that just getting through this bit is a win. You’re doing brilliantly.

Oooh and restart your pelvic floor exercises as soon as your midwife says it’s ok - they help restore blood flow so aid healing.

Get proper pain relief - I was on diclofenac for a couple of months whilst my open episiotomy healed (had to wait for granular tissue to form over it).

Take it easy and try not to sit on it for too long (not easy if breastfeeding - I actually wish I'd given up rather then struggled given the state I was in).

Keep asking for treatment and help if you are feeling pain or discomfort - support for post-partum healing/help and pain relief is sparse and unsympathetic. Midwives will recommend essential oils/breastmilk/olive oil to cure everything and GPs will be disinterested (won't want to look until the 6 week check and perhaps not even then, mine didn't).

I have to be honest I still get occasional pain from the site 9 years later so please speak up and ask for the best care so you have the best chances of healing properly.

(And I wish there was more honesty about the state you can end up in post-birth, it's an awful shock otherwise. ((hugs)) )

Thanks everyone.
It has absolutely knocked me for 6 - i couldnt stop crying yesterday.
Im terrified of pooing so i am so windy (sorry tmi) which adds to the general feeling of humiliation.
2bh its less painful now i dont have the stitches pulling. Hopefully now I have anti-Bs things will look up. I just want to enjoy my newborn

It’s so, so hard. Everyone kept saying how awful my labour must have been but honestly labour was fine - I expected it to be painful and unpredictable but I knew it would end and I was really well looked after. I found recovery way, way harder and was mystified that nobody seemed to care/understand how much tougher it can be than childbirth!

It’s great you have antibiotics and some relief now the stitches are not tugging. I remember having to hide my embroidery scissors to stop myself snapping my surviving ones that were in my anterior wall as the surgeon had put a big knot right where it rubbed on my urethra. Thanks for that.

The poo-terror is real. I took lactoluse and fybogel for the first couple of weeks, until my body settled back into the idea of how to digest stuff normally! Did the trick without giving me diahrrea which I couldn’t face the thought of either.

*snipping

Thanks Verbena. You are right - its the not knowing how long healing wil be thats the problem. It is scary and has dominated my feelings during this time.
I feel like i might crap myself at any moment! Have taken underwear off, airing as much as possible.

Keep your fluids up so your wee is less stingy and also so it's easy to poo horrible. I remember it well but it does get better.

Yeah this happened to me. Horrific. Took 3 months to heal for me. And no one really talks about this. To be honest its been 12 years and mine is still sore at the start of sex (once you've loosened up its fine) but mine is cut further than it should be.

The worst thing for me was peeing. I had to pee in the shower with the showerhead running over me to soothe the pain.

So for a poo - hold a sanitary towel over the wound and go if you are worried about getting poo in it. The longer you hold it the worse you will feel. Big wash afterwards and pat dry. No pants. Legs open lying on the bed. Plenty of air.

Salt water baths, to help heal, I don't know if that's still recommended, but it's a gentle and natural. As much healthy food and drink you can. I know how you feel, and mine did heal. Bodies are often stronger than we realise, but I know it's very scary.

I just made the mistake of looking. Oh my god

It’s good you’ve looked, honest, because you’ve got something to compare it to once it starts to heal now. I whatsapped mine to my sister so she could be impressed at what a warrior I am. The gore will get way better.

Weeing in the shower is a wise idea, or pour a big jug of warm water over your bits as you wee.

Time wise, I had big improvements around 8 weeks post partum, then again around 7 months, and then again around 11 months. Passing it on because I assumed when I still felt really broken at the 6 week check that was it, it wasn’t going to get any better - and the midwife who told me I’d feel better within a week needs her head examined!

Thanks Verbena. Those time scales are pretty scary but its good to know. I am hoping i will start to feel considerably better soon - i cant see how im going to manage dealing with the wound and spending most of my time knickerless and remembering painkillers etc when DH finishes paternity leave

My DH took 3 weeks off and by the time he went back I was definitely able to manage (though he still did all the cooking/housework probably for another week after that because I had a haemorrhage as well and was inexpressibly knackered). It wasn’t that I didn’t get better - we went to my best friend’s wedding 3 weeks post partum so I was in a frock and underwrites bra and everything for a day then and did fine despite not really being able to sit on both bum cheeks at the same time yet!) , just those were points where I suddenly felt “oh god, this is loads better!”. Xx

*underwired, bloody phone/fat fingers!!

It's very good you've looked at it. This is the worst it will ever look. Plus you'll still be all swollen up too. It's an actual war wound. And yes the healing of the episiotomy was far worse than the labour.

I remembered if i went out it was really sore when i walked and it rubbed and got all sweaty (yuck). So my practice nurse at my GP recommended if i was going out to stick a bit of gauze swab and some antibacterial cream in there and it honestly helped (the antibacterial cream also stopped the gauze getting stuck when i took it off) Not something for just now but in a wee whiles time when its starting to heal and if its sore and you can't get out and about. It actually wasn't long after i started doing this at three months post cut that it started healing properly.

Thanks everyone
I have been to the docs and stamped my foot for diclofenac (sp?) after the midwife said i didnt need any extra painkillers. So that is something.

hope it continues to heal OP.

So this is fun. The antibiotics the dr prescribed me aren't antibiotics. They are iron supplements. He messed up the prescription.
I am now in triage waiting to be seen. I am going from livid to utterly broken.

Oh for fuck sake!!! Hopefully you will get seen quickly - I was able to get antibiotics at out-of-hours and they gave me the details of the nearest 24 hour pharmacy so I could start them right away, fingers crossed you’ll be dosed up really soon.

Then once you’re a bit brighter you can get in touch with PALS and let them know you were put at risk and kept in unnecessary pain because someone forgot that iron and antibiotics are not the same thing

Huge gentle hug. Really can’t believe your gp.

You poor thing! Last thing you need. Just wanted to add my sympathy as I had an infected episiotomy and it was vile, was in so much pain and I felt I couldn't enjoy my baby properly. I'd had so many complications and when I found out there was something else wrong I was gutted and cried all the way home from the doctors.

Hope you get actual anti bs asap, as once they get working they should sort you out. I found dousing the area in warm salty water each day helpful as well.

This is a shitty shit thing but it WILL get sorted soon and you'll be able to feel a bit better. X

Aww what a stupid doctor....Definitely complain about that.

I hope you've had your antibiotics and a good rest.

oooo don't look, I was terrified, told DP he was never coming near me again.

I got an infection in mine and also split, 2.5 years on and you'd have no idea.
FFS with the Iron supplements, once those antibiotics get into you they'll make the world of difference.

I also used lavender oil in a shallow warm bath to soak, mix a couple of drops with a tiny capful of milk (it stops the oil floating on the top of the water) and then would air dry (and appreciate the 10 minutes to lay down alone while DP looked after DS

Thanks everyone - it has been lovely to have your support
I phoned triage and they saw me last night. The lovely dr took out the undone stitches and gave me anti biotics. Feeling so much brighter.