Do stitches hurt?

[PSL1990]

If you had stitches, what did it feel like? Honesty welcome! Can you request anything stronger than the local aesthetic injection which I've heard isn't that effective. Thanks!

I had an episiotomy. They cut me twice, and I remember trying to get off the bed away from the doctor holding the scissors when he went for the second cut, as the first had hurt so much. I was sky high on pethadine and in stirrups, so I didn't get far! Was given local for the stitches, but again they hurt like hell, and were very sore for a few days afterwards. This was 20 years ago.

I had a short and straightforward labour, 2nd degree rear. I found the third stage and stitches more uncomfortable than the actual labour, maybe because you're more aware if what's going in whereas in labour it all sort of just happens. The stitches also took longer than the pushing in my case.

You may not even need stitches OP. Both my babies were 91st centile and I was a size 10, I did not have any stitches.

A nice soft gel cushion to sit on ... the sort old folks have to avoid pressure sores - wish I'd invested in one ... my nursing chair seat was so hard, made me cry, but felt I should use it, in the end got pillows.

Agree v much with person who said bottle of water so when you pee can wash off and it wont sting.

It does go pretty quickly ... compared to say the weight of sheer tiredness dealing with your little bundle of loveliness.

Karensmith the pain could be the same (though I don’t remember it to be the same) but ear piercing is quick mine was a 25 minute difficult job to do

I had a spinal block as I had a retained placenta so when I was stitched I didn't feel anything. However when I had my episiotomy they give you the local anaesthetic and then a split second later and a giant pair of scissors snips away, that's extremely painful as it wasn't remotely numb!
But after birth I would highly recommend spritz for bits it was so soothing.

Honestly with DS2 they were worse than the birth itself. I still needed the gas and air while the consultant did it and I had quite a few local anaesthetic injections, but I could still feel it, (it was a 2nd degree but also quite complex) and it took a while for him to stitch and was agony, then the midwife took over for the less complex bit, pure torture.

With DS1 the midwife who delivered stitched (2nd degree) and the pain didn't even register at all.

So it depends I think!

I had stitches after dc1. It was horrendously painful. I’d already had pethidine and they gave me local anaesthetic and gas and air, but it still hurt like hell. The gas and air ran out half way through too, they said it wasn’t worth getting another bottle in so I just had to manage.

They also got a bit infected, which was awful and I ended up with thrush which was so painful. The whole ‘stitches thing’ was awful.

I don't remember after having dd1, but I had an epidural so thats prob why.
After having ds, I had an anaesthetic injection which stung a bit, but the stitches didn't hurt. Well, until the last one that is, as I don't think it was numb there, so I did feel that one and it did hurt.

The difference between the two births might have made some impact though. Dd1 was 13 or so hours, the works with regards to drugs. Ds was 5 hours all in, just gas and air which I was mightily pissed off about. Had I listened to the midwife when I phoned an hour before I went to hospital, he would have been born at home with no drugs, as they told me it would be a while!!

You asked for honesty........ I had a fabulous labour with my first 8 hours from first twinge to baby and only arrived at hospital 20 mins prior to birth, a few pushes and no pain relief. However baby had hand on his face and essentially clawed me all the way down on the way out. I needed stitches internally and only 1 externally. It was fricking horrific!!! I would have rather given birth 800 times over than have those stitches! I had 3 local anaesthetic injections and gas and air and was in agony but dr said ‘why are you still screaming you cannot be feeling anything now!’ stitches took about an hour- 3 times as long as pushing!! She also helpfully asked the midwife at one point ‘where do you think this bit goes’ I have a fairly high pain threshold and actually enjoyed labour but the stitches were another matter entirely.

It entirely depends on the tear - if it's on a thin piece of tissue that has already been stretched out by the birth you won't feel much, but a deeper tear, you will.
You should have local anaesthetic (yes it does hurt) but should only feel tugging after that.
I had stitches with two births. With the second, they hadn't completely numbed the area, so I really felt the last two stitches, but decided not to complain as it was no more painful than the local was.

I had a second degree tear and the stitching itself wasn’t an issue. It was the examinations to assess the tear that had me sucking hard on the gas and air. Took roughly an hour of poking and prodding before deciding to get on with the job which only took 20 minutes. Labour and birth was textbook but left slightly peeved at the aftermath. Stitches healed within a few weeks however thankfully

Stitches were worse than actually giving birth for me (two births no pain relief). I was stitched after both of my births and it was very unpleasant both times. Once was an episiotomy, once was a natural 2nd degree tear.

However, I'm pretty sure I must be somewhat impervious to local anaesthetic - as I have had it before for stitches in my arm, and I felt every one. It also didn't work when I had my contraceptive implant removed.

They offered me gas and air the first time (which I stupidly turned down as I don't like it) second time I wasn't offered it. If I was ever to have a third baby I would ask for it!!

Episiotomy and yes the stitches themselves hurt for approx 2 weeks. Laying down flat, sitting, walking, using the toilet was all agony and no amount of paracetamol or ibuprofen helped (Medihoney after a long hot shower with the spray directly on your bits did but temporarily) - but they did get better as they healed.

Just bear in mind though that not all stitches are created equal. You may not receive the same support or aftercare for a couple of quick stitches after a 2nd degree tear than a planned episiotomy. Also if you have a forceps / ventouse delivery then you could end up with internal damage in addition to your stitches that could take months to heal.

Stitches absolutely the worst bit for me with dc3. With dc1 I’d had an epidural and therefore didn’t feel them at all

The stitches are nothing compared to childbirth. By the time it's all done you won't even care what they are doing down there. I laboured for 18 hours and was so exhausted that I just lay there enjoyed the quiet 😂
There were a few sensitive little bits but definitely no gas and air required.

I recently had a similar stitch up down there which also required being awake, anaesthetic, stitches and even then it was bearable. Just focus on your breathing

Third degree tear. Excruciatingly painful. But I later found out I had broken bones... so hard to distinguish what was causing the most pain.

I gave birth on the 11th. 22 hour labour ending in episiotomy and a 2nd degree tear.

Sewing me up took 2 hours and was worse than the whole labour. They used the maximum local anaesthetic on me but the tear was so long that in many places I had no LA in.

I was offered a spinal about 90 mins into the stitching (probably because I screamed that what they were doing was barbaric) but as I hadn't fed my baby yet or done skin to skin, I got them to finish aided with some gas and air (which does nothing).

If you need extensive stitches get it done in theatre with proper pain relief. I'm so angry about mine.

I had a few, but I complained more about the injections than the rest. 😂 As I did the birth itself, including shoulder dystocia, without any pain relief whatsoever, my ob must have thought I was pretty daft...

The thing that was the weirdest was that the stitching as such didn't hurt, but felt like someone was pulling a thick piece of string through you. 😲 Not nice.

Otherwise not painful really.

Had a pretty bad second degree tear that needed a fair few stitches. Until the midwife told me I'd torn I had no idea. I had local anaesthetic as I was stitched up and honestly I couldn't feel a thing. There was a tiny part of me that hadn't been numbed properly and that stung a little bit it was over in 10 secs. I said 'ow' pretty calmly, it really was nothing dramatic.

I think being distracted helped me massively. The student midwife and I were chatting about 'the perfect cup of tea' and I also couldn't take my eyes off my fiancé holding our son.

I found recovering from childbirth physically tougher than I thought it would be but I got there! Everything 'down there' is perfectly back to normal too.

You'll be fine.

Do you mean for a natural birth or c section, or either?

I had an episiotomy and stitches. I had had a spinal (forceps) so couldn’t feel anything. I remember it being quite sore as the pain relief wore off but nothing too bad. It’s not a pain that’s stayed in my memory. But I may have got off very lightly, judging by others’ accounts.

I had a 2nd degree tear and had stitches with just gas and air, no anesthetic. I don't remember it being overly painful except at one point when I passed the baby to DH as I was scared i was holding her a bit too tightly!

Gave birth on gas and air (horrendously painful...), had a 2nd degree tear which was stitched up with local anaesthetic about an hour after birth. Didn't feel a thing.