Do you get pain anaesthetic for 1st/2nd degree stitching?

[PSL1990]

Did you get anaesthetic for 1st/2nd degree stitching? I've heard so many people say no and that it became the most painful part of giving birth. Can you demand it?

It absolutely should be standard, nobody should have to demand. I had it with both mine (both 2nd degree tears) and it was pretty nasty going in but ok after that.

Yes they gave me an injection.

I didn't and it was the worst part of childbirth for me, so annoying as I had a wonderful painfree labour ad delivery, nodded off only to wake up with me feet in stirrups and a doctor stitching me without any painrelief. I was hysterical. When I had my six week check up my GP asked if the person who stitched me had a grudge against me as it was such a mess. All sorted with child 2, I had him at home and made the doctor swear I'd have pain relief. He gave me so much I sweat I was numb for days, didn't know where my backside was.

I swear not I sweat, well I do sweat but not about a numb behind.

GP stitched me nicely with baby number 2 and all the mess was sorted.

Yes, local anaesthetic. I'm astonished at women who say being stitched up was the worst part of labour, it's fine, just takes ages.
(yes I know it's different for everyone )

I had some local anaesthetic and gas and air. Just give the gas a good old suck and you won't care what's going on between your legs, honestly.

Yes. The injection of local anaesthetic was actually the worst bit. I'd had to wait ages to be stitched because there was an emergency on the ward apparently, so the numbness after the birth had worn off and the injections really hurt.

Yes I did. Took ages to be stitched up though and was so tired (legs kn stirrups for an hour!)

Yes I was given local anaesthetic and plenty of it, I had 2 tears in different places.

Local anaesthetic and gas and air post home birth on my couch. Wasn’t exactly painful just very uncomfortable and felt like it took forever. I assumed that was because I was on the couch and not a proper hospital bed.

I'm a midwife and have worked in 5 maternity units. It has always always been standard for us to use local anaesthetic to repair tearing. Indeed if a woman cannot get adequate pain relief to suture even a second degree tear, it is not unheard of for her to be stitched in theatre under a spinal.

I got gas and air then they did the local. Then I kept the gas and air while they did the stitches. I couldn't feel anything, I just loved the gas and air.

I had gas and air and local anaesthetic for a recent second degree tear.

Im trying to think, and i genuinely can't remember. I don't think i got an injection and i know it didn't take long because my inlaws were in the room 15 minutes after DD was born, so maybe they just did it straight away and i didn't feel it because of the epidural?

I had it, but it didn't take. Midwife was adamant I was being dramatic. It was by far the worst bit of labour and I'm still not right where the scar tissue is, 12 years later. I'm sure she didn't stitch me correctly.

I didn't know that they stitched without it .I had it and didn't even know when the doctor had started as I asked to be covered so I couldn't see what was happening. OH said it was the biggest needle he had ever seen.

I didn’t get it but the midwife said she didn’t have time because I was bleeding too much. Honestly though by that point I barely even noticed I was so exhausted lol

Was my maternity unit unusual? I got given some supposedly pain killing spray, which stung like hell, and when I told the midwife and her sadistic sidekick that, they basically told me I was lying. And my stitches were wonky

I didn't, but I was given the option.
2nd degree tear and only had gas and air, don't remember it being overly painful at all. It took ages, but the midwife done a great job!

I had 3rd degree tear twice. Had local anaesthetic in the midwife led unit just to look at it (though presumably she'd have stitched there and then if it had been 1st or 2nd degree). For 3rd degree tear, spinal block x 1 and general anaesthetic x 1 as the spinal didn't work!!

local anaesthetic and gas and air
not very dignified and you aren't in any kind of zone but definitely not horrendous with the pain relief

I had a second degree tear stitched with no pain relief, they didn't even warn me they were about to start! It was very painful and I felt every stitch.

I didn't really notice it to be honest. I do however remember the dry tampax thing they shoved up me after stitching me up and pulling it back out again. Guessing that was to make sure they didn't sow me up too tight!

I was given a local anaesthetic. I'll be honest it had started to wear off before the midwife had finished the stitches. I was told to say if I needed anymore at any time. But I'd had 4 days of contractions and was physically exhausted after such a long labour. I couldn't be bothered saying it had worn off so I felt the last two stitches being done. Honestly how anyone can say it's the worst bit I don't know. It hardly hurt me at all.

@keepingbees that is barbaric!!

I had a spinal in theatre for 3rd degree tear