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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

6 weeks postpartum - How did you feel after forceps and episiotomy?

52 replies

Emily29 · 01/09/2020 18:15

Hi ladies, 6 weeks pp, had forceps/episiotomy delivery and I'm still really not feeling myself. Just wondering how long it took others to recover from this? I checked my episiotomy scar earlier today and it doesn't look right inside my vagina almost like a bubble? Sorry tmi. Also worried I might have some sort of prolapse as my vagina still feels heavy when walking. Just to top it all off I've been struggling with mastitis and blocked ducts for the last 4 weeks. Sorry if it seems like I'm moaning, feeling very alone at this point and like I'm never going to feel myself again. Thanks in advance x

OP posts:

MamaNewtNewt · 01/09/2020 18:34

You definitely aren't moaning. I always say that if you went through what you go through in childbirth in any other context you'd be off your head on morphine with people looking after you. Instead you are given a newborn to look after and a couple of paracetamol. The lump on your stitches might be a polyp. I had o e and my Dr offered to twist it off and offer I refused so the hospital removed it using silver nitrate, it stung a little but nothing major and I felt so much better afterwards. I also had a bit of a prolapse (nothing feels quite in the same place down there) and was told to carry on the pelvic floor exercises and if it didn't improve then I could consider an operation. Good luck OP.

MamaNewtNewt · 01/09/2020 18:36

Also I remember that feeling that I'd never feel like myself again and to be honest I am definitely not my pre pregnancy self, but that's ok. It took me a few months to feel right and having the polyp sorted was a real turning point. It does get easier, day by day and bit by bit. I used that as a bit of a mantra during tough times.

WindFlower92 · 01/09/2020 18:37

If you're worried, ask a doctor to take a look. I just called mine and told them I was worried it was infected and they saw me the same day. I felt a bit 'heavy' down there for a while, like it had been replaced with a brick! Just try to shower as much as possible and get it looked at for reassurance.

Ginfilledcats · 01/09/2020 18:39

I would definitely get the midwife abs or a GP to have a look. I felt fine after 2 weeks. I haven't dared look though, and not had sex yet (currently 12 w pp)

Bassettgirl · 01/09/2020 18:43

I recall something like this too. And feeling like I had prolapsed, but that got better with pelvic floors. Definitely get someone to check it out though. I did, both scar and the feeling of prolapse. Though for the latter they just gave me a sheet of exercises to do.

resipsa · 01/09/2020 18:45

I'd definitely get it looked at if it's causing you concern. My delivery had those elements and after 6 weeks, I think all was OK (well, as OK as it was going to get by then (or ever again)).

Ihaveoflate · 01/09/2020 18:45

At 6 weeks I could still barely walk or sit down without significant discomfort. I still have issues with my episiotomy scar 14 months on, though I did gradually feel better over the course of a year.

I’ve had pelvic floor physio for prolapse (not saying you have it!) and every specialist I speak to agrees that it takes much closer to 9 months or even a year to fully recover from vaginal delivery. This 6 week thing is just bollocks for most women.

Don’t be afraid to get it checked out by the GP if you feel something isn’t right, but you’re really very early on in recovery. Things will improve in time.

qwertypie · 01/09/2020 18:51

I had to sit on a doughnut-shaped cushion for weeks and felt like my insides were going to fall out whenever I walked.

I wasn't sewn up in the neatest way either and suffered minor anal prolapse because of it.

Get it checked out if you're not feeling right x

Original poster

Emily29 · 01/09/2020 18:52

Thank you so much for your responses so far! It's nice to know others can relate to how I'm feeling, it's been really difficult and I do feel like a lot of people that haven't experienced this seem shocked when I tell them I'm still not feeling back to normal. I wish there was more information on postpartum recovery and more support out there! I have my 6 week check up with the GP tomorrow, so I'll let you know the outcome x

OP posts:

islandislandisland · 01/09/2020 18:53

Don't want to derail your thread but am 1 week pp, episiotomy and forceps delivery, and yesterday the pain has really ramped a gear. Did anyone else have this? I daren't look at it but no signs of infection otherwise. Hope you feel better soon

Original poster

Emily29 · 01/09/2020 18:55

@qwertypie

I had to sit on a doughnut-shaped cushion for weeks and felt like my insides were going to fall out whenever I walked.

I wasn't sewn up in the neatest way either and suffered minor anal prolapse because of it.

Get it checked out if you're not feeling right x

Did the feeling get better on it's own? That's how I feel when I'm walking x

OP posts:

Original poster

Emily29 · 01/09/2020 18:57

@islandislandisland

@islandislandisland no problem! I found it very painful for the first 2-3 weeks and had to take painkillers constantly until that point. Thinking of you x

OP posts:

RuthW · 01/09/2020 19:07

It took me Six months to feel normal after mine 23 years ago. Just in time to go back to work.

MrsCremuel · 01/09/2020 19:11

Like a pp said, it took me about 6 months to feel better, and a further 6 months for the scar tissue to relax. I had that heavy ache when walking too, especially when DS was in the sling. Had issues with bowel 'urgency' also and the answer was time and pelvic floor exercises. The 6 week and you're fine attitude of the NHS is ridiculous, way too broad and imo focused on the healing of the scar rather than the actual pelvic floor.

IrishMamaMia · 01/09/2020 19:12

Took me about 6months overall. My scar was okay but internally felt uncomfortable until then. I found heavy lifting things like the pushchair really difficult.
What really helped me was having check ups and advice from a women's health nurse. She reassured me everything was getting back to normal, it can be a slow process but you will totally get there.
I had a c-section with my second and recovery was easier.

Johnson10 · 01/09/2020 19:36

I’m 9w pp. My stitches broke down about day 4. Mine has healed by secondary intention. The gaping hole has disappeared & new tissue growing inside but is yet fully healed. I’m not in pain but I still feel tender inside & the actual episiotomy site can feel a little sore if I’ve over done it. I totally beat myself up about not bouncing back to 100% & being fully healed by 6 weeks. Why is there a pressure with this 6 week mark?
Does anyone know what is actually cut apart from skin in an episiotomy ? Is it tissue & muscle ?

Aspergallus · 01/09/2020 19:52

My first was back to back resulting in a long labour, episiotomy (which progressed into a 2nd degree tear) and forceps.

I felt like I’d been in a major RTA. I was shuffling around for weeks. Toiletting was terrifying. It felt like my insides were going to fall out.

It was around the time that men were given the right to share maternity leave and I remember thinking how awful it was that some of this recovery time could be taken away from the person who’d actually experienced childbirth! I’d had to go back to work at 5 months and still didn’t feel recovered.

A year on, I felt more normal. I had 2 more vaginal deliveries. Neither as traumatic as the first.

It’s now 2 years since my last child was born. I’ve done the MUTU system. I feel well and generally pretty recovered from childbirth.

But I definitely still remember dark moments after my first when I felt I’d never be the same again.

What I would warn is that there is very little in the manner of postpartum checks in this country. Just not deemed cost effective for the NHS. Which just reflects the fact that the way the NHS is funded doesn’t really prioritise the long term health and well-being of women and children. In France you not only would have review of your wounds, but you would also see a postpartum physio to plan your pelvic floor recovery. Here, the onus is on you to bring any problems to your GPS attention, so make sure you do...the bubble you describe does sound like it could be a prolapse and needs to be checked out.

Maralb · 01/09/2020 20:00

If you can consider trying a private women's health physio for a Postnatal mot. I did and she was fantastic!

IrishMamaMia · 01/09/2020 20:31

@Aspergallusvo I strongly agree with what you said about feeling like you were in an RTA.

Original poster

Emily29 · 01/09/2020 22:46

@Maralb will definitely look into that! Thank you x

OP posts:

Original poster

Emily29 · 01/09/2020 23:03

Thanks everyone! Really grateful for you all sharing your experiences! I'm also still numb on one side where the episiotomy was...anyone else experience this?
Also my urethra feels sore I'm guessing that's from the catheter but wondering if anyone else had the same?? Obviously I will mention all this to the GP

OP posts:

Ihaveoflate · 02/09/2020 08:11

Yes, I have numbness around the scar even now. I don't think that will change tbh. A couple of friends who have C-section scars say the same.

It really does make me very cross that women are given no information before or after this procedure about recovery. Everyone is so obsessed with avoiding sections in the NHS but I'm pretty sure the recovery from forceps can be worse. Maybe it's down to cost? Or is that far too cynical?!

BirdsDoIt · 02/09/2020 08:21

Just to agree with everyone here that it took me a lot longer than 6 weeks to recover from that heavy/dragging feeling. I found it really worrying with my first baby, and now third time round (with a three week old) I’m fairly confident I’ll get back to something closer to normal given time. Are you breastfeeding? I found that everything started feeling much more normal once I stopped feeding at about 10 months - either coincidence or hormones. Until then I just tried not to overdo it with too much walking / lifting heavy things and yes - pelvic floor exercises. Which I should be doing now instead of being on Mumsnet! Definitely worth going to see a women’s health physio to get an expert opinion and get some reassurance about what to do.

janeo18 · 02/09/2020 08:25

I really struggled to recover from my epistomy, I've never known pain like it. Even a year after the area didn't feel quite right, I had an anal fissure too which wouldn't go away, it was awful. 2 years on and I feel back to normal and luckily haven't had any problems since xx

Alarae · 02/09/2020 08:38

Considering other posters I must be one of the lucky ones.

Episiotomy healed nicely and i never felt pain with it, just a bit of discomfort for a week or so but I just needed to sit on one hip to ease it.

All in, I felt fine (other than a tad of discomfort) after a couple of days. It was mainly exhaustion that did me in but that was natural, if not a bit worse due to anemia after a PPH.

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