Stitches!!!

[Anonymoususer456]

Gave birth to my 2nd DD on Wednesday, I am over the moon but I’m so anxious about the stitches I received.
with my first I had an episiotomy and was being stitched for hours afterwards, ended up with an infection and just was a terrible experience on the whole!

this time I have an external tear, near my urethra, there’s only 3 stitches, obviously sore but no actual pain in the area, I’m just so scared about infection or stitches dissolving too early, I don’t know if this is just from a bad experience first time round or what. Scared my vagina is going to fall out tbh 😂

does anyone have any advice? Cleaning the area, wiping after peeing which I am currently unable to do so I just dab the outside area, anything at all please.
TIA

I would get a periwash from Amazon. Put water in and use that to clean the areas.

Yes a peribottle for after you wee and I used a cotton pad to dab dry after.

And a witch hazel spray.

I got my peri bottle from Amazon. I used luke warm water every time I went to the toilet! Helps so much x

Also if it's any consolation, tears heal much better than episiotomies. You'll be feeling better in no time x

@NewCracker @justanothermanicmonday1 @lavenderdilly thank you! I’ll have a look and order one this evening! @lavenderdilly Really? After last time it was one thing I feared the most!

Yes, example often given is if you think about tearing a piece of paper, the fibres at the edge of the tear overlap and lay back down nicely, but with a cut it's just a blunt edge and it's much more difficult for them to knit back together.

I had a third degree tear and it was completely healed and painless by 10 weeks pp.

I had an episiotomy with DS1 and 2nd degree tear with DS2. Didn’t get any fancy bottles or anything, just leant forward when I had a wee. Otherwise mostly followed this advice that I was sent by my midwife

@AngeloMysterioso Thank you. That’s all I’ve been doing is leaning forward to pee, dabbing and I’ve washed the area once a day with air drying afterwards. Started to get a bit more sore today.

just so worried incase it gets infected!

Can't add to the good advice but can share my experience of two second degree tears with stitches, both healed within 4 weeks, no infection. Call your GP or practice nurse if you are feeling worried, but honestly trying to relax (including focusing on relaxing the muscles in the area, try not to keep them overly tense), plenty of fibre, water and patting rather than wiping. Now is the time to splash out on quilted loo roll... your perineum has gone through enough

@sleepymama3 thank you, midwife is coming today so will get her to check stitches for peace of mind! They’re feeling a little pinchy today, hoping it’s nothing to worry about

Hope you’re feeling okay!

I had 2 second degrees after my 2. First one was awful, hurt to wee and constantly felt like everything was going to fall out if I stood up too long! Healed fine though.
Second time was a bit of pain but seemed to recover much quicker and pain didn’t last long. Both times spent a lot of time resting, pat drying after toileting and used a ‘simple’ fragrance and soap free wash in the shower.

Recently gave birth as well. Had stitches and a second degree tear. Had an episiotomy and tear the first time as well and sounds like I had similar experience to you the first time.

I get the anxiety completely! I was the same. But this time I did the everything and healed beautifully only 2 wks this time around.

I did

1. Peri bottle with warm water, flushed the entire area and dab

1. Shower 2 x a day morning and night (which is my usual anyway) and air dried

1. Use Frida Mom witch Hazel foam on my pad and used their cold pads for 30 mins at a time 2x a day

1. Changed my pad like once an hour whether I needed to or not and every time I went to the toilet. During the heatwave, I would change my panties 2 to 3 x per day as well. Probably overkill but paranoid

1. Rest but equally get up and get some exercise, it helps with healing and try to sleep where you can.

1. Keep up your pain meds!

My midwife said no to having a bath or doing a sitz soak because it can interfere with the stitches dissolving. I did this last time but not this time. So who knows?

And congratulations! New babies are the sweetest.

Oh and was told no soap in the shower on the area, just let the soap run off your body it will be enough to clean it.

I don't know if I had a tear but I definitely had an episiotomy stitch (did you all get paperwork stating what you had? I was just stitched without being told anything only know about the episiotomy as they asked before doing it). It healed fine anyway and all I did was used a peri bottle every toilet trip and made sure to change my pads regularly. I didn't actually air it on a towel as recommended or use any products at all. Try not to worry and just make your best effort to follow the tips to keep it clean.

@OneMoreCookieMonster thank you! I’ll have to get hold of a peri bottle, she checked them today and said both stitches and graze are looking fine, healing well and no signs of infection thankfully!!!

did anyone experience a sharp/pinchy feeling? It’s not constant just every now and again.

Yes, pinchy is a good sign. Its healing.

Get a Health Visitor round to check your stitches

Every time I used the loo I'd use a jug of cool water to relieve the sting

My HV and her trainee had a good look at my stitches and remarked on well stitched they were

Itching and pinchy and a weird ache (I think it's everything contracting back) I can't describe are all good!

The itching was insane going into the second week.

@HappiDaze midwife has been today and checked for me while she was here, she said everything looks good and healing and no signs of infection.

I got my peri bottle off of amazon for 15 quid I think. Or pop to boots they have them in the maternity/baby section

One thing you can try is expert midwife’s spritz for bits- I didn’t spray it directly on myself but onto my maternity pads, I found that very soothing. I found that to begin with the Superdrug maternity pads were better than Boots, they felt smoother and less fibrous. The Boots slimline ones are fine for when the post-partum bleeding calms down a bit