C Section nearly 7 weeks ago and stitches not dissolved- driving me mad!

[Haylstones]

I have a few stitches that haven't dissolved yet and are annoying me as they're itchy and 'pully'. I had my 6 week check on Tuesday and GP said to wait a week then see the nurse to 'dig them out' if they hadn't dissolved by then
Are they likely to dissolve on their own now and is there anything I can do to encourage this?
I can see one full stitch and one tail bit- is it reaaly really Not A Good Idea to pull them/cut tthem?

i wouldnt pull them - you could ask the nurse/hv to pull them out - they will do it much better than you!

Next appt i can get is next thurs

Lots of baths or if you are up to it a dip in the swimming pool - got rid of the last of my stitches.

I still had a stitch or two about 6 weeks after my cs, particularly around the knot at the end. I pulled some out, but my gp pulled the rest out with tweezers as it was we think the cause of a little infection I couldn't shake off.

same thing happened to me and caused my wound to get infected, doc had to take them out in the end. I would make an appt to get the doc to take them out if I were you.

I pulled mine out they drove me nuts

did hope my innards wouldnt fall out

is there a drop in clinic where you see health visitors? can they take them out? perhaps call the midwife and ask her advice - shemay be kind and pop round to see you and whip them out tomorrow!

I started to tug at mine in the shower and it started to bleed a bit so I wimped out of doing the rest, left it to the doc with a nice sterile pair of tweezers! Doesn't hurt, and innards don't fall out My infection cleared up immediately the horrible grungy knotty bit had gone.

I haven't had cs but did have 'dissolvable' stitches after being sterilised which didn't dissolve. I sterilised a pair of very sharp scissors and cut them off as close to skin as possible.(tried to pull them out with tweezers first but they wouldn't budge) All the redness and swellng went down in 24 hours. Did this on advice of mil who is a retired practice nurse. She said she quite regularly used to remove so called dissolvable stitches cause they don't dissolve and cause irritation and infection.

I did this after 2 weeks don't know how you've put up with them for 7!!!

Thanksw for advice, think I'll waiit until Monday then ring the surgery and explain the situation. It's driving me mad, keeps rubbing against my jeans!

they never dissolve do they? makes me mad as I think that if they outside ones don't dissolve - then maybe the internal ones won't either? After my episiostomy I had to get dh to cut off a 'knot' as close as possible to the skin - with my c-section it was the same as it drove me mad - the tiny bit that was left then seemed to be absorbed finally. Good luck - I hope you get it sorted.

My 'dissolvable' stitches from a laporoscopy tore during pregnancy six months after surgery so I'd get the doc to remove then if they aren't going alone - mine got trapped in a pocket of scar tissue with less blood supply so didn't decay

Ohh and it bloody hurt when they tore too. Salt baths can help though apparently.

My sister had to have her dissolvable ones removed as they were causing her so much irritation that she got an infection. I'm hoping she'll be along on here soon to ask for advice.