Episiotomy scar pain

[localbunny]

11 weeks pp here following episiotomy and forceps for birth of my LO (first baby). Had very neatly stitched episiotomy that didn't give me much grief at first, but as it's healed up it's become raised and much more painful. GP looked at it at 9 weeks and said it looks keloid/hypertrophic. Anyone have experience of this/tips for what I should do? It hurts to walk around, haven't even tried DTD yet - worried it will be painful forever!

Anyone? :)

I had an episiotomy and ventouse, also two 2nd degree internal tears and god knows how many internal stitches. The 3 episiotomy stitches are the ones that hurt the most healing and now they’ve healed properly and fairly neatly (14 weeks pp) there’s some discomfort when I press on the scar. The midwife told me that the scar tissue had hardened and to put oil on it and give it a massage, kinda like the perineal massage pre-birth. Or you can use a small vibrator to help loosen the scar tissue. I haven’t really done much to it and it seems to be getting better slowly by itself, and I’ve DTD and it was fine not painful, if that gives you any comfort 🤞🏻😂

I had episiotomy and 2nd degree tear after a ventouse delivery with my DD (also first baby). I thought the stitches were healing fine till I was around 2 months PP and I was still in some pain. After numerous GPs I saw one who was very knowledgeable and referred me to a gynaecologist. I had overhealing of a tissue that required minor surgery. I hope it’s not the same for you but if it is then just wanted to say that the surgery did wonders. Before that I was always waiting to heal fully and always felt some discomfort and sometimes even had some light bleeding after lots of walking, but after the surgery I healed in around 2 days and finally felt like myself again. I would push for a referral if something doesn’t feel right. Good luck!

Thanks both for your responses, really helpful ☺️ I'll push for a referral and @Rudens thank you for making me less nervous about the idea of a surgical correction - I knew it was a possibility and it seems so counterintuitive to healing, so it's great to know it helped you. The vibrator tip is also such a good idea @Kaybee1989 ! I hate massaging it myself so might try that...

I had horrendous pain after my episiotomy with DS1. 6 months after the birth I still couldn't insert a tampon, let alone have sex. My GP kept fobbing me off saying I just needed to give it time. I eventually got a referral to a (male) consultant who told me it was psychological and it was only hurting because I was tensing up. I got a second opinion from a female consultant who diagnosed me with keloid scarring.

I had a corrective op and it worked brilliantly. After I'd healed from that it was like I'd never given birth. My only regret about the whole thing was that I didn't push for a gynae referral earlier. DS was almost 2 by the time I had the surgery.

That was 27 years ago and I have never had any issues since the op.

Please don't let yourself get fobbed off but get help. Good luck.