Please help! Can you have stitches 6 weeks following the birth....

[smurfette72]

I had my 3rd child 6 weeks ago who weighed 9lb 5oz. My previous 2 were 7lb ers and I needed stitches with both of them. I was told following this birth that I had a 1st degree tear and grazing and that I should heal up without any problems. However, I seem 'bigger' down there with what looks like a growth on the inside of my vagina. Could it be new tissue? It's not painful but am sure I needed bloody stitches at the time. I've discussed it with my gp at 6 week check and have arranged to see him in 2 weeks to be examined. Am crapping myself.

Tears that are left to heal on their own heal in a different way, sort of from the outside in, so it does mean that they can take longer to heal. Six weeks should normally be enough, but might not always. They might do some stitches if necessary, but this should be done in a hospital by a gynae doctor, and you would need to be referred there by the gp first for a check up so it may be a bit of a long winded thing. Hopefully it will heal on its own in the meantime. Keep up the pelvic floor exercises

What do you mean when you say it's like a growth? Is it a bulge in the vaginal wall? A small lump?

When DD was born I was left to heal (very hands off midwife only unit) at my 6 week check I could see the shock on my GPs face.

At 11 weeks, under GA, an equally shocked gynae rebuilt it for me.

Thanks folks, on closer inspection I think I'm definitely bigger. I used to have a scar line from previous stitches, which is (surprise surprise) no longer there. Yes fluffybunny it is a lump and seems to be where my original scar ended.
Did it hurt MarmadukeScarlet - dare I ask what happened with you? I'm really upset. It was a very tough labour and I was pushing for over 4 hrs. Part of me thinks the midwife just wanted to get me on the delivery suite.

Eww this sounds horrible for you. I had a 3rd degree tear lasttime so was done in theatre.

The MW recently told me that it's almost better to have a 3rd degree tear as you get put back together properly in theatre.

She said most problems from tears come from the 1st or 2nd degree that aren't sewn up right or grazes etc left to heal.

Hope you get sorted.

I booked in for a section at mo cos of tear lasttime but still thinking of just going for it and if I tear at all I am going to insist they do me in theatre!

"growth on the inside of my vagina" sounds like a slight bladder prolapse, especially since it doesn't hurt.

Mine was the opposite, dd was born so fast and with a midwife with an (overly imho) hands off attitude that I was never told to stop pushing to avoid tearing. She was quite large too. There was only one midwife on the unit (no other woman in labout, but several recently delivered babes/mums to look after) as they didn't anticipate how quick she was coming - from first real pain to birth, less than 2 hours although non pain contractions for 12 and waters gone early on was 9.5 cms when got to unit!

My main problem was retained placenta and PPH followed up by a Group B strep infection - which was luckily discovered during my surgery.

The obs just removed the scar tissue and stitched my frenulum (I think that is what it's called) back together. He made quite a good job imho, but internally things were not quite as they were.

I looked after DD within an hour of coming round (as my lazy arse of a DH needed a nap ) then discharged myself and came home - they wouldn't let me look after DD on the side room without another adult to look after her, my DH wouldn't stay as he had work the next day double - and cooked supper. Yes it was uncomfortable, but I'm a tough old bird.

Roll on 5 years to #2, was promised a well managed labour due to horrors of first one including the bad tearing (and was ill for months due to horrific bloodloss, fainted when left alone on loo at 1 hr pp and woke up in pool of blood to big to touch 'dry land' wasn't transferred to hospital from mw unit or ever given iron tablets, didn't discover how aneamic I was until a year later when I went to give blood - GP et all had put the tiredness down to the baby)

Sadly DS in severe distress, too late for a Csection had to push him out in 6 huge pushes, ripped my fanny five way to sunday. I can remember, when I didn't understand how bad DS was, not wanting to push him out fast as I didn'r want to tear again. At least it got restitched by registrar who did his best amongst the existing scarring.

I'm sure I haven't reassured you much, but it was ok.