Gross detail & TMI - but very upset and need help! postpartum issue

[KathleenMay]

Hi, I had a baby boy 5 months ago. Natural vaginal birth, he was a little bruiser at 9lb 6oz and my first. I had a 2nd degree tear. Sounds fairly standard really...

I felt I was getting better, but sex is incredibly sore, even moreso now than it was 2 months ago, though that might be psychological but I dont think it is. Everything stings and feels painful, I HATE having sex now, in fact its just off the cards from now on. We did if this morning and I fired on thinking maybe it was just a pain of the moment, but afterwards I had to put a cold sponge on myself and cried with the soreness, I could barely walk. My vaginal opening (I did warn you I would give details!) was incredibly swollen to the point of bulging out and wine-red - not the labia, the actual vaginal edges themselves.

Has anyone experienced this? Have I a perineal infection or can anyone advise?

hi, i have no experience of this but didn't want your post to go unanswered, i think you need to go see your gp as it doesn't sound like you've healed properly yet

You need to go to the GP lovely. Take some arnica tablets if you have them and maybe ibuprofen to as its anti anti-inflammatory IMO.

I needed to use KY for a long long time after first birth and the more I did it with hubby the better it got and less painful. Yours sounds serious my lovely.

Go to GP tomorrow. Call at 8am and book yourself in! No more being in denial...

sorry a few typos in my post

If it's getting worse then definitely get it all checked out as per previous advice. Good luck, it all sounds horrible.

that does not sound normal I would go to gp also if it was me sounds awful for you

I had to go back to the gynae to be checked too - they often note it as dyspareunia (basically painful sex).

My physio thought there might be an undissolved internal vaginal stitch which was causing me pain - she could feel scar tissue that hurt me a lot when she was checking my pelvic floor (forceps birth, 2nd degree tears in and out, loooooooong recovery).

In the end it resolved itself but definitely worth seeing your GP and asking to be referred back to your hospital for checking by a gynae consultant.

Could be a number of things but make them take it seriously - we didn't even try to have sex again until 5 months after the birth so you are not alone!

it doesn't sound right, I had a 2nd degree tear and stitches, but everything was fine in that department - though we did wait about 12 weeks or so, so you have my admiration for trying it sooner!