2nd Degree Tear - help

[Nattynar]

I had my baby just over a week ago, having been put on a hormone drip to induce me as my waters had broken nearly 24 hours before and they were pinky/red!

The hormone drip which was supose to take 4 hours to be at full dosage, to which it should have taken an hour per cm (I was 1cm beforehand!). So after 4 hours I was told that I was 10cm!! And told to push!!

So despite my pleas that they do the best to try and prevent me from tearing I had a 2nd degree tear, and a tear at the side (not sure exactly can't bear to look down there!).

However a week or so down the line I'm in a lot of pain. Is this normal as I'm on my knees some nights? And how can I make it better!!

Thanks

Hi Nattynar - congratulations on the birth of your baby

I had a second degree tear as well and I'm sorry to report that I couldn't actually sit on a normal chair until 6 weeks after giving birth.

Are your stitches being regularly checked by the visiting midwives? If not, can you ask them to check them? They should be checked to make sure they don't get infected.

Also, are you taking any painkillers? I was told to take ibuprofen as it helps with the swelling as well as the pain.

Hope you feel better soon x

Oh, and have you got one of those valley cushions for sitting on? I never had one but the NCT hire them out and lots of people say they are really helpful.

I had a few tears with DS, 2 at least were 2nd degree. I am afraid it is awful for a few weeks afterwards - I swore by my ring cushion, arnica and ibruprofen. Whatever you do don't take salt baths, I did thinking they would heal them but it left everywhere quite dry and therefore more sore (and it doesn't actually work, you need like a bucketful of salt in a bath to make much difference). 1st time I had an episiotomy and had prescription painkillers (breastfeeding safe ones) for a while. Hope you get better soon x

O! Also mothercare do these gel pads to put in your pants, it's awful for the first minute or so (you store in freezer) but after that it's really really great.

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Congratulations & well done!! I had a 2nd degree tear but kept myself dosed up painkillers and I don't remember it being really really painful. I found the swelling more uncomfortable and it took a few weeks to start to feel more like getting back to normal. Definitely get your midwife to check that you're healing properly and try to take it easy if you can. Hope you feel better soon.

Def get the stiches (if you had them) checked, as my sister had some and there was not enough slack in the to allow for the swelling, so she was in complete agony!

She was told it was to be expected!

It was only when she was in floods of tears that they were checked, and promptly snipped which gave her instant relief! That was after about a week!

Arnica is great for bruising and as others have menioed Ibuprofen as it is an anti-inflamatory.

Pouring warm (not hot) water from a jug while you go to the toilet can also ease the stinging. HTH x

I had a 3rd degree tear, and remember feeling awkward but not in a great deal of pain (I suspect I may have been given better painkillers by the hospital because the tear was that much worse). Other things I did included:

• Having a couple of showers a day and just directing the water flow at the stitches to keep things scrupulously clean without touching.

• Lying on the bed legs akimbo after showers to allow things to airdry and get lots of air (some people use a hairdryer on cold).

• Pouring witchhazel onto maternity pads, and changing these lots of times a day.

• This may be too painful for you at the moment, but I started doing pelvic floor exercises (such as I could!) immediately. The increased blood flow is supposed to help healing. Don't expect a lot yet though.

• Hiring a valley cushion, although I found that I only needed it for a few days.

Hugs - it does get better. I know it's horrid at the moment.

Oh, and I also used lots of preparation H on the stitches (after the first few days) if they felt uncomfortably dry and tight. It's just witch-hazel gel, but really helped me to feel a bit more comfortable down there.

get the midwife to check you, or go to an nhs walk-in centre tomorrow if necessary

i had a second degree tear, and while it was uncomfortable to sit down, and was a while befor eit was totally back to normal, it certainly wasn't really, really painful after a week

def worth getting it looked at just in case there is an infection or anything

Thank you everyone.

It does seem to be getting worse! I was bad yesterday, and today has been worse again.

I'm thinking that it could be right and there might be an infection.

I had the stiches checked the 2nd day I was in hospital, but the midwife didn't look at me when she came to my home.

I've tried baths, but that only provides temporary relief!!

put plenty of salt in the bath, that should help a bit if there is any infection.

I used Savlon in the bath, as recommended by my midwife and my second degree tear healed very well and didn't get infected.
But you really need to get things checked, which the midwife should have been doing every time she came to see you!
Hope it gets sorted very soon!