Childbirth damage?

[sore]

Too shy to post under my usual name. The entrance to my vagina is very red and sore and I need some advice.

My child's birth was difficult (ventouse) and I had an episiotomy not stitched immediately because of an emergency elsewhere. The stitches became infected. Sex wasn't too comfortable for a long time but I put that down to other reasons. I now have a very red area at the entrance to my vagina. It looks like a red line but thicker than a pencil line. I've been tested for infection and all the tests were negative.

On my gp's advice I've been taking acidophillus tablets, washing that area only with water, wearing cotton underwear and washing it in non-biological powder. Sex hasn't been non-existent. I have been trying this for months. It is no longer so painful than I can hardly walk but it is still red and sore.

Does anyone have any advice on what to ask my doctor about/ self help treatment?

The post should have read sex has been non existent.

bump.

Sounds like you may have scar tissue from the episiotomy or a small tear. my first delivery left me with a really red scar line (stitched up by a junior doctor at 4 am) but my OB/gyn redid it when I had dd and it healed faster and has been so much more comfortable since. How long has it been now ? You could ask for it to be redone.

its been years. I've just put up with it because I was afraid if they redid it it might get worse. Can you tell me more about what they did? I'm interested in things like how long it took, general or local anaesthetic?

I actually had it redone at dd's delivery as there was a danger of the scar tearing. So it was just under a local and he took more care when he restitched it. Afterwards it was a case of keeping it clean, sluiced the stitches with squirty bottle when I went to the loo and no baths. I'm sure there was a thread a few montsh back regarding repair operations but if you can't find it in Archives then try starting a new one with a more specific title.

This is one of the recent threads

thank you. I was afraid that if I put an explicit title I'd be taken for a troll. I'll make another appointment with my gp.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=138&threadid=96113
www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1365&threadid=19797
www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1365&threadid=20408

Sorry about that, hit post by mistake.

I was in a similar situation to you. Here are some threads in which I participated, which might help:

one
two
three
four
five

HTH. Please don't feel embarassed or ashamed. A woman should not have to suffer in this way. It can be dealt with and you can be helped.

I'm embarassed about how long I've left it before seeing the gp. I hate to go and see a doctor for anything and have a new female doctor I don't like. I've had some bad experiences with hospitals so prefer not to have any treatment if there is another way. No chance of another child so I'm not going to sort the problem out that way.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Could you go to a Well Woman clinic or see the practice nurse instead ? maybe get a smear done at the same time.

Have you tried using Lactacyd to wash your bits? It's what I use whenever I have thrush, or think it's developing. I also used it after my second child was born - not immediately after, but in the weeks after, rather than soap. It is supposed to be the correct pH balance for that area. It doesn't smell that nice, but is certainly very soothing, and I am convinced that it is what wards off incipient thrush for me.

Hi PC

where do you buy it, I have thrush every month just after ovulation, and it's costing me a fortune in canesten duo !

Boots, in the area with all the 'feminine hygiene' and reproduction stuff (ovu kits, KY etc).

Some hospitals have a specialist perineal department, Kings College in London do, if it was me would want to go somewhere like that.

The good news is that I will be getting a referral. The bad news is that its to a dermatologist as the gp thinks it is lichen sclerosis. They should be able to clear it up with steroid cream but the gp won't prescribe it as the dermatologist will need to do a biopsy to check the diagnosis. Since there is a small long term risk of cancer in affected skin I am probably going to have doctors looking at my bits infrequently but regularly for a long time.

Oh dear, that sounds unpleasant. I've never even heard of it! I do hope the referal comes quickly and the treatment works quickly. And with any luck, once that's over, you'll only need to be checked once a year or so. Good that it can be sorted for you! Well done for going to the dr.

Thank you to everyone for the advice. I'd never heard of the condition either but although its unusual its not that rare. I've looked it up on various websites now. As its easily missed it may be less rare than doctors realise. Its cause is unknown but probably something wrong with the immune system. The damage tends to occur where there has been trauma so the difficult birth may have been when it started.

I'm now going to try and look up consultants at the local hospital, I'm not in London unfortunately.