Too many stiches?

[melsam]

Has anyone had experience of painful sex. Ds is now 9 months, labour was fine I had an episiotomy & two tears & therefore a few stiches!! I have heard that it is possible for them to put too many stiches in & that some women need surgery to adjust this. Has anybody had any experience of this. I'm going to my GP soon but would value input (to stop me worrying. Thanks

Had exactly this problem with my first child 10 years ago. I had an episiotomy plus a 3rd degree tear, so there were a lot of stitches. Sex afterwards was always painful, to the point that I went to my doctor about it, but didn't have much luck i'm afraid. In fact sex only stopped being painful after the birth of my second child 5 years ago when i tore slightly again, and was restitched. It is possible for the stitches to have been put in the wrong place, and you may need to have it corrected by surgery. Good luck, I sympathise with how you are feeling.

I had an episiotomy and a lot of stitches, it was incredibly painful when having sex and put a strain on our relationship. I went to my GP and he prescribed this gel (unfortunately I've forgotten the name of the gel) that actually acted as an anaesthetic to the painful area. I also used KY gel and it really helped the problem. After the birth of my 2nd child I also had two tears and had quite a few stitches, I couldn't believe how quickly I recovered and had sex after a couple of months without any pain.

I have a similar problem and also left it "late" before I went to the doctor about it. Needless to say, I was put on the NHS waiting list many months ago and am still waiting for corrective surgery (aka Fenton's proceedure) - the consultant said it was a very common problem!

i also had an episiotomy with my first child now four, sex was very painful for a while. with the birth of my second child 2 years ago i tore very badly and it was thought that i might need surgery to correct it, thankfully after the birth of my third child eight months ago i only tore very slightly and needed no stitches. sex was absolutely fine after that. i think that you might be right about there being too many stitches, if that's the case they will probably pull and make things uncomfertable. i hope that you get everything sorted. good luck!

melsam: There is another possible issue, other than the stitches themselves. I tore badly and, like many of us, ended up with (what felt like) a patchwork quilt, plus a lot of pain and discomfort. It turned out that part of the internal wound simply had not healed properly. I had it cauterised twice (not nearly as bad as it sounds!) and eventually had surgery to remove the 'bad' patch.

If you do end up having surgery to fix things, IME, it's not at all a difficult procedure, done under a general but you're back home the same day. But be warned - recovery is not like after childbirth. There will be a heck of a lot more sensation because you won't have undergone the stretching and compression of childbirth, which numbs the tissues. So be prepared with a valley cushion and a comfortable chair! Good luck.

And I'm so glad to hear from others that things improved after the second baby! I'm less worried now (and a little bit pregnant).

I have experienced painful sex since birth of my first (now 11mths). I had an episiotimy, but only a small cut which wasnt particularly painful and quick to heal. I have been meaning to go back to the doctors but just havent got round to it. This thread all sounds quite depressing and the thought of corrective surgery is putting me off going.
Im really worried Im never going to experience comfortable sex ever again!

Congrats wmf! I too had very painful sex after my first and it was putting a strain on our relationship too, I don't think dh realised just how much it hurt! I went to the GP after about 6 months and she checked me to make sure that it was just the stitches, it reassured me to know that nothing else was wrong. She said it had left a nasty scar that would need time to heal, but if the pain didn't stop I could have surgery to remove the scar tissue. She told me it would be like having stitches all over again without the baby at the end of it!

However we went on holiday to Malta soon afterwards and I got drunk and we managed fine! But then when we tried when I was sober it hurt again. This convinced me that most of it was psychological and once he was in there, it was fine. Perhaps you need a bit of Dutch courage too. But do go to your doctor just to check it out. Once you realise that it is just your scar tissue you might relax a bit and everything will be fine. KY is a good idea, on top of lots of alcohol! Good luck!

Yes, I had painful sex (for about 6 months after!). It turned out to be a cyst on my episiotomy scar (v. common - apparently). I had a simple (and quick) operation to remove it (under general) and was pain-free within a week or two. Hope this helps. jx
PS You can do your own examination by having a little 'fiddle' and looking for a painful (but normmaly small) lump. PS These cysts are not dangerous (just painful!).

After dd I had not only stitches from an episiotomy but also hemaerroids (sp?) from extended pushing during labour...the stitches were required to be placed IN them too. (I'm squirming in my chair just remembering it!) So sex was off the agenda for me for a good 6 months from memory! Then it was LOTS of lubricant and very slow for the first few times...

I have a friend who actually had cosmetic surgery after her stitches were placed badly, and her labia minor was not in the right position after she healed. Not sure if it was causing her pain, but I think it would be well worth getting it checked out in your case, Melsam. Could also be excessive scar tissue...let us know how you get on at the GP.

Art, I am sure it will get better. Go to the docs and get it looked at to be on the safe side. I have heard about people being stitched up too much.
I know it's probably a painful prospect but the more you can manage it surely the more you will stretch

Thanks for the support everybody. I'm not surprised that many of us seem to have suffered or are suffering from this problem. I've been to see my GP - off to gynea next apparently I may need "re-fashioning". Sounds great. We actually want to start trying for another baby & so this is a real pain in more ways than one.

If this is a common problem could they not take more care when stiching? At the time all you care about is your new baby. I didn't ask any questions about my health - why did I need an episiotomy, how bad were my tears etc. I wish I had now.

I think recovery is perhaps the most frustrating part of childbirth. The whole event is such a rollercoaster that it seems impossible to really understand what happens, and how tears/episiotomies are dealt with afterwards. For me the stitching was the only traumatic part, and I feel left with emotional scars from it, as well as the physical one.

Art, please don't let yourself suffer. Go to the to GP, you never know what may help. The surgery, though it wasn't pleasant, made such a world of a difference to me (I'm now pregnant again, which happened much faster than expected, and we're both slightly disappointed because of the lost opportunity for 'exploring'!). You could also explore yourself with your fingers and plenty of lubricant. Good luck, and remember that you are not alone.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions - I hadnt realised how common this problem was and dh also finds it hard to understand. Hopefully your replies will help us both.

melsam, I totally sympathise with you, it's been six months for me, and we havn't even tried sex, as I feel far too tight(read, 'will I stretch?'I have just today booked myself a doctors appointment. I feel really down about it to be honest with you, but am trying to accept that I might have to be re-stitched, as there is no way I can accept painful or uncomfortable sex for the rest of my life. I am trying to be brave about it, but it does seem like a nightmare. good luck.