Anyone had painful scars after internal stitching? ***TMI alert*** ***and long, sorry***

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I've just done a search on this and feel like I actually came off pretty lightly... After birth of dd 7 months ago, I had some first degree internal tears which were stitched. Just before my 6-week check I had sex, which was very sore, but I was told this was not unusual 6 weeks after giving birth. Over the next few months we had a few more tries at sex but the pain, a tight, stinging sensation, did not abate (there was no pain except during sex). I went for a smear test recently and the nurse noticed that it looked red inside (and me wincing) and suggested it might be an infection. She told me to come back after I had my smear results. I went back and saw the doctor, who did an internal exam and said that it's probably sore scar tissue that may take up to a year to calm down. Or not! In which case I might have to consider an operation. In the meantime, I have been prescribed an anaesthetic cream to put on it before sex or tampons (AF started up again a week ago and tampons were also owowowowow).

Not really sure why I'm posting all these gory details, except to moan (don't exactly want to share with anyone in RL). Feeling pretty low about it and hoping for some reassurance from someone who has had similar and it all went back to normal. Please tell me it did. You can lie if you want.

Had an episiotomy for dd1 and stitching. Surprised me how painful this was for some time afterwards. Scarring still caused a bit of trouble for up to a year afterwards. Can still feel it now 5 years later but doesn't cause any pain now. Yours sounds worse though and you're right to get it checked.

Please get this checked further; bad stitching can cause no end of problems.

I met a woman once who had similar tears and ended up having ultrasound on them in order to heal. She was told at that time if she had approached them sooner it would have been far better for her in terms of eventual outcome.

I would suggest you go back to your GP and ask for a referral to a gynaecologist. This needs further investigation from such a person; I would certainly not put up with this for potentially another year!. And what if the nurse is wrong and this pain thus becomes chronic. You should not have to put up with such pain with all the disruption to your life it entails.

this has been my expereince:
I has 3rd degree tears with ds. that was nearly 2 years ago. we tried sex after a few months. it was really painful. too soon maybe? waited a while. tried again. really painful. (didn't actually succeed in doin the deed with time as it hurt so much)
at 6 months check mentioned the pain. dr put scapula in and asked if it hurt. it did a bit. she said i should be ok unless my husband was linford christie
over the next few months kept trying. still very painful. when to dr. everything looked fine.(maybe it's psychological she said) but referred me to gynae anyway.
poked and prodded. everything looks fine. no problems. not much we can do.
and now it is as i said nearly 2 years on. DH and i have a sex life but have only had sex a handful of times.
I always wonder if I had been a man having this much pain during intercourse what they would have done for me.

don't mean to put a downer on this. this is just my experience. I'm still hopeful that one day it'll sort itself out.

i had internal tears which were stitched after birth of dd, perineum intact though. Was sore for quite a while and would ache if i did too much exercise. had sex once in first 3 months - was sore, went and got checked, was told healing ok, checked for infection, no sign. TBH only had sex a handful of times in first year. bf for 14 months which meant drier down there as well, but no AF - thank goodness. BUT pleased to say that things really improved after 12 months, bf dropped to 2 feeds a day and then gave up at 14 months. AF returned, could use tampons without discomfort and resumed normal sexlife. now pregnant with no.2 - worried will tear again, but thats another story.
Thing is have since learned that you dont have to put up with pain - get seen. But from my experience things do take a while to heal.

Hi, thanks everyone, I've only just got back on here after being tied up with family stuff for a few days. Sounds like I'd better try to get a referral to the gynaecologist-- I guess I kind of knew this all along, but balking at the prospect of yet more poking around in there. Still haven't tried the anaesthetic cream but will post details here when I do if anyone's interested. Anyone? Anyone? [watches tumbleweeds blow by]