Episiotomy Pain

[MeadowHay]

Hiya, I am 5 weeks PP, had an episiotomy which was stitched by the ob registrar who delivered my baby via ventouse, no other tearing. I really struggled with the pain for the first two weeks or so and then it gradually got much, much better. Midwife checked my stitches before discharge from hospital and then community midwife checked at each visit apart from my discharge visit which was a week ago - everything always looked like it was healing well.

Last night just after getting in bed, I rolled over or something and got an awful sharp pain where the episiotomy was, and it's really sore again ever since, getting sharp pains when I move in certain ways and so my mobility is decreased again cos of it. I was feeling so much better pain-wise and now it's like I've gone back to 2 /3 weeks PP again! Theres no bleeding and I'm confident it's something external as when I pee the area stings but only at the end of a pee when the flow starts touching the external area iyswim.

Shall I go to see the GP tomorrow? I'm discharged from midwife care now so...has this happened to anyone else before, anyone know what might be wrong? I'm gutted as was finally feeling more myself over the last fortnight or so and now I've got pain and less mobility again .

I would go back. I was sore after mine, and at the six week check, the Gp said I had granulation (where the skin 'over-heals') and she had to remove it with silver nitrate. A bit painful, but got rid and I was fine afterwards.

Oh dear God . I am traumatised by the whole process of giving birth and the postnatal stuff. I was so naive about how awful it would all be . Surely if I had granulation though the pain wouldn't come on all of a sudden like it did last night?

Definitely book an appointment to get checked out, for peace of mind if anything. Have a look at yourself with a mirror, I remember looking a week or so after my episiotomy and it wasn’t half as bad as I imagined. I got was really sore and bruised for a while and didn’t stop feeling sore for a while and it turned out I was covered in psoriasis which isn’t fun!

It sounds like you've pulled a stitch.
It will probably heal on its own, but it would be sensible to get it checked.
In the meantime, pour water when you're going for a wee as it will dilute it and reduce the pain.

Been to see GP - scar was all healed fine except there's a tiny open wound in one place, which must have torn/stitch fell out or whatever when I moved the other night cos it wasn't there last time the MW checked a couple of weeks ago . It's really sore and GP is satisfied that no signs of infection so said to just keep it as clean as possible and use Sudocrem as a barrier and another GP will call on Friday to see how it is and if it gets any worse to go back in ASAP in case it's infected. I'm terrified I'm going to get an infection now and which he had just pre-emptively given me Anti-Bs but I do get why they don't do that cos of AB resistance and stuff. I can't even bring myself to go anyway near the area to put cream on it so will need to get DH to do it for me. I had such horrendous pain for the first fortnight or so and finally the last week or so I was feeling soo much better and getting out a bit and stuff and now I feel back to where I was weeks ago, can barely squat down to fasten my shoes cos of the pain, can't sit down comfortably etc, it just feels never ending .

Give the antibiotics a go. They won't do you any harm and they might help.
One thing you might need to bear in mind is that they could have severed a nerve which is now healing and causing your pain. Your perineum is well-supplied with nerves so this could be the issue.
If so, it will take time but it will get better.
I know that doesn't help you solve the problem exactly, but I have had an episiotomy and a tear. (And pelvic floor reconstruction if that counts.)
I do know that healing takes time, and that when I severed a nerve in the palm of my hand it was weeks and weeks before normal sensation came back - before it was a horrible feeling of holding nettles! But it did go.

A couple of days on and it's not feeling as painful and my mobility is improving. DH has been keeping an eye on it and said it looked a bit less red last night too. The GP is going to call me tomorrow to check on it but it looks like it is healing well without any signs of infection, PHEW!