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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Episiotomy stitches gaping

52 replies

Pinkrach · 28/02/2015 10:04

I know this is the pregnancy board but there's more traffic here and hoping someone will have some positive experiences. I recently has an episiotomy, and after increased pain, my midwife told me that about 1cm of the stitches have opened. She said it would heal on its own but it's so so painful. I am terrified to go to the toilet because of the pain - it's really getting me down. Even getting into position to feed my little boy can bring me to tears. Any tips? Please tell me it will get better.... :( x

OP posts:

creamoftomato · 28/02/2015 10:12

It will get better. Mine sort of came apart at the outside edge, so it looked sort of Y shaped and I was so panicked, i thought it would never get better, ever, that all was ruined and Id never have another baby or even have sex again... But then a few months later it was all healed up and now you can barely see/feel it (DS is 11 months). Honestly. If I could go back and speak to myself about it I'd tell myself not to worry about it one bit. Your body can do an incredible job of healing itself. Just keep an eye to make sure it's healing well, I found that regular paracetamol/ibuprofen and warm baths helped with the pain. Big congratulations on your baby

Whatabout · 28/02/2015 10:25

Mine did similar and became infected and o got thrush. Have you had a swab? I found sitting on a pile of towels was most comfortable and bathing lots. Eat lots of apricots to make it easier to go and wee in the shower.

It will get better, it's rubbish but short lived. I'm pregnant with number two so it all fixes!

Pico2 · 28/02/2015 10:28

See your GP and get a swab. I found GPs much more engaged than MW when I had something similar.

Original poster

Pinkrach · 28/02/2015 10:29

Thanks ladies. That's what's scaring me- the thought it will take forever to heal or won't heal properly. It's not even the pain that's upsetting me- more the fear of it not getting better, particularly with regards to dtd again. I can't even imagine having another baby. How long did it take for your 'open' bits to heal? Xx

OP posts:

Whatabout · 28/02/2015 10:36

Weeks rather than months, I had some pain when dtd, saw gynaecologist for an opinion and I had a small sore that took a little while to heal. She gave me cream and it was all fine.

Now it feels no different to my pre-birth self and has been like that for a long time. My son is 22 months.

Izzy24 · 28/02/2015 10:40

Midwife should have referred you to GP in case there is an infection there and/ or taken a perineal swab. Would be a good idea to see GP .

Original poster

Pinkrach · 28/02/2015 10:47

I'm on broad spectrum antibiotics already so hopefully that will ward off any infection. I really hope it is weeks rather than months xx

OP posts:

BitchBags · 28/02/2015 11:18

Try not to worry too much about dtd/ having another baby. If it's any help at all I dtd 5 weeks after my episiotomy and it was fine. Ds is now 7 months and im 8 weeks pregnant with dc2
I found it really painfull to sit down and stand up at first and I found it comfier to sit on a breastfeeding pillow so there was no pressure against My stitches. I also found a nice hot bath twice a day really helped and I would dry them by pointing a hair dryer on the cool setting there.
It will heal eventually but if you are worried then I would definitely get a doctor's opinion. I hope it gets better soon

Pico2 · 28/02/2015 11:27

I'd still get a swab done - I needed a combination of 2 antibiotics to clear mine up.

Izzy24 · 28/02/2015 12:29

Agree with Pico.

Hope things improve soon. The fact that you are on abx already and it is still so painful would make me wonder if the abx need changing .

Original poster

Pinkrach · 28/02/2015 12:34

I'll make an appointment with the gp. I don't think I would be so concerned if it weren't for the fact that part of the stitches have come away- surely that's going to take forever to heal? What if it doesn't knit together properly? Xx

OP posts:

SomeSortOfDeliciousBiscuit · 28/02/2015 18:48

Mine is a story about how it didn't heal very well but it DID get sorted eventually and has an excellent ending. But don't read if you don't want to hear negatives.

I lost stitches in that area after having a third degree tear. It healed with granulation, so I had a bit of tender, inner flesh poking out of where the stitches should have been, if that makes sense?

It was sore and caused me flashes of sharp pain on and off. I wore thick cotton sanitary pads most of the time, to cushion it, but I could get on with daily life, and did. At first it was treated with silver nitrate, to cauterise the proud flesh. It didn't work and I had an operation to redo the entire area - which was SO worth it.

Everything is now completely brand new, almost as though I've never given birth vaginally at all. The only sign is a very thin, shallow scar. That's it. Even if it doesn't heal immediately for you, you can and will get it sorted out. Promise.

Original poster

Pinkrach · 28/02/2015 19:49

Thanks for sharing- I'm glad you eventually got sorted. How big was your opening? I really hope it just heals without the need for further intervention - perhaps I'm just being impatient, but I've made the mistake of googling on the Internet which has terrified me xx

OP posts:

SomeSortOfDeliciousBiscuit · 28/02/2015 20:01

About 1cm as well. Don't be scared, honestly. You have to let it heal and see what happens and there is every chance it will heal fine. If it doesn't, there are options. I wish I'd pushed for treatment sooner, I put up with it for six months despite knowing it wasn't right. If it's not right at your six week check, ask for a gynaecology referral.

SomeSortOfDeliciousBiscuit · 28/02/2015 20:02

And I remember the pain after losing the stitches was awful. Lots of shallow warm baths with a few drops of lavender and tea tree oil helped and taking painkillers regularly.

Original poster

Pinkrach · 28/02/2015 20:12

Yes the pain is awful- I knew something wasn't right as it began hurting when going to the toilet and then I had some significant bleeding. Should I expect it to be healed at 6 week check then? Good advice about pushing for a referral. I know it sounds like such a superficial thing to be worried about, after I've been blessed with a baby, but it's really making me quite sad :( xx

OP posts:

3boys3dogshelp · 28/02/2015 20:18

Don't panic op, i think loads of people take a while to heal but not many people tell you! I had a problem with my episiotomy stitches after ds1 ( they were gaping too) had ds2 18 months later - no episiotomy and no tear so it must've healed pretty strongly :-).
I agree with pps that you need to get checked / swabbed. I bathed twice daily incool salt water. Don't soak in the bath for ages and don't have the water too hot or your remaining stitches will dissolve too fast. I tried tea tree but it irritated me more. Also avoid wearing jeans or tight leggings and use maternity pads not sanitary pads as the fragrance etc in them might irritate your skin. And don't go for any big hikes for a few days either! If you're sore take paracetamol its safe when you're feeding.
Sorry if you already know all this but i know i wasn't really thinking about me enough when i had ds1 and it definitely slowed down my healing.

3boys3dogshelp · 28/02/2015 20:21

Sorry for the long bossy post! Its ok to feel sad - it bloody hurts! But i promise you will heal even if it takes a little longer than you hoped.

beckworth · 28/02/2015 20:25

Try not to panic. All my stitches came away and got infected (and it was a large episiotomy), and I had similar thoughts- I distinctly remember sobbing to the midwife 'but why would they bother stitching if it can heal without stitches'! But mine healed in a matter of weeks. I was given flaminol gel to use twice a day, which was more for the pain than anything, and I washed with the shower hose every time I went to the loo. Don't dry with towels, too many germs on them, I was told to use kitchen roll. I would push for a swab to make sure the abx you are on will actually kill the infection, and scary as it is, do keep an eye on it with a mirror, you should be able to see it healing and closing.

beckworth · 28/02/2015 20:27

Oh yeah, and get the massive cottony maternity pads, not any of the ones with plastic backing. I lost count of the number of times my midwife told me that, she thought it was VERY important!

springbabydays · 28/02/2015 20:30

I absolutely know what you're going through. It is a scary time and I was in tears a lot in the weeks after the birth of my ds. I spent a week unable to sit down on anything so had to feed my baby while kneeling, laying down or standing. After that I could sit on a pillow. I had an infection which needed antibiotics and I also needed some stitches manually removing as they did not dissolve. Also had some silver nitrate applied. It took about 10-12 weeks before the wound was fully healed.

After that I needed help from the pelvic floor physio as sex was painful and I had weak muscles. She really sorted me out with a combination of exercises and massage. Ds was 14 months old when I finally felt normal again. It was a long hard journey but I wish I had known I would end up ok because I spent a lot of time in those early weeks thinking I would never be normal again.

I hope this thread has reassured you. Make sure you seek out the help you need. My gp helped a lot but it was my hv who suggested physio.

Another thing to mention is that when your periods return, you will have estrogen in your body again, which will help the healing process. Best wishes for your recovery x

Wonkyparsnip · 28/02/2015 20:30

It will get better. I only weed in the shower (I had a lot of showers everyday!) as for dtd we waited for 7 months as I was so scared (and tired!) but actually it was better than before.

MacGotFat · 28/02/2015 20:34

Mine split at the surface for a good 2-3cm stretch, I think. It was agony going to the toilet (I ended up sluicing with a plastic milk bottle full of water or weeing in the shower). 1 GP and 1 midwife told me it 'shouldn't have been left like that' and made me terrified- another midwife, GP and finally specialist reassured me that it was ok and to just keep an eye out for infection. I was put on preventative antibiotics though (which gave my LO thrush as they transferred while I was breastfeeding, but that's another matter). The specialist explained that it would heal from the 'inside out' if that makes sense. I honestly couldn't sit or walk comfortably for what seemed like ages. The good news- by 3 weeks it didn't hurt to walk or wee; by 7 weeks I could dtd again (which I never would have believed before the 3 week mark!)
I do have a small scar which lead to some initial discomfort during sex for about a year (a sort of pinching feeling) but that totally disappeared. I did read (probably on mumsnet!) some advice to try to have sex before 3-4 months- something about scar tissue elasticity, but I'm really no expert on that at all.
I agree with baths with tons of salt in. Tea tree oil irritated me too.
to you. I remember how hideous and worrying it was, just as you're trying to cope with and indeed enjoy a newborn. It will heal really quickly though. Weeks not months indeed.
Congratulations on your LO too!

beckworth · 28/02/2015 20:34

I also had silver nitrate. Depending on what your hospital does, your GP might just refer you back to the hospital, that's what happened with me. Don't wait till 6 week check, the sooner you get it looked at the better - I had a friend who waited longer than me at same hospital and ended up having to be referred to gynae, whereas mine was treated immediately by midwives.

VelvetGreen · 28/02/2015 20:37

I had much the same experience as Biscuit. The whole length of stitching failed, so had a gaping perineum. I saw my gp who referred me to a gynae. Had the granulated tissue cauterised a few times but ended up having surgery about 4 months on from the birth. Fine now, though it does occasionally have odd sensations.

I found a compress with tea tree was quite good, especially after the loo. And i sat on a lot of cushions. I mostly fed lying down on the bed, so i could be on my side - it was much less painful than trying to sit on a sofa.

It was miserable, but the gynae did say that in most cases (albeit not mine) the expectation is that the wound usually heals itself. Even if it doesn't you can still be fixed. Do go to the gp, and congratulations on your baby boy .

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