# Questions about episiotomy - please help



## angieloo

If you had an episiotomy or tearing that required sitches- how long till you healed? I'm so sore down there and it hurts pretty bad. I just have birth Saturday so I know it's still early, but I'm hoping to get some relief soon.

Right now I'm using tucks pads and ice packs


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## nov_mum

I had a second degree tear. I can't remember how long it took to heal exactly but I don't remember being in a load of pain and I had sex comfortably at 4weeks post. I wonder if you are in loads of pain that there may be an infection? my friend had issues with her episiotomy scar and the only way she could get it to heal was to have a shower and lay on the bed sideways with her pants off for a bit. Good luck, it's a hard area ti heal up quick as it is in contact with a lot of moisture, especially with post partum bleeding.


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## rtracey80

I had a 4th degree tear and I was never in any pain with it. After I had been in theatre to be fixed a theatre midwife said to have a soak in the bath twice a day, don't wash down there using fragranced soap and to also put in my bath water 20 drops of lavender oil, 20 drops of tea tree oil and a splash of milk. I healed up real quick and without any issues. To help with pain when you go the toilet take a jug if warm water to pour over at the same time as you pee


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## teal

I had an episiotomy and a seperate tear into my bowel, was in threatre for 3 hours being stitched up. I was very sore for months and I didn't feel ok-_ish_ until almost a year. I hope you heal quickly :hugs: xx


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## emsie_123

I had an epiostomy and a second degree tear and the tear took much more healing. I took baths in levander oil and a pinch of salt, this spead up the healing and I was fine about 4 weeks after birth.

I also recommend filling a chilled condom with water in it and put in your knickers, its really cooling.


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## ClairAye

I had an epiostomy and I just left it, didn't put anything on it and my stitches healed fully around 4 weeks :thumbup: Now 7 weeks PP and I can't even see any marks from where they were :)


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## XJessicaX

I had a 2nd degree tear where the midwife shoved her hand up me trying to turn my baby, and then I had a 3rd degree episiostomy.

The top layer of stitches burst the morning after they were put in. Apparently its quite common with the swelling :( I was still in hospital so showed a midwife who asked me what I was doing looking down there so I then showed a doctor who said that they never re-stitch. I was left to heal naturally which took a good 10 weeks until I was out of pain. 14 weeks so it was fully healed. It was awful! The sides of the incision (which went from my vagina to very close to my anus) overnight would stick together and start healing, just getting out of bed meant it would rip open with searing pain. This ripping pain lasted for several weeks. Going for a poo was horrendous! Thank goodness I didnt get an infection and I have healed beautifully.

Next time I will demand to be stitched properly and if any come out I want to be re-stitched.


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## lauren28

I had an episiotomy, and to be honest never really had any pain from it. It was slightly sore if I sat directly on it for a few days. I used to try and have a nice bath in plain cold water every day and it was healed within 2 weeks.

If it i hurting too badly show your doctor / midwife because as a pp has said, you may have an infection.


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## Ber

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I have been told by my midwife that the policy at the hospital where I am giving birth is to let a woman tear instead of cutting as tears heal better than cuts!

Is this a standard thing???


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## Hooblet

I had a third degree episiotomy (my bubba is 12.5 weeks old) and it was sore for a good few weeks. I think it was partly caused by the scar tissue being very tight initially. I got sharp shooting pains up until a couple of weeks ago, which the midwife said was probably the nerves where the scar tissue was knitting together. The midwife said to have warm baths but I bled so much for 3-4 weeks after the birth that I would just have been sat in my own blood, and the thought was so grim I stuck to showers! 

Me and hubby DTD last weekend and it wasn't sore but it was uncomfortable, but I'm hoping it will stretch out again and get better with time. I'd say my scar hurt for about 8 weeks and then occasional sharp shooting pains for three weeks after that. I don't think it helped that the midwife stitched me up and then said she wasn't happy with it, so she unstitched and re-stitched me - yeowch!

Just give it time - warm showers really helped me if it got very uncomfortable. If you're worried then ask a doctor or midwife to check to make sure you're not infected. xx


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## luz

I don't remember exactly, but about a week after I could actually walk normal again. I think by 4 or 5 weeks pp it was healed


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## starblue

I had an episiostomy- mediolateral not sure if it makes a difference. I found mine to heal reasonably quickly. The stitches didnt hurt but were uncomfortable. To make it easier to do the dreaded 1st poos I used fybogel - its a drink to ease your bowel movements and it is preg/ bf friendly. I also took arnica in the tablet form , you just let them dissolve on tongue and they help bruising and and swelling. My bleeding stopped pretty quickly -about2 weeks, and the stitches dissolved in 3. Hubby and I attempted to dtd at 4 weeks but it was just unconfortable so backed off for another little while. It did take a while for me to get used to things as they did feel different to me but then things will never be exactly the same.

Hospitals to tend to advise tears heal better than cuts but I havent heard of a hospital would would always let a women tear- if its going to go through to bum etc surely it would be better to control and direct the cut??

Hope you heal soon x x x


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## loulou1979

Everything healed up for me after about 6 weeks, the stitches didn't do their job and it was left to heal on it's own. Get yourself checked out by your midwife if you're worried as I ended up on antibiotics as I'd got an infection. Things didn't feel completely 'normal' down there until after 12 months unfortunately. Hope you feel better soon x


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