Body Issues After Labour..

[ka_ox]

I had my daughter five days ago and I was just wondering if anyone had any advice for me.

I had a second degree tear which required stitching and I was just wondering how long it takes for it to heal and how I can help along the process? I have daily salt baths but I don't know what else to try.

Also, I feel alot of pressure in my vagina and bottom, like somethings going to drop out. And it gets worse when I stand up. Is there anything I can do to stop this?

And finally, I've started wetting myself, I don't feel any urge to go to the toilet and when I do go it stings. Any advice on how to stop either problem?

Thankyou xx

 

[JacquiKeren]

firstly. your on the right tracks with warm salt baths. i did this every night before bed. the other things i did which helped was take a bottle of warm water to the toilet every time i needed to pee and pour it down my bits.....honestly sounds bizarre but it stopped the stinging. i also tried a cold pack at night time and i used the softest sanitary maternity pads i could find as ordinary ones were terrible for sticking to my stitches. there also great for the extra padding.

i took about 3 weeks for my bits to stop stinging. the heavy feeling dow below is also quite normal. i was in tears at one point telling my husband that i thought i had a prolapse! he told me to stop being so silly. your body has been through a lot and it takes time to heal.

lastly do your pelvic floor exercises as much as you can tolerate! it honestly helps lift everything back up. it will also help the wetting issue. hope this helps. everyone takes different times to heal tho. just drink plenty and rest up. xx

 

[NewMummyx]

The salt baths will help, the only other thing is time hun

I had a bad tear too at a funny angle (thankyou Antons shoulder lol!) and me and OH DTD 2 weeks after LO was born when it had healed and the stitches fell out
The first week PP i felt like I was peeing glass, cried when I had a BM and could barely stand for 5 minutes at a time I was in so much pain.

It will heal and your body has been through alot, just give it a wee bit of time. You will be checked at your 6 week checkup to make sure everything is back where it should be

 

[smileyfaces]

My stitches took about 2 or 3 weeks to fall out but it was still sore for some time after, it was the heavy feeling that stayed with me so long. Just keep up with the baths to keep the wound clean and pouring water on your bits as you wee is good advice (my HV advised this) but I just couldnt get the hang of it So I literally used to sit on the toilet, hold on to the sink so I could squeeze the life out of it and just hope for the best lol

The pain will pass shortly, hope this helps xx

 

[+tivethoughts]

As the other ladies have said, the daily baths are good. I used tea tree oil in my baths. I too had a 2nd degree tear and the one thing that stayed with me for a while was the heavy dragging feeling down there. It lasted for a while, probably a good 12 weeks ish. (Although I cant rememeber exactly when it stopped!)

Keep up with what ur doing hun. And remember those pelvic floor exercises! xx

 

[JosieM]

I too had a second degree tear with DS and first degree with DD. What really helped me was baths with tea tree and lavender oil added, and putting gauze soaked in witch hazel on my pad, you can buy gauze and witch hazel at the chemist. I was lucky I didn't have much pain though, I did pelvic floor exercises regularly during both pregnancies so maybe that helped. A good idea is to try and remember to do them when you're feeding your baby. Hope you heal quickly.

 

[ka_ox]

Thankyou everyone! It's helpful to hear that it's normal if nothing else

Is it normal to feel itchy around the stitches round about now? How do I ease that?

Sorry for all the questions, I have nobody I can ask :/ xx

 

[Reid]

firstly. your on the right tracks with warm salt baths. i did this every night before bed. the other things i did which helped was take a bottle of warm water to the toilet every time i needed to pee and pour it down my bits.....honestly sounds bizarre but it stopped the stinging. i also tried a cold pack at night time and i used the softest sanitary maternity pads i could find as ordinary ones were terrible for sticking to my stitches. there also great for the extra padding.

i took about 3 weeks for my bits to stop stinging. the heavy feeling dow below is also quite normal. i was in tears at one point telling my husband that i thought i had a prolapse! he told me to stop being so silly. your body has been through a lot and it takes time to heal.

lastly do your pelvic floor exercises as much as you can tolerate! it honestly helps lift everything back up. it will also help the wetting issue. hope this helps. everyone takes different times to heal tho. just drink plenty and rest up. xx

i did much the same as this even the water bottle 2
the maternity pads also help speed up recovery as it allows air 2 get 2 ur parts other pads will sweat u. also dont rush in2 doing anything just get rest for a few weeks ur midwife should visit u at home and she will check u over down there
congrats on the baby xx

 

[LauraLu]

Thankyou everyone! It's helpful to hear that it's normal if nothing else

Is it normal to feel itchy around the stitches round about now? How do I ease that?

Sorry for all the questions, I have nobody I can ask :/ xx

YES! The itching is totally normal! After I had my daughter, I itched like crazy and thought I had some kind of infection...Turns out it is your body's way of healing.

I used Tucks medicated pads with witch hazel whenever I used the bathroom when I was post partum. (They are the same pads for hemorrhoids, and they helped tremendously!)

Also, you might consider taking a stool softener for the first month or two. If you get constipated, you risk making the area even worse.

Both of these things worked like a charm for me!

CONGRATS on your newest!

 

[ka_ox]

Thankyou everyone!
I'm definately trying that bottle idea for when I go to the toilet, and I'll also try using senekot or something similar.

I'm glad it's all normal I panicked incase the itching was an infection or something, but I guess it makes sence that it's itching as it heals.

xx

 

[marina294]

Also to help with the stinging drink lots of water have a glass with you all day and night keep filling and drinking it dilutes the wee and also helps reduce the water retention left from pregnancy and pelvic floor excercises will help with the kicked in the crutch by an elephant feeling lol

 

[isabelsmummy]

Bathing with badedas helps too xxx

 

[gingersrule]

All normal feelings.Drinking water will dilute urine which lessons the stinging. Pelvic floor excercises will help with the dragging feeling,and the itchyness is where its healing. I had disposable stitches with my first and had a few of the stitches come out onto my sanitary towel.Remember to take it easy, ur body has done an amazing job and now it needs a rest

 

[Mrshoffie]

Thankyou everyone!
I'm definately trying that bottle idea for when I go to the toilet, and I'll also try using senekot or something similar.

I'm glad it's all normal I panicked incase the itching was an infection or something, but I guess it makes sence that it's itching as it heals.

xx

If you are breast feeding you probably shouldn't take senekot. You can have lactulose though.
Also you can take (again if you are breastfeeding) ibuprofen and paracetamol.
The ibuprofen will help to bring down the swelling.

 

[SparkleBug]

Sorry if this is repeat advice i havent read the other posts, but i know for about 3 weeks i felt that whole, omg im all hanging out especially when standing up or sitting on the loo......it takes a while for that feeling to go away, but it really does dont worry.

As for salt baths, thats good, but my midwife told me to try tea tree oil which is a natural antiseptic and it helped loads, not to mention made the upstairs smell so nice! Lol. If you feel really swollen and uncomfortable in the evenings get an icepack down there, i used frozen peas and sat on them on the sofa! Whatever relieves it, do it. And the itchiness is normal too when stitches and healing are taking place.

Youre totally normal and it does get better xx

 

[ka_ox]

Thankyou everyone
You've all made me feel so much better about it all now.

I'll get drinking lots of water and trying those pelvic floor exercises.

I don't breast feeding as it didn't go well, so I'm okay for using senakot and I take parecetamol for the pain daily now until it all goes

I'll be trying tea tree oil! Anything to make down there smell a little nicer and feel more cleaner and feminine lol.

xx

 

[Serenityblue]

I agree with every post-time is the main factor! I had a huge episiotomy and the 'prolapse feeling' for quite a long time (at least 12 weeks). Much better now and I'm keeping up with pelvic floor exercises.

The only other thing I'd recommend if peeing still stings is to just pee while you're in the bath-sounds gross I know but honestly it's so much more comfortable and pee is sterile so don't worry about it causing infection or anything. Congrats

 

[kanga]

Hi hun. I had a tear and epi (2nd degree) and experienced the dropping out feeling you have. And also felt pressure down there, like there was something inside me that shouldnt be there.

I went to my doc about it a few times who assured me that all was well and would heal in a few months. I am 5 months pp and everythings been fine and dandy for 2 months ish now.

The one thing that lasted a while was yellowy discharge. My doc told me that this was due to your body not producing progesterone until you have a period. And once you have had a few periods it subsides (I have had 3 now and it does!).

I didn't experience peeing myself but I did have the situ where I would need a wee, I would sit on the loo, and the wee would just flow without me doing anything. My mw said I just neede to do my pelvic floor exercises. Doing them really helped!

Its hard to do them at first but give it a go and don't be scared. It will tighten back up and the wee wee will stop.

Give yourself a break and expect it to be a few months before all is normal. LIke I said, I had a lot of what you have right now, and all is good now

Enjoy your baby xxxxxxxxxxxx

edit - I added lavendar oil to my daily baths which is a natual anticeptic aparantly, give it a whirl!

 

[LuckyStarr]

I never got to grips with managing to pour water on my stitches so I used to make a big wad of toilet tissue and use that to cover my stitches. Keep up with your exercises and go to the loo regularly, I kept forgetting I needed it! Finally that heavy feeling lasted about two weeks and the only thing that helped was a bath and those really thick uncool maternity pads, it felt like sitting on a pillow! X x

 

[ka_ox]

Thankyou
I may try peeing in the bath, I don't care how horrible it sounds, if it helps I'll do it lol.
I can't work out how to do the pelvic floor exercises I'm not doing them right but it's hard lol.
I also can't get go grips with pouring water on me while peeing, aha so I may take your advice and try a wad of paper.

Thankyou xx