Dissolvable stitches, how long....

[Willo]

....does it take for them to dissolve?

I'm 5wks pp tomorrow and I still have them. I'm getting stinging down there still too. I had an episiotomy and I think there may have been some tears too. To be honest I didn't ask too much as I didn't want to know at the time.

I have been having baths every day and they are still there. Some have dissolved but I can still see some. I just want them gone. I can't believe I'm still getting pain and discomfort. Is this normal?

 

[Fairyclaire13]

I had a c section and mine dissolved before 5 weeks. Not sure when but think it was by 2 weeks. It might be different though because it's different tissue that's been stitched. Sorry I can't help on the stinging thing but I know I still had pulling sensations from the catheter for about 7 weeks so I guess these things can take a long time. I would mention it to your health visitor or doctor. Have you got a 6 week check up booked where you could voice your concerns? If not I'd book one just so they can check you don't have an infection. Sorry I can't talk from experience so I guess I'd be cautious. Good luck x

 

[seoj]

Not sure how long the pain down below would last... I had a c-section, and it took weeks and weeks for the pain to completely go away, and there are still times I'll get a twinge (nothing painful though)- but that's a totally differerent area.

As for the stitches, I would think that's a bit long to last hun? I want to say mine were gone when I peeled the tape off around 2wks? I would maybe call your OB and ask what to do? It's possible the stitches have dissolved on the inside, but just not fully on the outside yet???

 

[Willo]

Thanks for the replies. I'll be booking in for my 6wk check up next week. Prob get it for the following wk. I'll ask my Dr then about it. I'm just getting fed up as I want to just get on with things now. I want to be over all this stuff

It gets me down sometimes.

 

[SouthernC]

I'm still very tender in the middle section (between one and the other) I had to be cut and had 14 stitches, and I'm almost 4 weeks out.. Its still very tender to touch and sometimes still hurts when I go

 

[Willo]

I'm still very tender in the middle section (between one and the other) I had to be cut and had 14 stitches, and I'm almost 4 weeks out.. Its still very tender to touch and sometimes still hurts when I go

That's what I'm experiencing. Still a bit tender down there and stinging after I go sometimes and sometimes when I sit a certain way I get a pulling feeling and the stinging sometimes. It is getting better, bur sooo slowly.

 

[SouthernC]

I'm still very tender in the middle section (between one and the other) I had to be cut and had 14 stitches, and I'm almost 4 weeks out.. Its still very tender to touch and sometimes still hurts when I go

That's what I'm experiencing. Still a bit tender down there and stinging after I go sometimes and sometimes when I sit a certain way I get a pulling feeling and the stinging sometimes. It is getting better, bur sooo slowly.

I'm right there with you.. Im hoping I heal soon. I see my doctor tomorrow so Im going to ask him and go from there.. sigh..

 

[Willo]

Hope you heal up soon too. Good luck with the dr. Will be thinking of you.

 

[EllaAndLyla]

Hey hun, I had the dissolvable stitches because I had a 2nd degree tear (which I have heard is pretty much the same 'damage' as an episiotomy)... Mine took around 5-6 weeks to heal, after a while they started feeling quite heavy and the first few weeks home I was finding it hard to put trousers on, sit down/stand up etc. I'd recommend you carry on with the baths every day, also you can try putting a couple of drops of lavender oil in the water too as it helps them to dissolve. As much time out of your underwear as possible helps, if your still bleeding then lie on a towel. I would just get out from the lavender bath, go to the bedroom where LO & OH usually were and just lie on my towel, even for like 10 mins HTH xx

 

[EllaAndLyla]

Also for the stinging on the toilet you could try leaning your body forwards, that helped a lot with me

 

[Baby France]

I found that having baths with salt or tea tree oil in tended to soothed and help me? Even wearing a nightie so that my bits got 'air' helped tremendosly too!

I think your 6 week check up should help you out further...I'm taking it that you've been signed off by your midwife? They don't (I think) usually sign you off unless they are satisified that sufficient healing has taken place?

Hope you are ok xx x

 

[Willo]

Thanks again. I have been using teatree in my baths. I will try the no underwear thing though.

As for the midwife, I'm in Ireland and here I'm not under the care of a midwife once I leave hospital. I see a public health nurse, but she doesn't examine me. Then it's just my GP who I saw at 2 weeks and will be seeing again at 6 weeks.

 

[Nikki1120]

Hey hun, I had a double episiotomy and it took about 9-10 weeks for my pain to completely go away, I had loads of Savlon baths which helped in the earlier days, I know it's painful but after the first month every day is progress, hope you feel better soon hun.

 

[hanelei]

I had a triple episiotomy because of needing assistance from a ventouse and although most of them disappeared quite quickly I still had some stitches at my 1-month check up. I remember them still stinging and bleeding slightly until about 5 weeks when they finally came out- they didn't completely dissolve, there was thread on the paper when I wiped and everything was fine after that!

I was amazed how well everything healed actually given the amount of stitches I had. Seems like it's quite normal for some of them to hang around for up to 6 weeks.

 

[babyjan]

I don't member exactly when but Im quite sure they were gone by 5 weeks x
Oh and every time I peed I would pour warm water down there whilst peeing I was so scared of anything stinging, thankfully it worked

 

[Stormynights]

I just had my pp visit yesterday at 5w. She said I had one stitch left but I was healed, then she pulled the stitch out with her fingers!

 

[Willo]

Thanks for all the replies. I can't say how reassuring it is to know that the stitches bring there still is not unheard of.

 

[babyjan]

I just had my pp visit yesterday at 5w. She said I had one stitch left but I was healed, then she pulled the stitch out with her fingers!

Omg did that hurt and why?

 

[oneway]

I had a 4th degree tear and an episiotomy so I had a whole lot of stitches. By week 6 it looked like I had healed but the ends of the stitches were still there and digging into my skin when I sat. My doctor said that my wounds had healed and the bits sticking out were just the ends that didn't dissolve. So she cut them off. I had a mild stinging sensation when she pulled them off. She showed them to me so that I could see that she had not pulled out any internal stitches, just the ends of the external ones that had not dissolved. I could still feel my internal stitches by running a finger over the skin. At my 12 week checkup I had healed completely.

 

[Willo]

Thanks for sharing your experience oneway. Glad to hear you healed well.

I'm thinking of booking an appointment this week now, as the stinging has been worse today. Prob nothing but want to be sure.