Experiences with healing after a natural birth?

[mandaa1220]

How long did it take you to feel normal down there after a vaginal birth?

I gave birth to my LO 5 days ago, completely natural, drug-free birth. The midwife said that I had only torn slightly and didn't need stitches, but then decided to give me a few last minute. Afterwards, I was obviously sore, but it was expected.

3 days ago, a day after we had gotten home, I started to have more significant pain down there. I took a peak and I SWEAR it looks like there is a piece that is torn almost in half. The pain was progressively getting worse, so I called and ended up at the hospital to have the midwife check everything yesterday. She said that everything looked like it was healing nicely, gave me a sitz bath to take home and use, as well as some numbing spray and stuff.

I know I sound crazy, but I feel like she missed seeing the part I'm talking about. I've never given birth before, so I don't know what to expect from recovery, but I don't feel like this is normal. I have difficulty sitting, sometimes walking, and I have this stinging pain in the spot where it looks like it's torn.

I'm looking to know from other women? My mom doesn't remember being in pain like that, but I just don't know.

 

[ParisJeTadore]

With my first I had a first degree tear and required stitches. I remember the pain being pretty bad for the first couple weeks. I also noticed a spot that looked torn (for lack of a better word!)that was very sensitive for quite a long time and took ages to disappear. Despite that, at my six week appointment my obgyn said nothing and told me I had healed very nicely Your vagina takes a beating during childbirth so it's fair to say that it takes awhile for things to go back to normal. Honestly, things didn't look normal again for several months.

If you are still in a lot of pain in a week from now, have increased swelling, redness, itchiness, etc. I would go back to be seen. You know your body best so trust your instincts

 

[mandaa1220]

It makes me feel better to hear you had a spot that looked torn and pain. I'll give it til Wednesday I guess, so I could get an appt before next weekend if I need to.

 

[ParisJeTadore]

It makes me feel better to hear you had a spot that looked torn and pain. I'll give it til Wednesday I guess, so I could get an appt before next weekend if I need to.

That sounds like a good plan. Never hurts to go back and get checked.

Don't want to gross you out but the area that looked torn almost looked like skin that had ripped apart but there was more skin behind it. If that makes any sense...it hurt when dtd and to this day, even though I can no longer see anything there, it can still be a bit sensitive. Oh the joys of childbirth!

 

[BunnyN]

I didn't really have pain, just some discomfort. My labia split and I had stitches but they pulled out so I have been left with a split. I also had a small tear that didn't have stitches. Now that everything is healed the torn parts are a light pink color and stand out from the slighly darker skin around them. Besides the actual tears for several weeks after there seemed to be loads of extra flaps of skin that didn't really belong down there, so maybe that's what you are seeing? Eventually the extra skin shrunk back to normal. I still feel different down there than before having a baby but the weird flaps of skin have all gone.

 

[Mrs HM]

I had two tears and they were sore for weeks afterwards. More so if I was sitting on a hard chair or something. Also after a shower it felt weird down there for months, I just assumed it was the new skin healing. I;d say I felt normal by 4 months so not quickly!

 

[SarahBear]

Things can look pretty crazy down there afterward, but they shouldn't be getting worse. Have you been applying ice? That helps a lot. One thing you can do that helps is to take the sitz bath and pour a line of it down a thick pad and then stick the pad in the freezer. Once it's frozen, stick it in your underwear. I also make ice cubes with the sitz bath and applied that frequently. Again though, it shouldn't be getting worse.

 

[nikkchikk]

6 weeks to have very slow, stop and go sex. 12 weeks to normal, noteventhinkingaboutthefactthatIhadgivenbirth sex. I had a graze and required 2 stitches.

 

[mandaa1220]

6 weeks to have very slow, stop and go sex. 12 weeks to normal, noteventhinkingaboutthefactthatIhadgivenbirth sex. I had a graze and required 2 stitches.

Ohhh boy... I'm scared to ever DTD again.

 

[nikkchikk]

6 weeks to have very slow, stop and go sex. 12 weeks to normal, noteventhinkingaboutthefactthatIhadgivenbirth sex. I had a graze and required 2 stitches.

Ohhh boy... I'm scared to ever DTD again.

Haha, if it makes you feel any better...after about week 7 to week 10, I was MULTI orgasmic. I've never had a problem having orgasms during sex, but this was a WHOLE different level. Maybe it was because of pleasure/slight pain response? I also think that my doctor stitched me up too tight at the opening where I tore (just a few stitches) which required a 'breaking in' processe....VERRRRYYYY SLLOOOWWW process, lol!

I was sad to see it go, lol.

 

[luz]

I had a 2nd degree tear which required a few (4? 5? i never checked) stitches. It was pretty sore for a while, but after about 6 weeks i was fine. It still was tender, but life went back to normal by then.