Ouch Ouch Ouch!! - Stitches

[Mango]

I tore during delivery and have stitches down below. At first they were ok but I think all of the pain relief meds have worn off and Tylenol doesn't exactly get to that area so well lol.

Did anyone do anything special to help that area heal faster. I have taken warm showers but in all honesty sitting for long period of time or even laying in bed can be so difficult because of the soreness.

Also, I am sooooo afraid to go to the bathroom. I haven't had a bowel movement yet (TMI I know) since the stitches and I feel as though when I do go, it's gonna hurt like hell.

 

[lauren-kate]

It does hurt lots When you go to the loo (#1s), try leaning forwards, kind of crouching over a bit, as I found that hurt a bit less. You could also try pouring warm water down your front when you 'go'.

Don't think I did anything special to help healing, just kept the area as clean and dry as I could do. x

 

[Tilly]

Ouch, poor thing.

I didn't tear, all I had was 1 stitch inside but it still hurt like hell when I went for a wee, sat down or had a bowel movement so I do really feel for you!

Maybe try a stool softener and hope for the best. My first ones were much more painful than I expected, be brave and think that you've pushed a baby out.. a little poo is not going to win rofl.

 

[elles28]

Get a jug and add a good dose of salt then luke warm water & pour it as you pee it will heal so much quicker & I found for the 1st bowel movement (the thought of it hurt me more than actually doing it & I held it in for as long as I could 1st time around) rock backwards & forwards honestly its not as bad as you think it will be!! x

 

[Louisa K]

Hi Mango, I had an operation which left me with a pretty big scar with lots of stitches, not pregnancy related though. I used savlon liquid in my baths and it helped me to heal quickly and kept everything extra clean.

That might help.. Worth giving it a go..

 

[Wobbles]

Worst was the stitches rubbing on mat pads I ended up very sore. My trick for this was vaseline down there It protected from the rubbing & imo worked very well. Warm shower down below just made me feel fresher so both combined helped. Also sanitrys ... Yvanne suggested the always silk have to say ace move they are much more comfortable.

 

[lorrilou]

i had stitches with callum and my mw told me to put tea tree oil in the bath, it helps to heal them. Mine were pretty much healed after 2 weeks. Doesnt help with the pain but does help them heal quickly.

 

[freckleonear]

Oh, I remember how painful that is, poor you.

My stitches also started to hurt more after the first few days. Apparently it all tightens up more when it begins to heal, which causes the increase in pain. My midwife offered to take out the first stitch for me to relieve it a bit, so that might be worth asking about (I didn't have it done though, so can't say whether it would help or not).

I used Green Baby Cooling Perineal Gel, which was very soothing, but no idea whether it helped to heal it any faster! Most of the pain had gone by a week and a half, and completely gone by two weeks.

I was terrified of opening my bowels too, but actually when I did it didn't hurt at all. The longer you put it off for, the more likely you are to get constipated though.

Hope you're feeling better soon. xxx

 

[Mango]

Thanks so much ladies... It doesn't burn at all to use the bathroom so doing ok in that department, but I haven't had the urge to uh "poo" yet so we'll see. I'll definitely try those suggestions! The tea tree oil sounds like a really good one. And indeed the maxipads are NOT my friend right now.

 

[Tam]

For your bowel movements, I was told to eat apples as the chewing action helps something (I can't remember what). But make the most of eating apples - what have you got to lose?

I hope you heal very soon! x

 

[Mango]

I did it!! LMAO I feel like a kid learning to use the potty all over again..SIGH!

It didn't hurt at all, in fact it hurts more to wee than to do anything else. Still going to continue using the tea tree oil and warm water to help speed up the healing hopefully.

 

[snugglemuffin]

I had load of stitches with my first and i found if i held a pad tightly over the stitches when i went to poo it really helped and helped with the fear that they would break.

Warm water when you pee is awsome and salty baths helped! I also dried with a hair dryer. When i got my second lot i did it all as the first were put in to tight and burst (well before i managed to poo) and got infected but all of the above helped even then before the next ones went in!

I hope you heal quickly! they are the worst part afterwards i thought!

 

[vicky9207]

i just give birth to my little boy on sunday der. i have stitchs 2 plus i had 2 get cut down der. i was reali scared 2 go 2 the loo. my midwife told me 2 eat kiwi n it did the trick n i didnt think it hurt.

 

[Simon'sMum]

I don't know if this will be of any help, but a nurse recommended an ointement called EMLA to "numb" the skin near the stitches. She said lots of women have pain when they begin to heal and so I bought it. I didn't need it, but heard great comments about it. In Canada, you'll have to ask the pharmacist, but you won't need a prescription. If you buy it, get the smallest tube as it's not cheap. A tube approx. the size of a ring finger costs about 14$ Canadian. But you use it sparingly so it may be worth it!

 

[princess2323]

i was told at the hospital to keep ice on it and it did help --- there they would make an ice pack out of a baby diaper by tearing it open on the top and inserting the ice cubes and closing it back up and using it that way===plus it doubled as a pad ---so it worked great=---did it for about a week and a half and then was back to normal =-----*(had three stitches)

 

[katek]

I was checking out this sight to get reminders on wha to do--I'm due in 3 1/2 weeks. I had 23 stiches with my last baby. He was over 9 lbs and I am very small. Witch hazel pads really helped with the pain, and when I had a bowel movement taking a clean pad and applying pressure upward while bearing down to have bowel movement helped alot. The doc told me to try that and it did help. Also my doc gave me a stool softener. It will get better, hang in there.