those who had second degree tears....

[tristansmum]

Can you tell me about your recovery. I'm 9 days pp and still sore. I've nor really looked down there as too nervous. How long til you felt properly healed? Will I be able to see a scar? What about sex? Thanks

 

[flamingpanda]

I was sore for weeks, don't worry. In those early days you feel like it will never be normal again but it will. If it's been checked by a midwife and she says it's fine try not to worry. I ended up with an infection which prolonged it a little for me. As for a scar, not that I can tell but I haven't looked at it too much. It does feel a little different but I think that's due to how I was stitched. Sex is the same, if verging on slightly better! So that's a good thing.

 

[Gidz]

Ugh, it took like 3 months to feel normal again. No scar, looks the same. Sex still hurts, tho.

 

[tristansmum]

Thanks should someone have checked my stitches? No one has looked

 

[chipsticks]

Id get your stitches looked at, mine ended up infected which was prolonging the pain. I think it took 6/7 weeks for me to feel normal. Sex was awkward at first but returned to normal by 5/6 months after...

 

[GreyGirl]

I had 2nd degree. It was uncomfortable to sit down for a while, healed well. Couldn't see a scar. Sex has been painful and it's irritated the lower part of the 'area' with some blood, nothing major. Not had it in a while, so don't know if it's normal now!

 

[Louise88]

For me I think it took 4 weeks overall, I remember not being able to leave the house because walking made me look like I'd shit myself because of the soreness lol if you get real sore run yourself a warm bath I used to have like 5 a day but it really helped sooth the pain.

 

[J04NN4]

I had 2 second degree tears (one perineal, one labial) and nine days pp it still felt like an absolute train wreck down there

I had sex at 5 weeks pp and it was probably a little too soon, it was quite sore, not painful but just not particularly pleasant. A few weeks after that though it was back to normal.

Now at 5.5 months pp it feels pretty much back to normal. There is no evidence whatsoever of the perineal tear, it doesn't hurt, can't feel that I ever had any stitches. Where my labia tore though still gets a bit sore if I've been doing lots, lots of walking or general activity or if I wear my skinny jeans it can rub a bit. It also feels a little bit rough to the touch like a scar but I can't see anything different

Sorry if any of this is TMI but I would've killed for this level of detail pre-birth

 

[cupcaker]

I was babyish and didn't 'dare' look at what actually went on down there. I just took the midwives word for it. Peeing really stung for quite a few weeks, that was my main gripe. Keeping very well hydrated helped (diluted the pee and made it less stingy). I'd say about 4 weeks before I felt everything was 'okay'. On the day of being 6 weeks PP I did look with a mirror and couldn't really see any signs of what went on. I read my notes and it said perineal and labial I think.

I didn't have sex until 6 weeks...I was dead nervous. It was 'ok', the worst part was anticipating any pain rather than there actually being any. and then the next time pretty much normal. I felt like a tiny bit of stinging re-occured around 7 weeks or so, but now at 9 weeks I feel totally normal.

 

[sequeena]

I had a second degree tear, labial tear and grazes. It took me 2 weeks to heal but I felt 'tight' for a while after.

 

[IrelandsOwn]

I had three and I felt back to my normal self in two weeks. Herbal baths helped a lot. I still haven't looked but I got the all clear at my six week check up last week

 

[lau86]

Ooh yes 9 days pp I was still walking like John Wayne. I think it took about two weeks for the sensation to return properly! A few months for everything to feel ok, to be honest it never felt like it did before but you get used to it.
I had a second degree tear but I believe some of it was quite high up inside due to LO coming out with his hand by his head

 

[SaraEmily]

I had a 2nd degree episiotomy and 3rd degree tear, and I was barely able to walk for the first week. Recovering from that was the worst part of the entire pregnancy and delivery. Ugh. But by the 2 week mark, I felt much better. We had sex at 6 weeks pp, and it went well. Hurt for a minute, then felt good. Those early days are rough, but it gets better!

 

[dinosaur2010]

I felt like I'd been stitched too tightly, started to feel ok after about 3 months though- I bled for 3 months too which was a lot longer than average!- sex was really sore up until about 6/7 months pp- I went to doc about this who said this is very unusual though as usually by 6 months you're expected to be as good as new! I must agree with one of the pp's though that my sex life has improved since getting back into it! lol!

 

[Bongley]

I had a second degree tear and some grazes. The first 2 weeks were the worst, really ached/burned to sit down for any length of time, not great when constantly breast feeding! By 4 weeks I felt ok. I was checked while in hospital and then at 6 weeks by my GP. By 6 weeks I had a look and couldn't see the difference from before. Sex (at 6 weeks) was fine if a bit sore afterwards.

 

[mrsrof]

Second degree tear here too...I'll be honest, I'm a year post partum now and it is still tender sometimes (when we're having sex). It was proper sore for about 6 weeks pp x

 

[TryinFor1]

I had a third degree laceration, almost a fourth degree tear. I was healed and could sit properly about three weeks pp.

I had sex about six weeks pp and had no problems.

I did pop a stitch using the restroom so make sure you are taking a stool softner.

 

[mizzywizzy]

I was sore way beyond my 6 week pp checkup. I think I properly healed at about 7 weeks pp and felt normal again. You are still 9 days so your wound is still fresh make sure you don't keep on your feet for too long during the day and lie down as much as you can

 

[rose.]

I wasn't really that sore - I think my tear was mostly inside so didn't get rubbed of irritated much. It just felt kind of tight and bruised for about 4-6 weeks. Sex is a little uncomfortable to start with but gets better after a couple of minutes.

 

[stephie_corin]

I had an episiotomy and a tear (not sure what degree, sorry - but it was quite long and I had internal and external stitches. I must be in the minority as I have a scar but in terms of healing I was surprised how good I felt after a few weeks. Things looked pretty bad down there for a few weeks but now gone back to normal other than the scar x