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Stitches

Lulu90

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To the ladies who were unfortunate enough to have been cut during your labour...

God knows how many stitches I had (didn't occur to me to ask), but oh my are they giving me grief. A week after I had Luca, the mw checked them and said they were infected, started antibiotics the same day. All was good until a couple of days ago (lb is now 3 weeks old), I'm not in pain as such but there's a bit of burning when I pee occurring which I didn't have before, as if I have an open wound. I thought everything would be fine and the stitches would be gone after 2 weeks. Am I completely wrong? Does this sound completely normal or should I pop to see my GP? xx
 
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Hi hun, I am in the same boat I'm afraid! I had an episiotomy and was told I had an infection after about 2 weeks or so. I took antibiotics for a week and arnica, the swelling has gone down and it's not as sore but I do have some discharge from it still and I can feel it especially when sitting down. The midwife said that a part of it is a bit open but it's healing from the inside out and wasn't concerned. If you are seeing your midwife again ask her to check it otherwise I would pop to the GP if you're concerned. I'm the same as you though, thought it would be pretty healed by now! xx
 
Exactly the same as me my love. I'm taking arnica too, brilliant isn't it? I've got some discharge too. Are you still bleeding? I have my 6 week check on the 2nd of September, but if I do get more concerned I will book an app before then. Not seeing the midwife again xx
 
Episiotomy took me a good 6 weeks to heal wound wise

I would get it checked though? I washed with a shower head down there 3 times a day, dried with hair drier - fresh pad every few hours max, lots Of air time

I still have aches now 17 months on!
 
I didn't have an episiotomy but did have stitches for tears. At about 3 weeks I remember the pain coming back like they were brand new...I think they were dissolving (particularly the knotted ends) and causing all sorts of pulling and tugging. I'd ask your Mw to take a look in case the infection is back but it could be that the last bits would be better being taken out rather than left to dissolve. Xxx
 
Thanks ladies.

Another question, how long did you wait to have a bath? I really want one. I have tea tree oil and lavender, do you think I could use them or would they cause irritation? xx
 
Oh dear, poor you. I was fortunate to not get infected after my episiotomy first time and stitches from the 2nd degree tear second time. With both I soaked them with warm water each time a went to the loo, then dabbed dry with toilet roll and they luckily healed nicely.

I hope you heal up soon, but definitely see a GP, just for peace of mind if nothing else.
 
I had an episiotomy but thankfully my stitches didn't get infected. I put a few drops of tea tree oil into a squeeze bottle of water and used it when I went to the toilet (sorry if tmi)! While I was in the hospital the midwife suggested filling their sick/toilet trays with water and pouring it while I took a pee&it worked a treat so don't actually know if it ever would have hurt to pee or not.

I had a bath a few days after I got home I think but just plain water as I was worried about adding anything (same with shower). You'll know yourself when you can add anything. I started with mum and me bath foam as it was supposed to be gentle. It was but little or no bubbles so not quite what I was hoping for!

Definitely get checked out but use water or tea tree water in the meantime. Good luck .
 
Exactly the same as me my love. I'm taking arnica too, brilliant isn't it? I've got some discharge too. Are you still bleeding? I have my 6 week check on the 2nd of September, but if I do get more concerned I will book an app before then. Not seeing the midwife again xx


I've still got bleeding but it's very light and has been for a week or so now. I'll be seeing the midwife this morning, in this area they discharge between 25 and 28 days so this should be my last visit.

Glad you mentioned about a bath - lots of people (family) are telling me to have salt baths but to be honest I was in too much agony to contemplate getting in and out of a bath for the first couple of weeks and the idea of salt scares me! I think I might brave a plain bath tomorrow and try a bit of air drying xx
 
Yeah my bleeding is really light now too.

Funnily enough my family members told me to have a salty bath too. Me said not to as it makes the stitches dissolve. I might brave one to tonight and air dry like you said xx
 
Omg. I can't imagine having had a salt bath though I heard my mum suggest it for my cousin at one stage. I'd give that a miss too. Tea tree in a small dose would be good for keeping it clean& smells pretty good. I just rinsed with shower head &didnt use any soaps or shower gels etc and things calmed down. I just patted and air dried too& changed pads very often. Hope you's are feeling better soon. Thinking back it was awful but I didn't think about it at the time.
 
Mw checked my stitches this morning as it was stinging when I weed. She said some of my stitches have broken causing the wound to open. No sign of infection luckily. Says to carry on with just water baths and to wee in the bath/shower to avoid the stinging pain. I am only a week post birth so have a long way to go judging by some comments.
 
I had third degree tears and an episiotomy and it took me a good 2 months for everything to stop hurting/stinging etc and another few months to feel remotely normal down there. No harm in getting things checked over again to make sure still healing well before your 6 week check though, I had to do the same.

Get some lavender oil from the chemist and put a few drops in a small glass of milk and pour it into your baths every day, that is what midwife told me to do and it really helped. You have to put it in milk though as if you just add the oil straight to water it will float on the top whereas if you mix it with milk and then put it in the milk helps it sink into the water properly. This is fine to do from day one x
 
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Eventually when I was healed it turned out some of my muscles in my vagina were traumatised meaning on some parts the muscles couldn't relax which caused immense pain which kind of felt like a burning sensation.. Keep checking with GP until 6 weeks if it's persists after go and see the pelvic physio.
 

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