Hi its been alittle over a month since i had my baby (vaginal delivery) and last week and last night i was washing down there and found alittle threadlike thing (stitch right?) Is that normal? I had an episiotomy obviously and my pp appointment is next week (which Im really dreading) but Im just wondering since i wont be able to call my Doc til Monday.It hurts in one spot and stings when i sqeeze. I dont know really how to explain but Im still bleeding red and its still pretty painful to sit.Thanks in advance for any help/advice.
Something else to add the stitch that i found was already loose and i tried laying down and looking down below lol and that hurt alot like i was stretching it alot..My Ob/Gyn isnt available til my appt-out of town i think ;<
I was able to see another Ob/Gyn yesterday since my doctor will be out til Friday..He opened up down there after they numbed it alittle and the way he explained it was- as the episiotomy was healing another layer of skin formed over it so when you open it your basically tearing open (raw) and thats why it bleeds and has been hurting and stinging when I pee. He prescribed some antibiotics for 5 days, I will go again next Tuesday and more than likely they'll put me under and fix things down there. Its wose than I thought but please pray eveverything goes well! Im a stay at home mom/wife so i rest as much as i can with my baby boy and try not to sit right on it to long. Been using a spray similar to dermaplast & witch hazel pads..Anyway, THANK YOU ALL so much for your responses I laughed at few and yes Tiffany W recovery NEVER even crossed my mind! At least labor was only hours..versus weeks!! : )
I know they give you the episiotomy so you won't tear but it often gets in the way of things. It doctors weren't so impatient far fewer episiotomies would be done.
Sit on a ring so you aren't pressing directly on the area while sitting. Don't make love until it heals.
I am a midwife. If you are bleeding bright red that means you are doing too much. Stop and let your body heal. Rest, rest and more rest. If the stitch is coming out, let it come out. Don't squeeze anything.
Also, if you have another baby please, please do not let anyone do an episiotomy. They are completely unneccessary except in extreme emergencies. It is better to tear if that is what is going to happen. Tears heal much faster and are not usually nearly as bad as an episiotomy. Episiotomy's go through muscle and nerves, tears are usually just superficial. Also, women usually tear worse after an episiotomy is done. Many 4th degree tears happen this way.The doctor cuts and then the skin continues to tear all the way down. In all my years of attending births I have never done an episiotomy or even seen one done except in a hospital setting where the doctor is just in a hurry to get home.
I had pp bleeding up until right before my 6 wk appt & my scar hurt for about 2 months..the worst pain was when (i believe) my stitches got down to the last 1-2 and there was no other support because it hurt like blazes one day then I felt a little pop, then nothing..the pain went away. I don't know if it helps you but, it really helped me to do the "bend over in the shower" thing spread the cheeks a bit (sorry, tmi) and let the warm water hit it. good luck! I feel for ya!
The one thing I thought other women should warn each other about is the pain after the birth. We all hear about the pain of delivery but forget about the recovery. I was in shock! Needless to say, I was bleeding until 7 weeks on my recent delivery and my episiotomy area hurt for 4 weeks. Now I never had a stitch come out but I am sure that is what is irritating you right now. I don't think you are in any danger or have an infection or anything, just a loose stitch. Sometimes you can just give it a little tug and it comes out (but don't pull hard, just a little) if it doesn't come out then leave it. Call you doc on Monday, he/she may want to see you sooner.
Good luck and congrats!
quit doing so much rest. get some dermaplast for the pain BUT REST AND QUIT DOING SO MUCH
You've got some great advice/info...I just thought I would throw my experience out there as a possiblity.
I had an episiotomy w/ babe#1 and at 6 weeks pp I was still having pain...a piece of the stitch had failed to disolve/got stuck and once it was removed the pain healed.
Try not to stress over the pp appt.-it will be ok! :)
I think the doc should look at it. I was never brave enough to look myself, for a lonnnng time, so I couldnt tell you what mine was doing, but after a month it didnt hurt anymore. Sensitive, but not hurting.
I would head in earlier if you can. I had granulation tissue forming when I was healing and it was extremely painful and bleeding when irritated by clothing. They removed it and all was well. Also, if you have a stitch that came out early, it can contribute to incorrect healing that will require follow up procedures down the line. Sooner the better to have it looked at in my opinion. Even if you can't see your regular doc, I'd see someone else.
I hurt for the full 6 weeks after my first baby and then it was like flicking off a switch. I tore pretty badly (3 on a scale of 1-4) and there were definately stiches that I could feel. You may have tore a little bit and that could explain why it still hurts. I wouldn't worry just because it still hurts, but I would still talk to the doctor just to ease your mind.
Get in as quick as you can. You could have a skin tag that can occur during stitching. I've had 2 friends that had that, and it was extremely painful til they decided to go in to the doctor. It was a quick, in-office fix. good luck!
I had a similar thing after birth..not a stitch hanging out, but an area that wasn't well stitched and would bleed bright red blood anytime there was pressure down there. I had to go back and have a few more stitches put in which wasn't bad. There are still times when blood still comes out and my daughter is 3 now. My OB/GYN says everything looks fine down there. I guess what I am saying is that birth is a very traumatic experience for that area (as you know) and it's going to feel and be different from prior to birth. I would try not to worry and just explain things to the OB when you see them.
I had a similar "recovery" - pain and stinging and such. I finally got brave enough to look and saw that I was still bleeding from the tear (3rd degree). I saw my doc at 4 weeks postpartum, and he tried to convince me to wait it out, that it would heal on its own, but I was in agony! (Forgive me for TMI - every time I had to do #2, it would start bleeding all over again - OUCH)
I finally saw another doc at 5 weeks who applied something called "silver nitrate." It stung like crazy when she applied it, but afterward, I felt SO much better. It was like it healed over that last part of the tear that wasn't healing. She couldn't understand why my other doc hadn't treated me when I first came in.
Good luck, and go see your doc and let him/her help you so you can enjoy your baby!!! Take care.
Since every person is different is different I know everyone heals differently, but it doesnt sound abnormal to me. I had stitches all 3 times with pain in the site for a long time. Cramps and bleeding for probably more than 6 weeks.
Tiffany is right, nobody - even my OB told me how bad it would feel the days and weeks after delivery!
