Rough Recovery from Rough Delivery...

I had a 3rd degree tear w/my first. Boy, was that a rude awakening to motherhood! :P First, don't worry about the long run - it *will* heal just fine. 3 & 1/2 years & another child later I am great & everything's in perfect order/works fine. Anyway, I found sitz (sp?) baths to be helpful. The swelling will subside. Can you take ibuprofen for it to reduce the inflammation? It should get better soon. Hope that helps..take it easy! And congrats! :)

I am so sorry that happened to you!! I hope for your next birth, you go with a practitioner who will allow you to be in a better birthing position... sounds like you were on your back.

Vit C, zinc and eating proteins help with healing of muscle and skin. Ask your GYN/OB if there is some sort of cream you can use to keep that area supple and less likely to pinch as it heals.

I have not. But I know the pain from tears can take several months to resolve. Here is a website that offers lots of useful information.

http://brochures.mater.org.au/Home/Brochures/Mater-Mother...

Sorry for the tearing during birth- I hope you recover quickly and fully!

Best wishes!

Ouch! That sounds so painful. I haven't experienced it myself, just offering support. I know other women who have had it, and they seem to recover, given enough time.

Did you have an episiotomy? It seems like so many awful tears are linked to having episiotomies (this is actually studied and proven that episiotomies often cause worse tears - my dr refuses to do them unless absolutely necessary to get baby out faster). It's like taking a piece of paper, snipping it, and it tears really easy - same concept for giving birth. Just wanted to mention that in case that might have contributed. Though, I do know a small number of women that still tear horribly and never had one. I've have three vaginal births, and I only needed two stitches when I had my 10 lbs 11 oz baby boy with a head over 15" (no episiotomy thank goodness). but just that little tear was painful. Can't imagine needing 30 stitches! It took me over 8 weeks to heal from him (and not just due to the tearing - just healing from a huge baby!).

I ended up having to have a c-section with baby #4 (complete previa). I wouldn't normally suggest them, but healing from that was not even comparable to healing from my vaginal births. The c-section was SO MUCH easier. But I also have had rough labors/births (baby stuck in birth canal for three hours caused a lot of swelling for a long time). Couldn't sit for weeks and my bottom turned black & blue, EEK! It was awesome to not deal with all that pain in the vaginal area. I healed so fast with my c-section.

So...if you have more babies and the doctor ever suggests a c-section in place of tearing really bad, you might want to consider it. When you tear really bad, I'm pretty sure you're at risk for prolapse later on with vaginal births. With my gigantic baby, I'm at high risk of uterine prolapse if I have another big one vaginally. That's enough for me to choose a c-section...especially since it really did much less damage (even the dr said so) I've had babies in birth centers naturally, so I don't easily talk well of c-sections, but after having one...my mind has changed! Sometimes vaginal causes much more damage than a c-section does. So, just something to consider if you're afraid of going through the same thing again.

Yes, on my last delivery I had a third degree tear. It felt like it took so long to heal! I was also surprised on how swollen things can get "down there". My recovery did take several weeks. My dr did a great job though. I healed up nicely with no complications. I took several months to feel normal again though. My son is now 18 months and I really have no further issues. I hope the same for you!

I feel your pain, I had an episiotomy done but he came out fast and furious after that, that I tore to the 3rd degree. It does take a while to heal and even after I had healed intercourse was still pretty rough probably for a few years my advice is invest in a lot of lube. My second was worst though because my dr had advised me with how bad the first tear was if the second was to do the same i would probably have future problems (such as the inability to hold in bowels, anal reconstruction talk) so he had asked if I wanted to opt for a c-section and I said no because both a c-section and anal reconstruction are both surgeries and we would just go for it and instead of going through that stretchy tissue he did a diaganal cut (my kids have huge heads) and that was through muscle and not the stretchy tissue. That one was far worst and still affects the spur of the moments with my husband and that was 4 years ago. I can feel the scar tissue from the second. You will heal. There is some numbing spray that you can use I forgot what it is called. I know some of you will say my dr did a lot of unnessary steps but I couldnt explain everything and would trust him with my life, he saved my sister in law during her delivery.

Ouch...hope you heal soon. I didn't have that but my bladder did not work for 10 days after delivery. The docs sent me home with a bag that caused terrible blisters on my leg and I could only wear pj bottoms and really baggie pants. If I knew it would only be for 10 days it would have been more bearable but when you are going through it, it just stinks:(. congrats on your new baby though!

Yowsa! I had an episiotomy, but nothing like you are describing. I know my sitz bath was my best friend though. Does that help? And a donut ring to sit on? Hoping you heal fast!

O your giving me a flashback of nearly 15 yrs ago! The misery! I remember telling my mom, why didn't you tell me about this part! That was after a drug free delivery! I too had a 4th degree laceration with stitches inside, outside, to the top of my butt crack, my anal muscles ripped and I had a 2 inch long gash down to my leg and he was just 6 pds! I lived on that foam stuff and ice packs. Make sure you rinse with warm water often. At my 6 wk check up I still couldn't sit flat on my butt and he gave me a spray and antibiotics because it was infected. Im sooo sorry your going through this! Ask them for some numbing creams. Its the only thing that kept me going! Congrats!

With this kind of a tear it is not uncommon to have urinary and/or fecal incontinence (difficulty controlling your peeing and pooping). If you have an issue with that, be sure to bring it up to your doctor. If she doesn't take it seriously, look for a doctor that will. It can seriously change your quality of life but many people are too embarrassed to get the help they need.

I too had a rough labor and was VERY swollen for awhile. I had to go to the shaken baby class at the hospital before we left and I waddled in there with a pillow to sit on and my husband had to help me sit and get up! While the woman next to me walked right in and crossed her legs!

You will heal... just a thought you still might have some stitches. When I went for my 6 week check I was saying how sometimes it still hurt to wipe and low and behold I still had two stitches that hadn't dissolved yet. They left them in since it had only been 6 weeks and told me if I still felt the pain in about two months to give them a call and they would remove them... luckily the pain went away before then!

Maybe the discomfort is stitches that are still there?

OMG...You poor thing. I sure hope it gets better...Hugs and prayers to you.

It will take some time. I also had 3rd degree tearing. I don't know how many stitches I had and I was terrified to look "down there" for weeks and weeks. At my 6 weeks my doctor advised me to wait another 2-3 weeks for intercourse as I was still very "angry" and swollen as she put it. Honestly, it probably took a good 4-5 months for me to feel almost normal again. I noticed pain in my pelvic floor just from standing too long, and just felt like all my insides were going to fall out, like I was just really weak down there.

And now after 7 months I still have a sore spot in my vagina and it hurts at first when I have sex, but it feels much better. I was worried I was ruined forever, but it has healed. So have faith, it just takes time! I was uncomfortable as you said for at least 4 months afterward, not necessarily in pain, just not quite right. Weird.

good luck and congrats!!!