Stitches After Birth??

I had a 4th degree tear and a lot (about an hour & a half) of stitches. They got infected, and I had to be readmitted for antibiotics and monitoring. It was pretty horrible.
My advice: get on a stool softener & laxative, and make sure you're having regular bms. Get a sitzbath, and use it, multiple times per day. Use a warm squirt bottle and witchhazel pads to cleanse & soothe the area. If you wipe and see green pus, or if you use a mirror and the area is really inflamed, see your doctor. Use your pain meds as prescribed, and if you don't have a prescription, get one. See your doctor a week-10days post partum to check for infection & to make sure you're healing well. Get a donut pillow to sit on when you're nursing. Give yourself time to heal - like 6 weeks. Like I said, take your pain medication, get some help to assist with taking care of the baby & your family while you heal.
On the plus side, similar to LivTokyo, I did not tear at all during the birth of my 2nd baby, and was healed with no pain really quickly.

Congratulations on your new baby!!

With my first child, I actually had an episiotomy (OUCH), and with my second child, I had a second-degree tear, so I had lots of stitches both times. Honestly, at this point, everything "down there" is soooo abused that you should just not even worry about it. It would really take a lot for you to tear your stitches out (I mean, unless you're doing competitive gymnastics or something, you are probably fine...). Keep the area as clean as you can (did they give you a squirt bottle to use when you go to the bathroom? Keep using that.) The stitches will fall out on their own in a few days anyhow, and it will take a while before everything feels normal again. I was in a significant amount of pain for weeks, as I recall (but that was with the episiotomy - when you tear on your own, it heals better and faster).

If you are very concerned, call and speak to your nurse or doctor about it. They can reassure you.

Congrats on your baby boy. I was one of the unfortunate 1% whose stitches actually ripped. I required a repeat episiotomy. DS was born in mid october, and the repeat episiotomy was scheduled for early November. If in doubt, have it checked out.

Also, do ask if the procedure is recommended to be done immediately, or can wait a while. It was no fun trying to recover from a repeat episiotomy, including at home catheterization, while tending to a newborn. Were it not for my MIL providing live in assistance, to both baby and me, it would have been totally beyond doable.

Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

If you think you have ripped your stitches, the best thing is to go back to
your O.B.G.Y.N and have a professional DR. look at it. Because he /she will be able to give you the proper advise on what to do, and how to heal them without complications you might have if you do not get it treated, as well as what you can to do about your hemoroids. God luck & God Bless

I can't say for sure you didn't have tearing, but I can say, stitches HURT.

For two or three weeks after my son was born, I referred to that whole part of my body as "Fallujah," because it felt, and probably looked, like a bloody mess and a war zone. (This was in 2006, during the height of the Iraq war. If my son were born today, I'd probably name it after a city in Syria.)

Anyway, just remembered, I actually did a check-up with my midwife, because I just felt like, this level of pain cannot be normal and okay. She said it was totally fine, that that's what it's like after you give birth. And, within another two days, I was feeling much better.

If you're not using TUCKS already, do so! They're a lifesaver.

As long as you're giving your body time to heal I don't see any reason to worry about ripping the stitches. I've had stitches twice, and both times I healed just fine. Try to relax.

Back when I had my kids they did an episiotomy routinely so you didn't tear and it was easier to do neat stitching compared to jagged from a tear. So they said. I had my first 6 weeks early and he was delivered vaginally but was frank breech. They did a big episiotomy and when he came home from the hospital I was still sitting on pilows in pain and he was then 3 weeks old so just be patient and it will get better soon, but not in 5 days most likely. Also if you think you have a tear have the doctor check it out. I doubt that you do.

I have two children and have gotten 2nd degree tears BOTH TIMES. UGHH... Drink LOTS AND LOTS of fluids, if they gave you a prescription for a stool softener take it, and just try to make things flow as easily as possible from that end. Just try to keep things as "stress free" down there as possible and that will help with both the tear site as well as the hemorrhoids. If you are really that concerned about it, go get it checked out, though. Hopefully, it's nothing, and you'll be in and out of that office in a flash! :)

I remember having to be stitched up after I gave birth to my son in 2006. I even remember that I did hurt for a while. I don't think I ripped any of my stitches but I would ask your doctor to make sure that everything is alright.

I had an herbal solution I got from my accupuncturist that I put in the squirt bottle and it was amazing. I healed really fast with my last one. I would also use a lot of tucks pads - if you hemroids (this may be tmi) you can fold them in half and lay it in there, place it when you are sitting then stand up and it'll stay - that' helped me a lot.

I agree with a lot of things said here. If you're concerned about a rip, get it checked out. You probably aren't, its just sore down there as it heals. If you don't already have some, get some numbing spray, it helps a whole lot. With my first child, the hospital gave me some. With number 2, I asked for some, and the nurse got it for me. I just bought some the other day in the first aid aisle for our first aid kit. Congratulations!!

I ripped my stitches with my first, and it just healed funny. (I will never be a vagina model) I didn't realize I had ripped them until they were nearly healed. After my second baby the doctor who deliverd me (a man I had never met before) was sewing me up, and he said "If you like I can repair what happened with your old stitches. I just need to cut it open and restitch it." I was like "Are you kidding me?!" I suppose I should have let him, but at that moment I had had enough, and I really didn't want any more stuff going on down there!

Take a maxi pad, a thick one, not one of the thinner ones, and soak it in a strong "tea" made from comfrey (you can find it in health food stores in leaf form). DO NOT DRINK THE TEA! IT IS POISONOUS!
Anyway :) apply the pad, warm or frozen, whichever feels better, to the area where the tear happened 3x/day for at least 20 minutes. Comfrey is an amazing healing herb, and I healed very quickly from all of my births using this method.
Everything is going to hurt for a while. The first time you have sex after an episiotomy can be really uncomfortable, so be aware of that, too.
Good luck with the hemorrhoids. Unfortunately, they often come with the territory. Check with your doctor after you've healed about seeing a specialist to have them tied off/removed.

Whatever you do, don't do too much right now, no matter how good you feel. Rest a LOT. Your body heals when at rest, not when you are active, and heals best when you are asleep. Take very good care of yourself NOW so you can be a good mom to your new baby. And, congratulations :)

I'm like you- I tore very badly and it really hurt! Chances are strong that you have NOT torn your stitches, but it can't hurt to check in with your doctor just to be safe.

Tucks pads were heaven for me. I would (possible TMI alert) put two or three layers of them on top of a sanitary napkin and change them out every few hours. My husband bought the jumbo size for me!

I also found a numbing spray, but I can't remember the name of it- it was an over the counter brand, nothing fancy. Just be aware that the force of the spray in that area can be uncomfortable. I would spray it directly onto the napkin instead and it still worked.

Try to keep the area as clean as you possibly can, too.

It's hard to be tired from delivery and in pain. Of course it all goes away when you look at your beautiful baby! Congrats and feel better soon. Keep us posted!

Been there, done that!! lol!! Ice packs helped me. Even if you ripped your stitches, which I doubt but you never know, it's going to take some time. If it gets worse, I would definitely call your doctor.

In the mean time, very loose panties (if any at all); and try to just prop your legs up when you can. It will get better!! And don't overdo it!!!

Congrats and enjoy that little guy!!

I was really, really sore after having to rip with my second child and deal with a ton of stitches. I only had a small amount with our first (episiotomy). I bled a lot longer after our second child and had a lot more pain down there.

I honestly don't know how you'd know if you'd ripped one, but that's definitely worth a call to the doctor's office if you suspect that's happened.

Unless you had sex already, chances are you didn't rip them out. You could be infected, but the truth is that it's just that it's too early for you to be healed - 5 days is not a long time at all! You may continue bleeding for quite a while, also - that is normal after a birth. Don't assume the worst unless you start to feel nauseous or develop a fever, which could indicate infection.

I suffered severe 3rd Degree (almost 4th degree) Tearing after the birth of my first child. I was in constant pain for several weeks, I bled (like having a period) for three months, and I was in pain on and off for six months. It's a very sensitive area down there, and it takes a beating during birth. Depending on whether your tore skin or skin and muscle tissue, etc., it will take longer to heal. Do you have a Sitz Bath? It doesn't seem like it would help, but it really really does. Doing that several times a day will ease the pain temporarily.

Sorry, I know it hurts, but it really is normal. The good news is that 18 months after my first, I had my second child. I hardly tore at all, and had healed after about two weeks. I still continued to bleed for about three months, but without the discomfort, so I was able to recover from some pretty severe damage. Continue to take care of yourself and take it easy until walking doesn't hurt so much, and you'll be all right. Good luck.

Congratulations on the birth of your son!

They are pretty hard to rip. I agree though, plenty of water, stool softener, tucks pads on TOP of your maxi pad, keep it clean, and just try to relax and enjoy that baby! You will be healed up in no time!

I had to get stitches with both of my kids and it took me about a good month to feel better. You just had your son 5 days ago! You need to give your body time to heal. It's going to take some time with a big tear and lots of stitches to feel better. Just be careful and try to not over do it. Congrats on your new baby!