I'm hoping someone can help me b/c I'm at my wits end. I gave birth almost a year ago and I've still got vaginal pain. I had a 3rd degree tear, plus an episiotomy and a vacuum extraction after 2 1/2 hrs of hard labor. I've seen 2 doctors who've told me that they don't see anything wrong, but my vagina seems constantly irritated and it feels like I'm walking around with a foreign object in me. I've been battling yeast infection after yeast infection (or what seem like yeast infections). I've been checked for rectocele and cytocele, uterine prolapse, etc. My husband and I haven't had sex in 7 months. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
After months of researching, I believe I may have just found a diagnosis: vulvodynia. My symptoms seem to fit. I am going to talk to my midwife about this as my husband and I would like to have more children (probably just 1 more), but if I've had this much trouble after child #1 I'm scared out of my mind to have another. One more point that I failed to mention in my original post was that I had real problems with stool in my underwear for about 9 months after the birth.
Maybe it's a lot of scar tissue?
I hope your next child is with a Midwife!! They won't allow tearing (unless it cannot be helped - which is rare), they do not do episotomies - since it makes tearing worse, and vacuum suction? They prefer Mom to have gravity help the birth, not impede it.
I am so sorry you are going thru this now!! I really hope you are able to find out what is wrong.
i'd get a second opinion since your own doc hasnt figured it out (oops, you already have so scratch that). This does happen sometimes. I was never "the same" after having kids and had to get used to a more tender feeling vj. I think it has something to do with the scar tissue honestly, it affects the nerves in the area. Any scar I have on my body is sensitive to the touch. I'd stock up on some good lube, try different kinds. When you start just "forgetting" about how different it feels it will eventually get less sensitive. That is my unprofessional opinion.
Docs could never tell me why either, they say it all looks fine down there. The geography changes tho after childbirth and I do believe that is the culprit along with the fact that sex isnt quite as fun as it was before children coupled with it.
I have a friend who went through something similar. She had to have the dr do an episiotomy and stitch her back up. After that, problem solved. She was fine.
Episiotomies tend to cause the 3rd degree tears, pelvic floor pain, etc. I would see anohter provider (definitely a different practice) who is willing to address this. There are physical therapists who work with this type of issue.
I had scar tissue that had to be surgically removed 11 months after I had my baby due to lots of vaginal pain. I also had a 3rd degree tear, but not the extra fun stuff you got. My mom kept telling me I was just being a baby, but it really hurt! Maybe it's something like that?
I had a similiar experience after the c-section birth of my second child. My husband actually called me a 'bear trap' down there. Having sex not only did not feel good to me but also to him. In addition, my doctor could not reach far enough to do a proper pap smear. My doctor explain that with all the pulling and tugging, your body parts down there are moved around, sometimes not in the 'right' way.
I would not be surprised to find out that you do have something stuck down there.
The good news is that things can be fixed. Amazingly enough, we braved having sex and surprizingly got pregnant with a third baby. After having a third c-section I knew that I could end up more messed up than even before. But just the opposite happened. All is fixed! We are know going to have to be very careful to not have number 4!
I wish you luck finding a doctor willing to help you. Don't give up!
