Episiotomy

2pink

Hi there
My friend has just had a baby and has had to have a major episiotomy, she is in absolute agony, can barely sit down. Any help or advice please for her???
Thanks:(

Shoeymcshoe

Ouch! I feel her pain - been there, done that, wore the swimming ring!

The following really helped me:

* A sitz bath - a warm, shallow bath with a few drops of tea tree oil in it. Just sit in it for relief - every day if needs be.

* I kept a sports top water bottle in the loo and filled it with warm water and would direct it on the area while peeing - helps with the sting & also keeps it clean.

* A swimming ring - a good quality kids swimming ring. I found this indispensable when I was sitting up to the dinner table.

* Good painkillers - Solpadeine or Neurofen Plus. She may want to check with her GP first though that these are safe if she's breastfeeding.

* Rest, rest and more rest. Tell her to try not to over do it, try not to walk too much or anything that involves squatting or bending for a little while.

* Arnica tablets - available in Boots or anywhere that does homeopathic remedies. These will help with the healing too.

It will be sore for quite a while but just as long as she takes it easy and keeps it clean, things should get better for her.

HTH

ani_mal

I heard that mixed water with tea tree oil is antiseptic and helps to heal quicker.
fill bottle mixed with water and the oil and spray this area with it.

Kalimah

I used to sit in a bath of warm salty water a couple of times a day and it was very helpful. Thought the swimming ring a waste of time.

cbyrd

i had one on my 2nd.. used morhilin cream on my stitches, it helps with the stinging, its a nappy rash cream with cod liver oil so it give a great barrier, lots of relief on the loo!!:D

Khannie

I know people don't like men throwing in their 2 cents in threads like this but I saw the thread title and I have a really good tip....

when you're peeing, get a sponge, dip it in cold water and squeeze it over yourself as you pee. This will very seriously alleviate the nasty stinging sensation when you pee.

wmpdd3

That is my idea of a nightmare, is there anything I can do to avoid a epioiotomy?

Nevyn

Perineal Massage, which is loosening and massaging the perineal area is mean to help aviod an episiotomy, but getting cut is preferable to tearing as it heals a lot faster.

http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/episiotomy/a/perimassage.htm

When we think of avoiding an episiotomy in birth, we rarely think of anything beyond what our doctor or midwife can do for us. There are things that we can do for ourselves.

Prenatal perineal massage has been shown effective in preventing the need for episiotomy and a decrease in the amount of tearing a woman has during her birth. This is particularly effective in women over the age of 20 and in women having their first baby.

This technique is used to help stretch and prepare the skin of the perineum for birth. The perineum is the area of skin between your vagina and rectum.

Not only will this massage help prepare your tissue, but it will allow you to learn the sensations of birth and how to control these muscles. This knowledge will help you be prepared for the birth of your baby. The knowledge of what you are feeling can help you relax this area even more, even during other types of vaginal exams.

Instructions:

* Find a comfortable spot where you can sit and be alone, or with your partner uninterrupted.

* Find your perineum with a mirror, to see what it looks like. You will not always need the mirror.

* You can use warm compresses on the perineum for about 10 minutes, or a warm bath might do the trick if you are tense.

* Wash your hands, or have your partner wash their hands if they will be doing the massage.

* Lubricate your thumbs and the perineum. You can use many different types of lubricant like: KY Jelly®, vitamin E oil, or pure vegetable oil. There are also some oils designed particularly for this use, they may or may not have herbal preparations in them.

* Place your thumbs about an inch inside the vagina, press downward and pull towards the sides. You should feel a light stretching, tingling or light burning, you should not feel immense pain. You will hold this stretch for about two minutes, or until the area becomes slightly numb.

* If you've had a previous episiotomy or tear, be sure to pay special attention to that scar tissue, it will not stretch as readily, and may need some extra work.

* Massage back and forth over the bottom area of the vaginal tissues, while massaging the lubricant in.

* Pull the thumbs out slightly, imagining how it would pull as your baby's head will be born.

* If your partner is doing this massage they may use their thumbs or index fingers, sometimes it's only possible to get one finger in until the area has been stretched. Be sensitive to her body and what she is giving you as feedback on the amount of pressure to use.

CAUTION: Avoid the the urinary opening to prevent urinary tract infections (at the top of the vaginal opening). Do not massage the perineum if you have active herpes lesions, this can cause the lesions to spread.

You can begin to do this massage around the 34th week of your pregnancy. If you are further along and haven't started, there is still benefit from doing it. You can do this massage as often as once a day.

Remember that massage alone will not protect your perineum, it is but one part in the grand scheme. Choosing a position for birth that is more upright (kneeling, squatting, sitting) will allow the perineum to evenly distribute the pressure. If you choose a side lying position this will also prevent enormous amounts of strain on the perineum. Lying flat on your back creates the most stress on the perineum, making a tear or episiotomy almost impossible to avoid.

2SWEET

wmpdd3 wrote: »

That is my idea of a nightmare, is there anything I can do to avoid a epioiotomy?

Got the best tip from my midwife during my second pregnancy, massage the area with almond oil.... it helps the skin elasticity and helps to prevent the skin tearing.

silja

Some great tips here already. Stuff that really helped me:
- Not sit up straight if you can avoid it.
- Squirty bottle with warm water to use during peeing.
- Pad the area dry rather than wiping.
- Witchhazel pads (can get these in the hemoroid relief section in chemists).
- Keep it as clean as you can, andexpose to theair when possible.

lolli

I had a 3rd degree tear with my daughter. I found Hazel Witch oil great in the bath and then soak the pad in them.

The hospital gave me a gel called Instillagel, it completely numbs the area its great. You don;t need a prescription you can get it in the chemist.

KillerKity

I'm not even preggers and all this stitches talk has me feeling faint! Please tell me the area is numbed before the episiotomy?!

Nevyn

If you have had pain relief during the birth then you don't feel it esp if you've had an epidural but again some births can happen so quickly that it's not possible to have much pain relief and an episiotomy at that very moment could safe the babies life or mean no emergency c section, the area which is cut is skin the fold at the underside of the entrance to the vagina which looks a lot like the skin between your fore finger and thumb.

Oh now I remember the not sitting straight, I sat at an odd angle for at least 4 weeks had to have a cushion behind my lower back.

ani_mal

Ladies

is it possible to get all feelings back after episitomy? I mean reg. sexual life and comfort wearing underwear etc. Does it go back to normal after some period?

Nevyn

Yes, completely your body heals up and in a few weeks you'll be fine.
I had a rather deep cut on my first due to the position of my first born, so I have a slight scar in the muscle wall, which is a small ridge scar and that made the area more sensitive.

I'll not lie to you an episitomy can change the look slightly and can change the sensations
with penetrative sex slightly for the first while but it goes back to being normal.

hacked

I had the same as Thae...deep cut and a scar which has made the area more sensitive.

The week or so after mine was quite sore. Make sure to clean the site regularly and after every time you go to the toilet. Lots and lots of baths and showers do wonders.
The doctor has most likely prescribed her pain killers...if they are not strong enough or she has run out, return to the doctor to discuss. And don't worry about taking them as often as allowed...i felt like a druggie, but the pain killers were my saving grace!

Lots and lots of rest. I made the mistake of climbing in and out of cars and beds, and that really doesn;t helo. Lying down helps too. Is she breastfeeding? If so, tell her to feed lying down in bed, and take care when turning over.

Really rest is the best thing you can do to promote healing. However, do excercise the area gently so that it gets a little stretched and doesn't heal too stiff!

Vel

I had a small cut with my first and was just sore and uncomfortable after, walking like John Wayne:D.

The one thing I didn;t do afterwards was have a look at the area using a mirror. I know some women do but I didn't want to. I could tell that it was healing up ok without looking and the midwife who visited my home in the early days kept an eye on it too. In fact I still haven't looked 15 months later!!

hacked

Vel wrote: »

I had a small cut with my first and was just sore and uncomfortable after, walking like John Wayne:D.

The one thing I didn;t do afterwards was have a look at the area using a mirror. I know some women do but I didn't want to. I could tell that it was healing up ok without looking and the midwife who visited my home in the early days kept an eye on it too. In fact I still haven't looked 15 months later!!

Oh me neither...I'd probably be traumatised! I had a deep cut and a LOT of stiches, so feeling it was enough. I didn't need to see it for proof!

Nevyn

I did look and check, for me it was a good thing cos it felt fecking huge but when I checked and saw it, it put my mind at ease it was a lot smaller then I has been thinking it was.

silja

The first week can be pretty bad, but it does get better quickly after ten days or so. I found sex uncomfortable for the first few times, until 12 weeks or so. Surprisingly, I found positions I didn't like before the most comfortable, so experiment.

One more thing, especially with a 3rd or 4th degree tear or episiotomy; take stool softner for the first couple of weeks. Birth makes you prone to constipation and hemoroids anyways, andtaking painkillers makes it worse. You do notwant to make the pain and tenderness worse by getting bad constipaton, and having to pass big, hard turds.

Kalimah

silja wrote: »

The first week can be pretty bad, but it does get better quickly after ten days or so. I found sex uncomfortable for the first few times, until 12 weeks or so. Surprisingly, I found positions I didn't like before the most comfortable, so experiment.

One more thing, especially with a 3rd or 4th degree tear or episiotomy; take stool softner for the first couple of weeks. Birth makes you prone to constipation and hemoroids anyways, andtaking painkillers makes it worse. You do notwant to make the pain and tenderness worse by getting bad constipaton, and having to pass big, hard turds.

God that brings it all back to me! I felt I was stitched up like a Christmas turkey! OH said the gynae used a massive scissors!! I didn't care as I'd had an epidural. It took six weeks before I could even think about sex again. Good news was that on each of the three other kids I had I never had to have an episiotomy again. I could have done ballet after each birth:)

hacked

Kalimah wrote: »

God that brings it all back to me! I felt I was stitched up like a Christmas turkey! OH said the gynae used a massive scissors!! I didn't care as I'd had an epidural. It took six weeks before I could even think about sex again. Good news was that on each of the three other kids I had I never had to have an episiotomy again. I could have done ballet after each birth:)

My mum said the same. I'm the oldest of five. She had an episiotomy on me, and then never needed another one.

goosie2005

Hi, the best tip i got was from a midwife when i had 2nd baby, was this,

Get a plastic bag, open it and place it sitting through the ring of the toilet, (to make a kind of bowl if you like) and tie it.
Add some luke warm water and some witch hazel. and sit in it.

This is much easier than running a bath, witch hazel very gentle, and you can do it regularly as you like. when finished, just burst the bag and the water runs into the loo.

I found this brilliant. Only other thing i would suggest is not to move around too much as it really heats the area up even getting in and out of seats puts lots of pressure on the area. Even a couple of days of as much stillness as possible made a huge difference, hard when there are other kids to look after!
Hope it gets better, hard to believe but things do get back to normal with time.

xzanti

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

@ this thread

hacked

xzanti -- before I had my baby i would have thought the same, but honestly it really does sound worse than it is!!

littlebug

Just to balance the thread a bit for the sake of those who haven't been through it yet I'd like to add that neither episiotomy nor pain are inevitable. I had a tear and stitches (not major) with both of mine and with the first I had no pain...I mean zero, zilch. I remember the nurse asking if I wanted anything for the pain and I looked at her like she was mad and asked "what pain". With my second I had a little bit of discomfort but only after a week or 2 but that was because the stitches didn't dissolve properly and were nipping a bit.
So don't be too :eek::eek: about it all

Nevyn

Trust me by the time you are in the last two weeks you will just want the baby out and not to be preggers any more and it's not a big deal at all.

wmpdd3

Thaedydal wrote: »

Trust me by the time you are in the last two weeks you will just want the baby out and not to be preggers any more and it's not a big deal at all.

Thanks, but no still terrified!

gowayouttadat

littlebug wrote: »

Just to balance the thread a bit for the sake of those who haven't been through it yet I'd like to add that neither episiotomy nor pain are inevitable. I had a tear and stitches (not major) with both of mine and with the first I had no pain...I mean zero, zilch. I remember the nurse asking if I wanted anything for the pain and I looked at her like she was mad and asked "what pain". With my second I had a little bit of discomfort but only after a week or 2 but that was because the stitches didn't dissolve properly and were nipping a bit.
So don't be too :eek::eek: about it all

I agree with that! I had an episiotomy and didn't have to take any pain killers.

It was fairly uncomfortable for 10 days to 2 weeks. I found witch hazel great just to soothe it for a while. The worst thing I found was if I tried to do too much then it started playing up but if I rested as much as possible it was fine.
Absolutely fine after 2 weeks and haven't had a problem since.