Episiotomy - how long till you are fully healed?

[finsburymama]

DD was born in early Jan and required ventouse assistance.I had an episiotomy which was declared "beautifully healed" by my GP at the 6-wk check up. I didn't really believe her at the time but hoped it just needed a bit more time.

However 5 months on it is still sore, especially in cold weather or when I get tired. On good days, I feel all is well and think it's finally gone away, then it starts bothering me again.

Is this normal? How long till YOU thought it fully healed?? (And I mean not when a medical person declared it healed)

[pudding77]

Hiya, I don't think I'm going to be much help but I'll try.

I also had an episiotomy and was told it was healing fine. From what I can remember (and I did try to block it out!), it healed fully in a couple of months.

If its still bothering you then I would get it checked out, maybe by a different gp.

hth

[fizzbuzz]

Weeell, mine still hurt now and then, 3 years after birth.

I found standing up for a long time and using tampons seem to make it hurt more. I think I finally stopped hurting when ds was 4

[walbert]

Well, here's my experience to put you off your tea. I had a tear which staff couldn't decide was a 2 or 3. had stitches (no idea how many but chap was there a while stitching up my fairy!) which midwife said healed fine. However, up to 4 0r 5 months after it still felt 'tight' or 'sore' or throbbing a bit, or a bit more oddly, like something was 'pulling' in the nether regions, especially when having a poo! . Sex for first time (at least 3 month later) didn't feel too different but dh said he could feel a difference. Is feeling more or less 'normal' now, but that's nearly 7 month later! Hope that helps!

[walbert]

Yes, in addition to fizzbuzz i gave up using tampons and used towels instead. Felt a lot nicer.

[queenrollo]

ds is two in august and mine still twinges now and then.......and it occasionally feels 'bruised' usually if i've been standing more than usual and it does get uncomfortable when i have AF.....don't use tampons, but haven't for years.

[MadamePlatypus]

I couldn't walk for about 2 weeks after my episiotomy, but it was definitely fine by 5 months. I expect it is one of those things that varies quite a bit, but if it is uncomfortable I would probably have a word with GP/mention it to HV - I wouldn't suffer in silence.

[morningpaper]

Superficial healing (i.e. the surface) is pretty quick - a few weeks at most.

Underlying deep tissue healing can take up to 12-18 months, according to my gynaecologist.

HTH

[Riss70]

Aghhhh - not sure can't really recall but I do remember that doctor coming towards me with those blinking sisscors.....very bad memory - sat on a floaty type ring for ages

I do remember that it was certainly well into son 1's first year before I didn't notice it anymore.

[Jojay]

Wow!! You poor poor people!!

I had one when DS was born by forceps delivery, but can honestly say after 2 weeks it was pretty much back to normal and hasn't given me any grief since. I had no idea it could be that bad -you have my sympathies

(((((((hugs))))))) to you all!!!

[Washersaurus]

I was told that mine was healing fine 2 wks after the birth when in fact it hadn't at all and was still v.painful - I ended up having to have laser treatment for 2/3 months to help heal it properly.

I still get twinges from it every now and then. Tis a bit of worry as am due to give birth again in August

[FrannyandZooey]

I had a fairly extensive restitch job and I think it took about 6 - 9 months for it to be properly healed

I was told to allow a year by one doctor

at one point I thought it was never going to heal, but it really is fine now

[lilymolly]

mine took about a year to feel normal ish, but still aches, esp after a orgasm its like a dull ache. Tampons also hurt, but I think this is cos I am tense.
But I can horse ride fine, so I think its a good indication, that things are ok

However, I think it will always feel different because of the scar tissue

[finsburymama]

Thanks all for sharing our experiences, much appreciated. Managed to get an appointment to get it seen, will report back if they give me any useful tips!

[DrNortherner]

I couldn't walk properly for about 8 weeks after mine, tok about a year to feel normal again and no twinges what so ever.

[mamijacacalys]

Healed fine both times - took 2-3 months.

One positive for epi's in general is that at least I am not incontinent (as are some of my friends who tore slightly but were not stitched!) i.e. randomly wee when laughing or sneezing (sorry if TMI).

[LittleB]

Have to add positive notes for poor people who read this, mine healed very quickly, was having sex again after 3 weeks, although carefully, but with no pain. It does all feel slightly different from before I had dd, but I'm not surprised really, doesn't feel worse though, just different. I did take arnica through labour and after which I'm sure helped alot, especially with my epidural bruise aswell as general healing, and I bathed with lavendar oil which is a mild antiseptic, don't know how much they helped but it has to be worth trying. Incidentally, no-one ever looked at mine to check it was healing ok, just asked if it felt ok, wasn't examined at all after stitches, which I'm thankful of really!
Think its definitely a good idea to see your gp, finsbury.

[finsburymama]

Ah! Forgot to mention that my appointment is mid-August - so will be a while before I report back!
Warm weather at the moment is helping a bit tho'

[MissGolightly]

I think it was about a year before I felt totally back to normal for sex and everything. Which is not to say that it wasn't healed before, just that there was still scar tissue which I could feel.

Coincidentally that was when I went back to work and cut down a lot on breast-feeding. I don't know if that was partly what was affecting sex.

[MissGolightly]

I think a lot of it is down to how fast you heal generally iykwim. I always take quite a long time for midge bites etc to fade, and still have visible scars from falls when I was a child.

I think some people's skin just produces more scar tissue than others and I wasn't surprised that mine took a while to get back to normal. Do you normally take a while to heal FinsburyMama?

[finsburymama]

MissG - don't know, have generally been pretty healthy and never had any medical interventions before childbirth.
I take your point about bf, I am still bf round the clock, I think it affects the hormone mix and may be delaying things a bit.

[Stargazing]

what about the actual procedure? What does it feel like? Does it feel like a cut or are you already in so much pain that you can't feel it?

[Scoobi6]

Just want to add another positive experience for poor nervous mums to be! Had a long labour and ended up with ventouse and forceps. Epidural so didn't feel a thing - didn't even know they'd made the cut! It was a bit sore for a couple of weeks but nothing like as bad as I'd expected, was able to walk around, sit on it, etc. Healed fine and I was totally unaware of it after about a month.

[MadamePlatypus]

you have a local anaesthetic. A bit odd feeling, but not painful.

[bananabump]

Can you refuse an episiotomy though? they sound bloody horrible, I think I'd prefer to chance having a little tear than deliberately letting them chop lumps out of me!