Post-partum recovery questions (vaginal delivery)

schmoodle

For those that delivered vaginally, how long after delivery did you use the squirt bottle when using the restroom? How long did you take colace? Ibuprofen? Did you do sitz baths, and if so, how often and for how long?

I'm 10 days post partum, had a second degree tear, and am still taking advil/colace once or twice a day but wondering if it's still necessary. I'm not really in much pain externally, mostly just some achiness/crampiness itnernally when I pee. The hospital/OB didn't tell me I needed to do sitz baths, but they did with my son (also a second degree tear) and I felt like I did it for a while, but they don't really seem to help much this time. I can't find anything in my discharge instructions about how long to do all of this and it doesn't seem important enough to call the OB over, so just curious about what others are doing.

Thanks and congrats to everyone on their LOs (or good luck to those who may be overdue and still waiting...)!

amanda1680

I had a 3rd degree episiotomy/tear.  I only used the squirt bottle for a couple days, quit using it before I was discharged.  I am still taking Colace once a day on most days, and I took it while pregnant too.  I was on the 800mg Ibuprofen while in the hospital and continued for awhile afterwards but mostly because I destroyed my sacrum and pelvis during delivery.  I never did sitz baths or regular baths for that matter but probably because I hate baths. 

I think it's fine to continue the Colace and Ibuprofen for as long as you need it.  Maybe stop the Ibuprofen for awhile and see how you feel without it?  Personally, I would stick with the Colace though, because you might think everything's moving fine but once you stop taking it, you may have a problem!

GL and feel better!

mari_gold

I used the peri bottle for two weeks, painkillers for about a week, never used the sitz, and am still taking colace (but I had anal fissures after my first so I'm being overly cautious). I had a minor first-degree tear.

MommaA117

I had a 2nd degree tear also.

I think I did the colace for 2ish weeks..until I felt not sore.

Same thing with the squirt bottle. Until it felt more"normal" to blot with TP. I probably used it for maybe 10 days. I liked it to get off the PP bleeding and that really slowed down to almost none by day 11 so...

sunshine336

I am 12 days pp (had a 1st degree tear) and still using my peri bottle although I don't think I have to anymore.  I stopped taking colace after about 5 days- but I also drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning and that always gets things going- I've always been pretty regular too.  When I go #2 I use flushable wipes to clean up b/c I am afraid of TP getting linty leftovers near my stitches (I'm a weirdo like that).  I stopped the tylenol around the same time as the colace- once I no longer felt crampy.

I still spray with dermaplast after every time I go- it keeps the stitches from getting itchy.  And I'm still bleeding too heavily for panty liners

heie0008

I'm still using all of it....the discharge instructions said to use the bottle for 4 weeks. I have started using less ibuprofen and colace... I still have quite a lot of bleeding and pain though...I only had 2 small tears but maybe its from the forceps they used when she was born?

CarlaAndJames

I'm still using the peri bottle - I had a tear up towards my urethra and I spray before/during/after I pee every time, with warm water. Otherwise it BURNS like crazy. 

I'm still alternating ibuprofen and tylenol.

Never did sitz baths, and I only took colace the first few days. The pooping hasn't been my problem because of the direction of my tear. Just the peeing!  

Birdies08

I had a second degree tear and am still using the peri bottle, but I just use it to clean after using the restroom, not while I go. I was told to use it for 2 weeks, but I might continue a little longer. Not due to pain necessarily, it just makes me feel clean!

I started doing a sitz bath once a day for the first week or so. I've missed a day here and there, but I'll do one if I think it will feel good. I was also told to continue this for 2 weeks.

I had been weaning myself off of tylenol, but now I have thrush, and so am back up to taking pretty much the max dose every day. I do notice perineal discomfort when my tylenol starts to wear off, but I don't think I would need to take as much just for the tear.

Overall, I was told to expect 2 weeks for healing. I'm pretty sure my stitches dissolved in the middle of last week and I started feeling a lot better then, but I'm trying to still keep up with it through the weekend to make sure everything heals well! 

JayElleJayCee

16 days pp and I still use a peri bottle everytime I pee. It definately still burns for me (not the stitch area but my urethra/clitoris area) not to mention the fact that I really enjoy the clean feeling.  I haven't been taking colace at all. I also haven't taken a sitz bath but I kind of want to.. Still have light bleeding.

I just looked down there for the first time and it definately looks different. I kind of feel like I either popped a stitch or I'm just alot wider...?? Not sure which but it freaks me out.

bt3701

I'm one month pp, and I still use the bottle. I just like it

I am also still talking the stool softener. I'm planning on taking that until it's gone, and asking my doctor if I can keep taking something after that. Pooping is no fun these days

I took the ibuprofen pretty religiously for about 2 weeks. I noticed if I didn't take it I felt sore. 

No baths for me, I just don't enjoy them.