STMs- How long do your lady parts hurt after birth?

SarahJean0 · July 2012

I know everyone is different but how long after birth did you need the sitz bath, mesh undies, huge pads, and that spray bottle you need to pee (did I miss anything?)

Also, I know the hospital typically gives you these items to take home, but do you recommend I stock up on anything before the baby comes?

Just trying to get an idea...

(ps- all this stuff scares the sh!t outta me...even more than child birth itself.)

Tarta · July 2012

It really varies. I wasn't in extreme pain more than a few days and then within a week or two felt pretty normal except for maybe some residual swelling. But I know there is a really wide range of length and severity. You're really not going to know until you see how your delivery goes. It depends on so many things and every body is different in how it reacts to tissue trauma, swelling etc.

Tarta · July 2012

Oh, and don't let it scare you too badly. Don't forget you'll have the coolest distraction ever. I was way too busy wrapping my mind around having a newborn to be obsessed by my swollen lady-bits. It's such an overwhelming time for so many reasons, you'll be surprised how you take things in stride when you realize a brand new little person is depending on you for everything. Your vagina becomes one of the least of your worries.

hmp1 · July 2012

I had a third degree tear but didn't take anything stronger than Motrin after the birth. I think I took the prescription Motrin for a week. I can't remember how long I did the sitz bath, maybe 1.5 - 2 weeks?? I was driving and going to Target a couple of days after coming home, but I didn't feel my lady parts were ready for sex yet at my 6 week check up. Everyone is different, don't stress about that part.

dmfan897 · July 2012

Depends. I pushed for almost 2 hours so I literally had a flipping ring of hemmies around my ahole..those caused more pain than anything involving my vagina. I would say with my 1st, I was in considerable pain for the first 3-4 days, and moderate pain for about 2 weeks. With my 2nd I had moderate pain for a couple of days and felt fine about a week after birth. I got an Rx for pain medication but never filled it so it wasn't THAT bad. I would suggest tucks pads and witch hazel. I always buy a lot of pads but I bled for 7 weeks with DD1 and almost 6 weeks with DD2 so yeah

KarBear · July 2012

Ditto the others...maybe a couple weeks, but seriously, the though of actually having sex did not come back for a LONG time.

OSUWifey09 · July 2012

Same here - about 1.5 to 2 weeks, I had some sort of pain. I had a minor tear, but that wasn't too bad. Sex came way after I was cleared at 6 weeks - that took awhile to get used to again,

LilLee11 · July 2012

Prb 2 weeks for me, but I definitely wasn't ready for sex at 6 weeks. I think I was just tired though! I pushed for 2 1/2 hours and was very swollen (no hemmroids). I think my bleeding was very light after 2 weeks. I'd say buy a pack of big ole maxi pads w wings! The hospital will give you some stuff, but not a supply to last you. Oh, and I may not have had hemmroids but tucks pads felt soooo good!!

stella_blu · July 2012

I honestly don't remember being that sore ever. DD was in the NICU so I was up and walking often as soon as possible to spend time with her. I know that my whole body was sore for a day or two and I did a sits bath the day I was discharged. I'm sure had I been dwelling on the pain it may have been bothersome but there was plenty of other things to worry about and I was the least of my concerns.

lbrown9807 · July 2012

I had a pretty straight forward birth with little tearing and I can remember being uncomfortable for 1.5ish weeks. I was also surprised at what "kind" of discomfort I felt, it's more of a muscular discomfort and soreness which is not what I was expecting. It felt like my vag had just gone through a marathon, which i guess is correct haha.

redjetta22 · July 2012

I had a second degree tear. I stayed on Motrin for maybe 3 to 4 days because of some back soreness so that may have masked any pain in my vag area. I remember being surprised at how great I felt. I LOVED my peri bottle (squirt bottle you fill with warm water to clean after you pee) so I kept using that for a while. My hospital gave me some numbing spray, and I also just lined my pads with 2 or 3 witch hazel (tucks) pads which felt great. I remember itching at some point when it was healing... I think that was the most bothersome part. And for the record, UO here, I was very ready for sex after 6 weeks. Just took it easy and used lube. It didn't take long till things were back to business as usual.

thebanich · July 2012

I had a 2+ degree tear and some serious swelling. I tore 'back and up" which made going to the bathroom impossible so I also got a catheter.

It took me almost a month to be able to walk around for more than 10 minutes without being sore and sex was not an option until after 8 weeks pp.

melody921 · July 2012

I had a second-degree tear, and I think it was a couple of weeks of pain. Then, it wasn't constant pain, but I was still way too sore for sex to feel good at 6 weeks PP. It really depends how your delivery goes. In addition to the water squirt bottle, I used Dermoplast, which my hospital didn't provide. Also, I'd recommend taking whatever drugs they offer you. When I was in the hospital, I didn't think I needed pain meds, so just took Tylenol/Advil. Two-three days after going home is when I got really sore and had to go back to the doc, so it would have just been easier to take the meds upfront.

mchupie · July 2012

It was a few weeks. And if I tried to do too much? (cooking, cleaning, walking) it would hurt worse and bleed more

ELCJet · July 2012

I had an episiotomy that took 15 weeks to heal completely.....but within a week after birth, I had stopped the foams and creams and huge granny panties....and had weaned off the Motrin within 4 days. I did a Sprint tri with a 20-mile bike ride at 11 weeks postpartum, even with the episiotomy.....You'd be shocked at what you can tolerate "down there."

bosha711 · July 2012

I bled for about 10 days - 2 weeks, maybe? I delivered vaginally w/ a 2nd degree teat & episiotomy.

I only needed the huge pads for about a week or so, then I went to regular flow pads w/ wings.

I stopped using the mesh underwear after I was done using the icepacks, which was just a few days.

Walking around was the worst of it all. Every step I took hurt for about 4-5 days.

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