STM- how long did it take you to heal?

scornwell717 · January 2016

It's been almost 3 weeks since I had my baby and I don't expect to be fully healed at this point, but I'm still in a lot of pain. When did you finally start feeling "normal" again?

Also, for anyone that was catheterized, did you feel any pain in your urethra after? Cause mine still hurts and I don't think that's normal

ryan1reb · January 2016

Take warm baths with 1/2 a cup of dreft in them. I took two a day for the first two weeks and was never in pain. It's got super healing powers and calms the pain. Use it in babies bath when they have a diaper rash!!! It truly is amazing stuff!!

SummerOH · January 2016

DD was a peanut at 5#10oz and I had one tiny tear, so healing was only a few weeks. DS was 22" and almost 9#, two second degree tears and an episiotomy, so I had stitches for 8 weeks. Didn't attempt sex for 3 months and it wasn't comfortable til 6 months. The whole 6 week thing is definitely not always true!

mamakculb · January 2016

Dreft?!? I am really surprised that the perfumes and chemicals don't irritate your skin more.

I did Epsom salt baths and they were wonderful. As far as hurting after a catheter, it does sound like yours is hurting unnecessarily, I would definitely ask your doctor about it. I had a catheter and didn't have any pain after I was home from the hospital. I had stitches and the Epsom salt and Tylenol helped a lot. I agree with PP on the sex...it was uncomfortable until several months after, not just the 6 weeks they say. Hope you get some relief!

scornwell717 · January 2016

@kristanoah yeah dreft sounds a little scary, haha but I like your idea of the Epsom salt. I wonder if that would also help my urethra?? I'm calling the doctor tomorrow about that.
Luckily I won't be getting laid anytime soon so I'll have plenty of time to heal for that!!

lwebley · January 2016

I'd call your doctor. I am a STM (2nd degree tear with first and 1st degree with 2nd) and both times I felt pretty good by week 2, and I never had an pain from my catheter either.

carlyhammond · January 2016

Ugh! I'm curious as well.
Some days I can walk normally, other days it feels like my stitches are stabbing my vagina and I have to walk like a duck. I'm so uncomfortable almost 3 weeks pp.

I'm too scared to check it out down there with a mirror, I'm really terrified of what it's going to look like...

Anyone see that tv show "life in peices" the first episode? I feel like the girls reaction to her vagina after birth is what my vagina looks like.... Feel free to youtube/google it was quite hilarious.

scornwell717 · January 2016

@carlyhammond I checked it out with a mirror just a few days after giving birth...baddddd idea. Omg it was freaking gaping and so terrifying looking! However I checked up on it again just last night and it tightened up...phew!

carlyhammond · January 2016

@scornwell717 lol exactly why I refuse.
I grabbed a mirror while I was showering the other day and "attempted" to look, but I didn't have my glasses on sooo... It was a failed attempt lol i don't really trust my vision without my glasses.

ShannyFann · January 2016

I checked after my first. Yes, bad idea. It is still burned into my brain.
I didn't have any pain from the catheter and three weeks seems a bit long for you to still hurt from it so I'm glad you're calling your doctor. Hopefully everything is fine for you. I hope you ladies are settling in and doing well!

SummerOH · January 2016

I call it the Frankengina. Scary stuff! It does go back to normal eventually!

Kimberlyain · January 2016

I only had a 1st degree tear so the pain is gone, but I still have bright red blood 17 days out. Anyone else??

scornwell717 · January 2016

@Kimberlyain yup I'm 20 days out and still have the bright red blood but there's starting to be less of it.

Also for anyone who had varicose veins down there how long did it take for that to go away, if it ever did? My big vein went away but I still have this tiny little ball of one and it's driving me nuts

Life is Exciting · January 2016

scornwell717 said:

@Kimberlyain yup I'm 20 days out and still have the bright red blood but there's starting to be less of it. Also for anyone who had varicose veins down there how long did it take for that to go away, if it ever did? My big vein went away but I still have this tiny little ball of one and it's driving me nuts

my varicose veins never went away - and got worse with this second pregnancy. Such a bummer. People ask me how I got the giant bruise on my leg. ugh.

scornwell717 · January 2016

Life is Exciting said:

scornwell717 said:

@Kimberlyain yup I'm 20 days out and still have the bright red blood but there's starting to be less of it.

Also for anyone who had varicose veins down there how long did it take for that to go away, if it ever did? My big vein went away but I still have this tiny little ball of one and it's driving me nuts

my varicose veins never went away - and got worse with this second pregnancy. Such a bummer. People ask me how I got the giant bruise on my leg. ugh.

Ahh yikes! I don't have any on my legs, I was talking about my crotch

kaym6 · January 2016

Thank god you started this thread. I had a catheter prior to delivery because of my epidural and had to have one again because I couldn't pee after birth (they drained TWO LITERS from my bladder, ouch) and my urethra doesn't hurt at only a week out so maybe call your doc about that one! however I also had a second degree tear and tore the labia on both sides all requiring I don't even know how many stitches and walking/sitting/living hurts pretty bad currently. I made the mirror mistake everyone keeps saying it'll go back to normal but I just can't even imagine.

Life is Exciting · January 2016

scornwell717 said:

scornwell717 said:

@Kimberlyain yup I'm 20 days out and still have the bright red blood but there's starting to be less of it. Also for anyone who had varicose veins down there how long did it take for that to go away, if it ever did? My big vein went away but I still have this tiny little ball of one and it's driving me nuts

my varicose veins never went away - and got worse with this second pregnancy. Such a bummer. People ask me how I got the giant bruise on my leg. ugh.
Ahh yikes! I don't have any on my legs, I was talking about my crotch

I'm actually jealous that yours is on your crotch. at least that doesn't show when you wear shorts in the summer. I ended up with a fatty cyst on my crotch this pregnancy. God, I hope that goes away after I give birth. It's hideous!

Good luck with your varicose veins. I hope they go away after birth. If you hear of any good remedies, please pass them along!

MissMheMhe · January 2016

I had a tear at the top and an episiotomy at the bottom...she told me how many stitches, but I don't remember. Still some bright red blood once or twice a day. But holy cow, the itching!! I hope to goodness that's the healing process! I also had a catheter and do not feel anything adverse, so I'm glad you are checking with your dr about that! Hope you feeling better soon!

ChrissyD1203 · January 2016

8 days out, 3rd degree tear - just itchy, no pain anymore (except when I cough), still getting some bright red blood

dwilson928 · January 2016

12 days out and I had a second degree tear that took 45 mins, the midwife and on call OB to fix. I usually feel ok in the morning, but by afternoon I feel like my stich are throbbing. I'm still on a high dose of Mydol for pain and do sitz baths twice a day, but it doesn't seem to be getting much better. I also had a catheter. No pain, but I have trouble telling when I need to go, the urge isn't there until I NEED to go. Then I have very little control over that too

it's getting a bit better, but still no where near normal.

carlyhammond · January 2016

@dwilson928 do you put anything in the sitz bath? Epsom salts or baking soda? I've thought about sitting in the tub for my uncomfortable vagina and my painful hemorrhoids but I'm not sure which would help more.

kmo8986 · January 2016

carlyhammond said:
@dwilson928 do you put anything in the sitz bath? Epsom salts or baking soda? I've thought about sitting in the tub for my uncomfortable vagina and my painful hemorrhoids but I'm not sure which would help more.

Epsom salts do wonders for the incomfortable and itchy vagina and hemorrhoids

carlyhammond · January 2016

kmo8986 said:

carlyhammond said:
@dwilson928 do you put anything in the sitz bath? Epsom salts or baking soda? I've thought about sitting in the tub for my uncomfortable vagina and my painful hemorrhoids but I'm not sure which would help more.
Epsom salts do wonders for the incomfortable and itchy vagina and hemorrhoids

Plain or the smelly kind? Or does it matter?

ainverso · January 2016

First pregnancy I hurt for about a week and only tore a little. Bled for 3 weeks red blood that got better with time and then old blood for another 2 weeks.

This pregnancy, I didn't hurt really at all after first day and we are 2 weeks post delivery and bleeding is mostly old blood at this point. Occasionally red blood .

I didn't have to be cathed this time but last pregnancy it didn't hurt after it was removed. I did have trouble with control of bladder for a week or more post delivery

dwilson928 · January 2016

I will have to try adding Epson salts to the sitz bath.

PedsIsHardcore · January 2016

Epsom salt and also witch hazel wipes or getting tucks wipes helped. With DD1 I had a 1st degree and a 2nd degree tear. That's what I use. I wouldn't use Deft. It's laundry detergent. It's made for clothes, not your lady parts. I always used my Olay soap.

mrhargr · January 2016

4 days out from delivery. I had a 2nd degree tear but never really hurt from it. The after pains however felt like the labor contractions minus the epidural. Yowch!

scornwell717 · January 2016

So I went to the doctor today and peed in a cup to test for a UTI (doc started me on antibiotics in case it is) and she said my urethra isn't all that swollen but it is a little open from the catheter but that will go away with time. Hopefully the antibiotics help. She also gave me the pain reliever stuff that makes your pee bright orange...yay!

Achae · January 2016

Ah I remember the pp bleeding... 6 weeks of heavy bleeding then slowly tapered off and at the very end a huge clot (like the size of a phone). I nearly fainted ugh.

carlyhammond · January 2016

Tbh I never bled THAT much. I feel like my bleeding is that of a normal period... Much much longer though lol.
But, when I go to pee I have this pressure at the front of my vagina that's really uncomfortable.. Kinda feels like something is trying to fall out- only bothers me when I use the bathroom though.
I too had a cath but I don't feel like I have any "side effects".

banders8 · January 2016

3rd degree tear (delivered January 13th at 10:32 PM)... My vagina is so so sore today.

Like a burn kind of-- and of COURSE today I'd have some chest congestion so coughing is the worst thing! My bleeding has decreased since the first couple pads.. But sitting, laying down-- it doesn't matter, my vagina just hurts all around. Using dermoblast, tucks, the peri-bottle & ice packs at the moment. Hoping for relief from just about anything at this point.

kmo8986 · January 2016

@carlyhammond I use plain. I would not put anything with fragrance in it near that fragile of an area :-p

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