Episiotomies and sitting again..

Re: Episiotomies and sitting again..

• willashbaby member

  January 2016

  That's a long recovery. I tore near my urethra and had a episiotomy and was sitting upright carefully on an egg crate the next day. By two weeks out I basically felt 75% back to normal and was out shopping and taking baby on pretty long walks. For the first week I heavily used medicated tucks pads, peri ice packs, dermoplast,  and a numbing cream. I think they helped immensely. 

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• kmo8986 member

  January 2016

  Sitz baths help as well.  I had a 2nd degree tear and am 2 weeks out and feel nearly normal again.  I would say that to be in that much pain that you can't sit should go away pretty soon or I would be concerned.  Also are you taking any meds? My doctor told me to take 800 mg of ibuprofen every 8 hours, that may help.

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• willashbaby member

  January 2016

  Yes to the ibuprofen, I forgot abut that! They gave me a sitz bath as well but I never actually used it. The ointment for numbing was dibucaine, they gave it in the hospital and just showed me to squirt it all over the pad, I did this every time I went to the bathroom for about a week. I would also put it on the tucks and apply very directly. You can buy it in CVS or any drugstore. I also really loved the dermoplast, make sure to get the blue lidded one not the red. 

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• Becky012016 member

  January 2016

  Sitz baths work wonders for the tearing and hemis. I too hurt my coccyx during delivery and the only relief I've found is taking ibuprofen every 8 hours and very light stretching (child's pose). I sat on my boppy for the first week to help alleviate the pain. It does get better but it'll take time. 

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• Ebiejay member

  January 2016

  I didn't know episiotomies came in different degrees but mine was a second, maybe yours was higher? I'm a week out and just now able to sit on cushioned seats with not too much pain. I've been using both ibuprofen and acetaminophen, taking the opposite every 2 hours so I'm always covered. I was using the witch hazel pads but I kept feeling like they were sliding into cracks! The dermoplast spray has helped me too. Sitting on the boppy was my best sitting relief. 
  
  I hope you feel better soon, I really didn't expect recovery to be so painful.

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• kelnate22 member

  January 2016

  Third degree here and having the same issues with sitting almost 3 weeks later. 

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• nackie member

  January 2016

  I only 6 days out, but I had an episiotomy and tore on top of that.  I can manage to sit up for breastfeeding with the help of the ibuprofen, witch hazel pads and dermoplast, but just barely.  I was hoping it wouldn't be too much longer before I could sit comfortably, but now I'm rethinking that

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• fishee333 member

  January 2016

  Sounds like you are in more pain than me, but I just want to complain that it still really hurts for me. Ibuprofen helps me tolerate it a little easier though. Breastfeeding and being a mom in general is going to be so much better once I'm not in pain, I can't wait! 

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• jencook25 member

  February 2016

  oh goodness @fishee333 I feel like life will be a breeze once I can sit again too! And @kelnate22 as much as I hate to hear you're in pain, it's nice to know I'm not the only one taking so long to recover! Because of my post partum haemorrhage I wasn't even allowed to sit up at all until 9am the morning after I gave birth (which was 2pm!), so I was amazed to see women in the maternity ward sitting right after giving birth! I am taking pain meds every 4 hours, alternating 1 ibuprofen and 1 panadol at one 4 hour block, and the next 4 hour block 2 panadol. No sitz baths (not even sure what that is..?!) as the thought of sitting in the hard bath is scary as hell! Plus my bath is dirty and I have no energy to clean it out. I am using the showerhead to wash my epi site 2 times a day though, as well as dabbing salt water on it a few times a day too. A few unexpected sneezes put a slight split in my epi site 2 days ago, but I think it's finally started to heal now. I spoke to my midwife too, who said if I'm not sitting in a week she will send me for an x-ray on my coccyx, but that at 2 weeks pp it's probably too early, and at this stage they assume it is just tissue damage to my coccyx.

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• Achae member

  February 2016

  @Ebiejay the way my dr explained it was a tear all the way to the rectum is considered 4th degree. I thought episiotomy referred to the actual cut made by the doctor to assist in delivery. So it's possible you had the cut and also had a second degree tear?

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