Questions for postpartum mamas

[mzminty]

Hi mamas, I have some questions for you.

For those of you who tore, what's the status on that tear? In other words, I have a labial tear that was stitched, and then a tear at the back of my vagina that looks like the Grand Canyon, which one of the midwives said would do better healing on its own. However, I get so discouraged when I look at it, because I can't imagine it ever closing! Can you all share your experiences with me? I can't decide whether I'm over-reacting or if I should call my primary midwife and ask her to take another look.

Second, I keep waking up at night soaking wet and shivering. Then I change my pj's and wake up sweating again. Is this due to hormones? Anybody else experiencing this?

And last but not least, am I the only one who's still constipated? I'm even drinking fiber, for heaven's sake, and it still scares the bejeebers out of me to have to go to the bathroom (having a perineal Grand Canyon doesn't make it any easier).

Ok, that's it for now. Feel free to share any and all strange postpartum symptoms. I'm not complaining, cuz I really feel so much better than when I was pregnant. Just wondering if I'm the only one, or if this is normal...

Thanks!

[Jojo F.]

With DS the OB gave me an episiotomy: and that was torture but I do think tears heal better then cuts. This time I tore a little on the side of the labia, it's odd. To help it heal I have been using the peri bottle filled with a tea made from comfrey and witch hazel and then dabbing a bit of goldenseal on it after. I was really nervous to dab the goldenseal on it but, it's no big deal.

After I had Poppy I was shivering and sweating like mad, the MW said it was normal and due to hormones. But, if I were you I would let the MW know you are still shaking. Better to keep her informed and updated, kwim?

For the constipation and nutrient absorption I have been taking a magnesium supplement, Natural Calm. It's been working like a charm

HTH!!

[Hallielynn01]

I can't give advice on the tearing, but if your feeling unsure, just ask your MW!

As for the sweats, god yes, I'll be so cold that I get to bed shivering, then when i wake I'm drenched. The good news is that I dropped another 10 lbs, probably the water weight. Just keep drinking water, help your body,maybe the constipation too,maybe a stool softener would help? Might make having a BM easier with the tears you described.

[MommyToElla]

I don't know much about my tear. Asked the midwife and she just said it was a 2nd degree tear as she was stitching me up. It hasn't bothered me much at all in the past week.. a few pulling feelings here and there when I'm in bed. I have no desire to know where it is and what it looks like , I'm kinda just letting it heal and leaving it at that. Any discomfort I have is more "muscular" from the amount of pushing - like my bottom is pulling down (or falling out) - if that makes any sense. When I stand or walk too much it makes it even worse. And I got some severe hemorroids from all the pushing - they started to bother me more yesterday as well.
I have to take iron supplements along with my prenatal so I'm so scared of getting constipated. Luckily I didn't have that problem while pregnant and I started taking 2 stool softeners a day once I started my iron and I've had no problem going every day since getting home. Uggh, the constipation sucks..that's how I got my first hemorroid after my C-section with dd. I didn't go for over a week b/c of the painkillers - it was horrible.

[sbsurfer]

You're very brave--I'm too scared to look at my tear because I think it will make me more bummed. I had a partial 4th and I've been told to rest for another week at least (I'm three weeks out now). I've been trying to tell myself I wouldn't be doing much more than sitting around the house and bf'ing anyway.

[quietserena]

Re: constipation, I totally have it and I take Natural Calm too. What is the deal with PP constipation??? It's driving me crazy!

I eat TF style like I used to, but suddenly I'm feeling like unless I take the Mg, things get... ahem.. stuck.

I don't remember this last time around... maybe it wasn't there?

[mzminty]

Ok, I can't figure out how to post a reply with multiple quotes.

I was taking a stool softener twice a day in the hospital, but my little guy started having really wet poopy diapers constantly and was getting a bad diaper rash, so I stopped. My prenatal vitamin has a low dose of stool softener in it (Precare). I'm totally going to look into the magnesium supplement, thanks!

Glad I'm not the only one having night sweats, Hallielynn! That's getting super annoying. I've started laying out a couple of shirts next to my bed so I can quickly change into a dry one when I wake up at night.

Sbsurfer, did they stitch that tear or leave it to heal on it's own? I let myself look at my tear again last night and was happy to see that it looks a little smaller than it did last week, so I'm guessing that it will close eventually...

Honestly, for as tired and sore as I am, I miss my husband and am bummed out that there's no romance on the horizon for a loooooooooooong, loooooong time. I don't even know if my body's going to be ready after I get the six week green light.

Isn't it funny that you think you're going to be home free once the baby's out?

[acory23]

Night sweats have me and my darling little one waking up sopping wet in the middle of the night.

As for the tear... give it time, it will heal. My MW gave me a "tea" for an herbal sitz bath but I have used it in the bathtub. It helps. I only had moderate lacerations from pushing and those are starting to heal... OH THE ITCHING AND BURNING. The bruising is brutal. But I had an episiotomy with DD#1 and an episiotomy and a second degree labial tear with DS (and hemeroids and a hernia and severe constipation... FUN FUN.)

Drink LOTS of water and recharge. Eat bananas and lots of whole grains. Take magnesium... Your body will take care of you if you take care of it.

The only other advice I can give you is DONT LOOK AT IT! Fight the urge. Go for a week without looking at it and it will seem to heal so much faster. You will be thankful you did

[laurelg]

I had a second degree tear that took about ten stitches. I vaguely remember my midwife talking about the layers she was suturing while she was doing it - but I was kind of off in la-la land so I didn't really pay attention. So, when I got out the ol' hand mirror and took a look a few days later, I just about had a heart attack when I saw this (to me) gaping wound! I couldn't even figure out what in the heck she'd done, since it didn't look very fixed... I was on the verge of calling her to say "Um, did you forget something?" but I decided to hit up Google first. Lo and behold apparently the leading school of thought with many midwives is to suture the muscle and mucosa layers, but NOT the skin - which is left to heal on its own. So, I was right in that she'd "forgotten" a layer - but glad to figure out it was on purpose. Anyway, another few days have now passed, and it is looking a LOT better. Chances are you just need more time to heal - I don't think there is really anything your midwives could do at this point, anyway, since as far as I know they can't suture an old wound.

I'm also sweating like crazy. I have been sleeping shirtless to help my nipples heal (we had some minor latch issues for the first few days, ouch) and I am SO. SICK. of waking up with both me and the poor baby soaked in sweat and breastmilk! I feel so gross and sticky... I can't wait until I stop leaking constantly. Ugh. Anyway, I mentioned the sweating to my midwives at our two-week visit, and they said it is a combination of my body ridding itself of excess fluid (keep in mind you were operating with about 1.5 times your normal blood volume) and hormonal fluctuations. I bought some fabric tonight to make mattress pads out of - I tried sleeping on a towel for the last two nights but soaked right through it. Ick, ick, ick.

I think my bowels are back to normal... I know I'm at least not terrified to push anymore! Boy oh boy was I scared for the first week or so... I never wanted to push anything EVER AGAIN.

[quietserena]

Originally Posted by laurelg

I think my bowels are back to normal... I know I'm at least not terrified to push anymore! Boy oh boy was I scared for the first week or so... I never wanted to push anything EVER AGAIN.

I think this may be part of my problem. Every time I'm in the bathroom I have sort of labor flashbacks since I labored on the toilet for a while.

[MommyToElla]

laurelg - get yourself those soothies! with my 1st i didn't find out about them until week 3 and then we started to heal. this time around i fixed our latch issues within a few days so i only got a little cut on one nipple. i had my husband go get me the soothies as soon as we were home from the hospital. i wore them for about 5 or 6 days and my cut is almost healed.. still have sore nippples, but just from nursing in general.. those things heal nipples SO quickly.. they are the best!

[Taryn237]

Originally Posted by mzminty

I was taking a stool softener twice a day in the hospital, but my little guy started having really wet poopy diapers constantly and was getting a bad diaper rash, so I stopped. My prenatal vitamin has a low dose of stool softener in it (Precare). I'm totally going to look into the magnesium supplement, thanks!

Maybe thats why Miriam had 9 bms yesterday - poor thing. I better stop taking those.

Anyone else getting strange tingly/achy feelings throughout their genital area? Sometimes during nursing/sometimes not.

[Super~Single~Mama]

Ok, the weirdest thing that I have going on is that there is a little piece of skin, or something, that has attached itself to my vagina in such a way that there are 2 openings to my vagina instead of just one!! So frustrating - I have to go back to the midwife to get that taken care of - especially since whenever I walk I can feel it stretching and its super uncomfortable when I sit. Ugh. I wish I was normal - oh wait, I think is the new normal that I just have to get used to....

I was also told when I called the midwife that I tore in a really strange way - why can't I be average??? Why did I have to tear in a way that was abnormal and weird???? UGH...again, I just wish I was normal...

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by Taryn237

Anyone else getting strange tingly/achy feelings throughout their genital area? Sometimes during nursing/sometimes not.

YES!!! ME!!! I also seem to be having round ligament pain....I was so excited about that going away! My bleeding also picks up slightly when I nurse, but just a little and the midwife said it was normal b/c nursing makes the uterus contract. Oh well, its annoying....

[dayxday]

I had a c-section and feel pretty darn good (considering). My strange PP "side effect" is that whenever I lie down flat on my back I get this falling uterus feeling. It wakes me up! I don't know how else to describe it but it causes me to panic and sit straight up in bed gasping. Typically I do a late night breastfeed so I'm pretty sure that it's my uterus contracting, particularly since the falling sensation is occurring lower and lower in my abdomen (with less intensity). Other than that, I have been really sweaty at night.

[mzminty]

Originally Posted by thyra

I was also told when I called the midwife that I tore in a really strange way - why can't I be average??? Why did I have to tear in a way that was abnormal and weird???? UGH...again, I just wish I was normal...

Thyra, I've torn with both of my births, because both of my babies felt the need to have a hand on their heads when they emerged. And both times, my MD or midwife told me that it was a "strange tear", going in many different directions and depths, etc. In fact, for both births, the whole stitching up process took longer than the labor and delivery! Being average is overrated!

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by mzminty

Thyra, I've torn with both of my births, because both of my babies felt the need to have a hand on their heads when they emerged. And both times, my MD or midwife told me that it was a "strange tear", going in many different directions and depths, etc. In fact, for both births, the whole stitching up process took longer than the labor and delivery! Being average is overrated!

I'm honestly a little surprised that Lincoln didn't have a hand on his face when he was born...he ALWAYS does now, and my last sonogram he had a hand over his face so we couldn't get a good picture!

[_betsy_]

I had a rectal tear. Yeah, that's FUN! But it wasn't that bad, a 3rd degree partial - the baby was born 1 hour and 8 minutes after my water broke and I had my first cx, so I just didn't have time to stretch well, I guess.

But, it's healed 99% and bowel movements haven't been that bad at all. If I can do it with a rectal tear, you can do it, too!

Stool softener is your friend.

[rockportmidwife]

Originally Posted by thyra

I'm honestly a little surprised that Lincoln didn't have a hand on his face when he was born...he ALWAYS does now, and my last sonogram he had a hand over his face so we couldn't get a good picture!

When he got Parker's sono a week before he was born, both his hands and a foot were up by his face. And now his hands are constantly by his face. I am almost glad for the C-section, because I was afraid that he was going to rip the crap out of me coming out.

[mzminty]

Originally Posted by _betsy_

I had a rectal tear. Yeah, that's FUN! But it wasn't that bad, a 3rd degree partial - the baby was born 1 hour and 8 minutes after my water broke and I had my first cx, so I just didn't have time to stretch well, I guess.

But, it's healed 99% and bowel movements haven't been that bad at all. If I can do it with a rectal tear, you can do it, too!

Stool softener is your friend.

That was part of my problem too. I had my son 1 hour and 45 minutes after my first ctx. The midwife said it's hard not to tear when things are going that fast.