Tell me about healing unstitched tears!

[marytheresa]

For BPs or anyone else who can help!

Just had our baby on Saturday with a "small" tear that mw said she could stitch with about 2 stitches. We opted not to stitch since that part of recovery with my last 2 births was yucky and hard and I'm hoping that the tear will heal on its own. From looking there, though, I don't see how it will heal. It's so gaping and even with trying to keep legs together, that doesn't seem all that practical for it to be long enough for it to stay together, kwim? MW said even if it doesn't, it's not a big deal and is only really a cosmetic thing but it was up to me.

So I guess I have a few questions and please give any other advice or experience you have!

1. Dermabond? Does it work? Is it worth it? Any other ideas?
2. Do many of your clients heal well w/o stitches? Any not heal at all? Effects of not healing back together?
3. Could this be a good thing if we have another baby...i.e. since it's already open, then no tear?
4. Anything I can do to aid in healing?
5. Are kegels recommended during healing time? I read that increased blood flow will help healing but when I do them it seems like the increased blood flow just makes me feel really really heavy and sore down there so maybe I shouldn't be doing them?
6. Should sex wait until after complete healing and/or would dtd prevent any type of healing if it's not completely healed?

Thank you SO much for any help you have! I really appreciate it!!!

[georgia]

Moving to Birth and Beyond

[AnnR33]

I can't help with all your questions but here was my situation. I also had a small tear and my mw suggested no stitches and letting it heal on it's own. She said to avoid stairs for 2 weeks and that was about it.
My tear healed fine even though there was a distinct separation of skin initially. There is a little "dip" in that area so it's not totally even but it has no affect on anything. It did close up mostly though on it's own. It doesn't affect sex.
I have not had another baby since then-still have about 6 more week before that test. I suppose it could tear more easily in that area but I'm hoping that with positioning and slow pushing that I can prevent that.

I did have stitches with my first 2 and had lots of problems with the stitch site the first time around. I mean major issues! It didn't get resolved until I had my second almost 3 yrs later and everything was re-stretched and basically was fixed again correctly. It wasn't even a bad tear the first time either. I don't know if it was my dr's stitching ability or just how the tear healed....but I'm all for natural healing "down there" when possible now!

[Baby_Vol]

I had the exact same thing ...small tear that could or could not have stitches. I chose not too. I did not think it would heal at all, in looking at it! It freaked me out! However, it healed just beautifully ...no problems at all.

For your questions:

1. Dermabond? Does it work? Is it worth it? Any other ideas?

I don't even know what that is?

2. Do many of your clients heal well w/o stitches? Any not heal at all? Effects of not healing back together?

I healed, but I can only speak for myself.

3. Could this be a good thing if we have another baby...i.e. since it's already open, then no tear?

I would think you may tear easier, but I don't know. I tore along and old episiotomy scar, or else I most likely would not have torn at all. It was weakened skin.

4. Anything I can do to aid in healing?

I did kegals and a sitz bath.

5. Are kegels recommended during healing time? I read that increased blood flow will help healing but when I do them it seems like the increased blood flow just makes me feel really really heavy and sore down there so maybe I shouldn't be doing them?

If it feels wrong, then I wouldn't do it. It helped me though and it felt good to me, but if it felt bad I would not have done it.

6. Should sex wait until after complete healing and/or would dtd prevent any type of healing if it's not completely healed?

We waited to DTD ....but only b/c the tear freaked me out! It heald pretty quickly though. I think by like 2.5 weeks?

[liberal_chick]

I had a 2nd degree tear with my last birth and my MW did not stitch it. It healed wide open; not even the muscle healed back together. After consulting with a few docs and my MW, we determined that a prolapse could eventually occur and I had it repaired (9 weeks PP).

The surgery was easy, but recovery is kicking my butt. I wish with all my might I'd have had this stitched at the time of ds's birth.

[Maela]

I recently got a first degree tear with my second birth, and decided not to get it stitched because I tore in the same spot with my first and I healed really well. But ds ended up in the NICU for a few days when he was only a few days old. So I wasn't really thinking about staying in bed and keeping my legs together. Well, the tear healed, but not together. So I'm not really in pain anymore, but will this affect sex negatively?

I would love to hear more people's experiences.

[nashvillemidwife]

Originally Posted by marytheresa

Just had our baby on Saturday with a "small" tear that mw said she could stitch with about 2 stitches. We opted not to stitch since that part of recovery with my last 2 births was yucky and hard and I'm hoping that the tear will heal on its own. From looking there, though, I don't see how it will heal. It's so gaping and even with trying to keep legs together, that doesn't seem all that practical for it to be long enough for it to stay together, kwim?

There's your problem. There's no way it can not gape if you're looking at it. Leave it alone! It is way too early to try to assess it and you're only making it worse.

[nikirj]

Stop looking at it! You're just pulling it apart when you do that! Healing happens from the base layers down, too, so it's going to pull itself closed to some extent, but that's going to happen faster if you keep the edges together. If they're continually pulled apart they may heal apart, which you don't want.

1. Dermabond? Does it work? Is it worth it? Any other ideas?

It isn't supposed to be used on mucous membranes. I do know some MWs use it, but I wouldn't. There is a newer product that is formulated for use on mucous membranes, but it's more expensive and a little harder to get.

2. Do many of your clients heal well w/o stitches? Any not heal at all? Effects of not healing back together?

Women heal fantastically from these sorts of tears. The tissues can heal open if they don't stay in contact with each other during healing. With a shallow tear, that means that things will be tender on those new edges for several months. With a deeper tear, that can mean long term pain. It sounds like your tear was really small (I have never stitched a tear that I could have done in only two stitches) and really unlikely to cause you any issues. If anything, if it doesn't heal together, you'll have a little extra tenderness for a few months. The most likely thing is that it will heal back together fabulously, at least as well as it would have with the stitches.

3. Could this be a good thing if we have another baby...i.e. since it's already open, then no tear?

It will close up to some extent no matter what. But tears tend to be smaller with next babies, even if they are along the same lines as old tears.

4. Anything I can do to aid in healing?

Sitz baths! Kegels! DON'T CROSS YOUR LEGS OR GO UP AND DOWN STAIRS.

5. Are kegels recommended during healing time? I read that increased blood flow will help healing but when I do them it seems like the increased blood flow just makes me feel really really heavy and sore down there so maybe I shouldn't be doing them?

Wait a day and try again if it feels bad. If it just feels a little heavier you should be fine; start with just a few and work your way up.

6. Should sex wait until after complete healing and/or would dtd prevent any type of healing if it's not completely healed?

How early were you thinking you'd DTD? I'd wait either until your last visit with your MW (when she can assess your healing) or until you really feel like it (if it feels good you're not likely to be hurting yourself). But these things heal really fast, so as long as you're not thinking next week, I wouldn't worry too much about it.