Postpartum Weekly Chat - March 22 - 28 - Page 6

[ciga]

Stupid stitches

So, I found some stitch material floating in the bath with me the other day and the stinging subsequently got a whole hell of a lot worse. I thought maybe it was normal but finally decided to call my midwife to check in today and she felt like it was way to early for the stitches to be dissolving and maybe the increased stinging was exposed wound.

So, now I have to go in to get checked this afternoon though I can't imagine how she could remedy it since it's too late for more stitches and impossible to keep dry enough for tissue glue. I hate feeling like I can't fix this myself and I really hate being a complainer.

[josie423]

You're not being a complainer! Goodness, I hope things get taken care of quickly, that sounds like a nightmare!

[Right of Passage]

I had tons of stinging with my stitches, but that may just be the way my body reacts to them. I hope when everything is checked out it all looks normal

[ciga]

Well, the bummer is that some sutures did come out. The intense stinging is exposed wound and there isn't really anything we can do about it since its too late for more stitches.

The good thing is that having her reify what I suspected and tell me it would still all be okay made me feel much better. I have a new plan of action and have weaned myself off the frozen witch hazel pads and am just keeping everything dry and clean and to be honest, just feeling in control of it makes the discomfort easier to bear.

This will be short lived

Also, today was the first time my husband and I held onto eachother in bed (the wee babe has slept between us since day 1) without a big belly in the way and it was lovely. I'd forgotten how that felt. Now I just have to remind myself to be patient waiting for sex.

[catchthewind]

Re mastitis/plugged ducts: I got them several times with DD1. I have oversupply and OAL issues, and block feed, but if I'm not careful it's very easy to become over-engorged. I woke up this morning with a bit of pain in one breast. By early afternoon I was feeling shivery and tingly and the pain was agony. I had a hot bath, making sure to soak my breast under water, with massage around the red, bumpy area. Today luckily the plug came out pretty easily and I nursed both DDs when I was out and then had a nap. I'm still not feeling 100% but much better. Last time I found similar things helped: heat, massage, nursing or pumping if you can stand it. Last time, a sock filled with rice and heated in the microwave and then used to sort of roll along my breast where the plug was helped a few times too. Anyway, hope you feel better soon, it is not fun. Luckily I've never had to be treated for mastitis, though I've been close a few times.

[gardenmommy]

Jumping in late... So for the last several weeks of my pregnancy, I had pillow feet, esp. my right foot. I thought the swelling would go away once the baby was born, since it always has with my other babies. However, baby is now almost 5 days old, and my feet, esp. my right, are still swollen. What am I doing wrong? It is really uncomfortable, to the point where I don't want anyone to touch my right foot, because it's pretty tender. I am going to talk to my MW about it on Tuesday when I see her, if it hasn't resolved by then. In the meantime, any ideas?

[Juvysen]

I was mildly swollen toward the end of my pregnancy, but the swelling was much worse the first week postpartum... I called my midwife and asked if i should worry, and she said no, just that I should put my feet up and drink lots of water. She said it happens sometimes... the swelling resolved by the end of the first week I think.

[1babysmom]

I always swell a bit after the birth...lovely cankles. Dandelion root helps with water retention and swelling.

[ciga]

anyone have postpartum hemorrhoids that have already resolved themselves?

I feel like the pain of the sutures and bruising and everything would be so much easier to handle without the hemorrhoids and I'm just wondering how much longer they are going to plague me. I know everyone is different, but...

before the birth I imagined that the hemorrhoids would clear up quickly after birth because there wouldn't be that weight of the baby bearing down on them but that doesn't seem to be the case.

on the up side, I freakin love staring at this child!

[Juvysen]

Originally Posted by ciga

anyone have postpartum hemorrhoids that have already resolved themselves?

I feel like the pain of the sutures and bruising and everything would be so much easier to handle without the hemorrhoids and I'm just wondering how much longer they are going to plague me. I know everyone is different, but...

before the birth I imagined that the hemorrhoids would clear up quickly after birth because there wouldn't be that weight of the baby bearing down on them but that doesn't seem to be the case.

on the up side, I freakin love staring at this child!

Mine did within a week, but i was taking a homeopathic - it might have sped things up?

[Snapdragon]

Just dealing with the bleeping c section physical trauma (and some emotional too!) over here. Baby is 18 days old or so and is doing great. Breastfeeding going really well too, for which I am happy! I am just still so shocked that I ended up with a c section. I guess most people are who do! But I was mojorly into homebirth, natural birth- thought about it all for over 10 years before I got pregnant~ And while many people get c sections from over interventions on doctors' parts (or so I have heard) mine was a different thing. Mine was no interventions and not a good support team and waiting to go into labor and at 43 weeks- still no labor, and baby was then in distress quite so. So I had the c section after waiting to 43 weeks pregnant! anyway- I would have been the last person I would have thought would get one! so I am still quite shcoked. Just processing here! Mostly it is just the sheer physical weakness that I feel that sucks. I have less of the emotional grief as I did my best to go as long as I could to have a natural birth and by the time I got the c section I felt it was the only choice to save the baby, and he is great. But it is just hard to feel this pain and have my womb cut into and all that, and feel so weak. Sorry- just had to vent here. I wanted a baby for SO long and now I have one, but my experience is tempered by pain and weakness and the inability to do too much. I am still very happy to have my baby though.

[Right of Passage]

Katie34 Do not apologize! Please share with us, or where ever you feel comfortable, don't recover alone.

[Snapdragon]

Right of Passage Thanks! I see on your sig you had an HBAC? Did I read that right? I would love to hear your story if you want to share it (pm me if you do!)
Thanks