healing tears advice please

[Electra375]

today is day 6PP and i'm laying here on my back (laptop on belly on a pillow) semi spread eagle to air myself in hopes that might help

i had a labia minor tear and it has 2 or 3 stitches in it, and it is killer!!!!!!!!

i'm in so much discomfort, sitting on the toilet is uncomfortable to the point i'm having a hard time getting a full release of pee or i'm coming down w a bladder infection which would not be the first time after a birth

the stitches i think are what are the most painful, the swelling is down other than at those stitches

the tear is also mucousy... i'm going to call my mw in a bit b/c this is just not fun

i've been doing a peri bottle and compresses of herbal sitz bath infusions which include all kinds of good stuff - comfrey, calendula... and i've been applying serval times a day an herbal infused oil of arnica and calendula

i don't think there is much more i can do to promote healing...

[wendyk]

Sorry mama. The air probably will help, but really it'll take some time as well.

Hang in there.

[tempestjewel]

Sounds like you are doing everything right. I took ibuprofen for a while for my tear because it was painful and I just couldn't stand it. I didn't have any sitz bath herbs, but soaking some cotton rounds in witch hazel and putting that on my stitches helped. Sometimes I'd even hold my stitches with one of those while peeing so it wouldn't sting

Make sure you are eating well and getting all your vitamins/minerals so that your body is strong to heal and fight off any infection.

I hope you heal soon.

[paisley]

Saw this in new posts - I just read on another thread that other Mamas and MWs swear by honey. Apparently you can use it plain or mix with herbs (goldenseal is one, not sure on the others). Honey has many wonderful healing properties and it sounds like it might feel really soothing just to put on. Hope your ouchie feels better soon!

ETA - I am still learning about homeopathics, but I think Hypericum (homeopathic St. John's Wort) might be a good one for you.

[2Sweeties1Angel]

I have a second degree tear and I've been using witch hazel along with the peri bottle every time I go to the bathroom. It seems to help.

[blastomom]

At about 5-7days ppts my poor crotch ached so bad I thought I had ripped out my stitches! A bunch of ladies here suggested Arnica (I have the Boiron pillules) and that seemed to help a bunch. I also added Lavender essential oil to my sitz bath and that helped as well. I so feel your pain--here's to hoping that you feel much better soon!

[NewEyes]

I had 2nd degree tear this time (4th degree last time). I have slacked on the sitz baths as baby dd & ds (4) become less patient & more demanding of my time.
I did find the lavender oil & sea salt in the herbal sitz to be very healing. Hope it helps. As a two time survivor of lots of stitches, I can assure you that you will feel normal again- it will just take a while!

[timneh_mom]

Not in your ddc, but I just thought about vitamin C intake - getting enough is essential for tissue healing! It sounds pretty painful though... I remember a friend of mine telling me she would use the peri bottle as she was peeing because it didn't burn as much. I hope you are feeling better soon!

[swampwitch]

I had a minor 2nd degree (only barely made it to the 2nd degree stage, apaprently) and there were times that it felt like I was swelling out of my stitches. Sitting with an icepack, wrapped in a towel, underneath me helped. I did that regimen for a couple of weeks b/c I got hemorroids about the time I healed from the stitches. To avoid that just be sure to get plenty of fiber, water, and move around. I was on my bum too much!

[meggles]

I had a major 2nd degree tear, popped a couple of blood vessels down there and required 40+ stitches. Here's what helped: herbal sitz bath 3x/day for 10-15 minutes each time (I took mine in the tub because sitting on the sitz bath contraption on the toilet put too much pressure on my stitches), tucks witch hazel pads refrigerated, sea salt mixed with water in a peri bottle and used after every pee, homeopathic arnica pellets ( I took 5 pellets 3-4 times a day), lots of water and good nourishing food, and LYING DOWN. Seriously. Only get up to use the bathroom, take a quick shower, etc.
I hope you feel better soon!

[NewEyes]

How many days did you do the tub soaks?

[meggles]

Originally Posted by NewEyes

How many days did you do the tub soaks?

I started them at 3 days pp and am still doing them 2 weeks later.

[liseux]

Not in the ddc either, but I healed a 4th degree tear twice and both times, it healed well.

Sitting in the tub with legs closed or on your side in the tub. 3 x day for 3 weeks is what I did. It helps so much to heal mucous membranes in water, I highly recommend it!

[Electra375]

i have to do sitz in the tub too i can bare stand the strain of a toilet seat to pee. i'm holding comfrey soaked disposable towels against my labia minor tear to pee for the past 2 days, didn't have to do that in the beginning.
the stitches are working out, i've discovered little fibers on my blotting towel
i need to do the sitz more, but with 4 children and my parent who are trying their best -- it's hard.
i'm wondering if this is the worst before the better, as in stitches might be irritating me
however there is mucousy stuff around the stitches, which I just hope is wound healing
My mw is going to stop by tomorrow and check me out. I think I will feel better then or will need to make an appt with a trusted gyn to fix me now or later.
I'm going to go cry now, hormonal thing I suppose or just the facts that
1) my healing looks horrible
2)my kids are being horrible and not listening to either me or my parents
3) my breast hurt with every suck
and
4) I've determined I probably have a bladder infection coming on and just decided after giving it 24 hours to start my stash of antibx for incase this were to happen (again - every PP period I've had a UTI)
I think with my last birth I was on such a high that I was able to tolerate my own discomfort better. This time I'm just really not taking this well at all

[Electra375]

mw came by to check me, i'm healing, i feel better just knowing that

[skueppers]

For what it's worth, I'm not sure the difference between what you're feeling this time and what you felt last time is due to a difference in attitude or something on your part.

I had about the same amount of tearing/stitches last time as I do this time, and it feels totally different this time around. Last time, I used ice packs the first day, and then used the peri bottle to keep things clean, and a can of numbing spray they gave me at the hospital to deal with the discomfort (I loved that spray!).

This time, all I've used is the peri bottle. I just haven't felt like I needed anything else.

I don't think I'm in a different emotional place, I just think my body is reacting differently this time.

[Electra375]

Originally Posted by skueppers

For what it's worth, I'm not sure the difference between what you're feeling this time and what you felt last time is due to a difference in attitude or something on your part.

Absolutely a high probability.
Last time I was a first time hba2c, talk about a birth high! I needed it b/c things were actually much worse with UTI, huge swelling, and internal tear which required STRICT bedrest.
This time it's my 2nd vaginal birth and the high isn't so high. I knew I would tear ahead of time too, which might be why I did...
I do feel much better having had been checked and told things look good.

I also figured out why my little nurser is killing me -- he is tongue tied to some degree. I called the doctor in town who clips them and have an appt tomorrow afternoon in the snow!

My dh actually had people at church wonder why I wasn't there and I'm thinking am I the only woman who takes orders to stay down seriously? I know I'm not the only woman to rip and tear... It just irks me that society thinks we should be up and about with in days. And I suppose that attitude has me down some.