perineum pain

[shambhala]

not sure if i am in the right forum, but not sure where to post?? is it just me or are there others out there who experience perineum pain long after birth? i gave birth a year and a half ago to a big boy & had quite a bit of tearing & stitches as a result. it all seemed to heal well, but lately i have been experiencing pain in this area after sex? it really is kind of depressing.

[applejuice]

I think you should let the doctor who stitched you up know this. He should advise you of what to expect.

Do not be surprised if he tells you it is all in your head. This is why women here at MDC fight tooth and nail to avoid an episiotomy. I had a woman friend who felt the pain of the adhesions and stitches at her child's high school graduation.

[deditus]

I had a small tear with just a few stitches and it is still sore over a year later (especially if I squat a lot - ouch), so you are definitely not alone!

[wombatclay]

I had a 4th degree tear and have asked my OB tons of questions about healing and pain and suturing and...well...all sorts of stuff.

She told me that even though many women feel fine after 6-8 weeks, she really doesn't consider a mama healed for at least 6 months after a tear. A lot of her advice focused on healing well in those first 6 months but some things might help you.

She suggests gentle (very very gentle) perineal massage with vitamin e oil and aloe vera gel to help prevent and/or to break down adhesions (which can form anywhere tissue has been damaged and which can cause pain for years). A hot sitz bath with comfrey or epsom salt or sea salt increases circulation to the area and can be soothing/healing too. Exercise like belly dance is high on her list too since it works the pelvic muscles while "reintegrating" that area into the body (she feels many women with tears "lose" some of their sexual nature due to the trauma and need to reclaim this area in order to heal fully).

In addition, in some women the suture material may not dissolve completely. Some of it may "en-cyst" (the body creates a hard shell around the material). This cyst can remain in place for years or slowly work it's way to the surface. You may have suture material working it's way out or renewed irritation from the material...since you feel the pain after sex this might be one explaination (a lump of suture nearing the surface and causing pain after being "pressed" during sex). You can ask an OB, Gyn, or even a family practice doc to check the area for something like this though I'm not sure what treatment they could offer.

I'm sorry for your pain and hope you find full healing soon!

[applejuice]

wombat, that is the kind of information that should be on the hospital consent form for a routine episiotomy. Good job.

[wombatclay]

I love my OBs. Sadly my vbac did include an episiotomy as well as the tear (long story short dd got caught on my pelvic bones...the epi was really small and was to make room for the vacuum and to direct the tearing away from the clitoral area, but then SD hit) but it was the first epi my OB had done in over a year and we tried everything to avoid it. She was really apologetic about the epi as well...her position is that an epi is surgery and carries surgical risks and should only be done in pretty limited situations where those risks can be justified.

She gave me tons of advice about healing in the first 6 months as well...and has been wonderfully reassuring about my future birth prospects.

[applejuice]

wombat, you are lucky in having an ob like that. In my day, the episiotomy was de rigeur and something was wrong with the mother if she did not want one. Thank you and thank your doctor. She is one of a kind.

[naturalthinker]

Wombatclay, you're not in the seattle area, by any chance, are you? I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to find an OB like yours!!!!

[wombatclay]

Sorry mama... rural upstate ny. And in sad news, my OBs are no longer attending births. They can't afford the insurance they need to provide the sort of birth experience they feel mamas deserve.

[shambhala]

thanks for all the great ideas ~ wspecially another good reason to try belly dancing wombatclay!

i did not receive an episiotomy, but rather a 2nd degree tear due to a big head & a midwife & ob who tried everyhting short of a c-section to help him out. the birth was traumatizing enough - i just hate that their is this reminder of it after everytime my partner & i reconnect.