Tears --- did anyone else get one?

[Beppie]

I have a 2nd degree tear from the birth (wednesday at 2 am)... my mw is having me stay upstairs for a few days. My mom is here to help (for 2 weeks) so staying upstairs is no problem. But just wondering, how long does it take for this to heal? And what are others doing to get tears to heal? I'm taking sitz baths, my mw has me doing some homeopathy, and using frozen pads. Anything else that can be done to help the healing process?

[lisarussell]

mine was healed before 3 days.


putting vaseline on the pad helped with the pain. if you're not into petroleum products i've heard olive oil is good too

[Code Name Mama]

I had a small tear & several skid marks. They were irritating/painful for 4-5 days, and itchy for the next 4-5. They're just now starting to feel "normal".
I just used my peri bottle and Tucks pads (mainly because I was in the NICU with Kieran and had no other choice).

[ghuaghua]

I just had my baby on Thursday and had 2 'really bad' 2nd degree tears that required 8 stitches. I already notice that they hurt less, so I guess they are going to heal pretty quickly :

[YummyYumYumMama]

2nd degree. tucks, dibucaine oint, and peri bottle. felt better (not 100% but waaaay better) in like 5 days and totally better now (12 days).

[LaLibertad]

2nd degree that took a lot of stitches. I did go up and down stairs today (5 days later) but not 100%. I'm pretty much doing what you are.

[minsca]

I had/have a 2nd degree tear this time as well. I'm surprised at how little it hurts compared to the 3rd degree I had with dd#1. I think that's because the pain receptors down there have disappeared this time around.
Anyways putting ice on it definetly helps the swelling. I put witch hazel in my peri bottle for the first week or so. You can take a sitz bath, or I just would take a bath with a cup of epsom salts. That really seemed to help. If you have trouble sitting you could buy a hemorroid ring pillow. And when you do sit make sure you don't slide on the chair.
That's all I can really think of that helps a bit. But time is really the best healer, that's awesome that you have help and that you can just rest in bed for a few days to heal. That probably is the best thing.

[HappyFox05]

2nd degree in between vagina & anus, but not connected to either (seemed weird to me, but I don't have much experience w/these things). It took a few (3 or 4) stitches, but didn't hurt much while healing. I'll have to have DH check it out & tell me how it looks. I didn't take any special measures other than using the peri bottle w/some water in it whenever I went to the bathroom. That whole area's still a little sore, but not bad.

[wholewheatmama]

Pretty significant tearing here. MW didn't tell me how many stitches, but she was at it for a while. I had the most pain on day three, and it got much better quickly after that. Epsom salt sitz baths, hydrogen peroxide rinse, air drying on a chux pad for a few minutes at a time, blow drying after showering. And arnica! I didn't use my peri bottle much and never used my frozen witch hazel pads. My MW recommended neosporin, but I'm not so much into that idea so skipped it. After about day four or five, I was able to scoot across the bed without any pain. Leaning forward when peeing helped a lot the first couple of days as well.

[Right of Passage]

2nd degree here...labia minora and quite a few stitches(wasn't told how many either), I've been up and about since day 2, sitz baths are my favoite I feel 100% for a few hours after.

[wake_up]

2nd degree with 2 stitches. Used frozen witch hazel pads for 4 or 5 days, peri bottle with just water when peeing, and took arnica pretty much continuously for a week. He's 8 days old now, and I can walk around just fine. Sitting is still not the most comfortable. Coughing is finally bearable though, so I think I can consider myself nearly healed.