Stitches

Perineal tear stitches - are they just healing or is there a problem?

I gave birth on Tuesday the 11th and had a 2nd degree perineal tear. I have been following all the directions that the hospital gave me, but I am experiencing some things I am not sure if I should be worried about or not. The area is a little red and it is still very sore. Sometimes I feel a burning pain in that area. I checked it today to see if there was any puss; no puss was visible and there was no "strange" discharge. What I did see, however, was some blood. As I pulled the area open to see the stitches, there was a little bleeding around some of the stitches. It wasn't anything excessive, just enough for me to notice. I am not running a fever. I am just concerned with the amount of pain I am in. I would appreciate any information anyone can provide to me. Thank you! I have only tried 2 sitz baths so far. I had a lot of burning in the area of the stitches and thought it may be doing more harm than good. I used some Dermoplast the first couple of days and have also used Tucks pads lining my pad. I make sure to rise the area after I use the bathroom (using the bottle the hospital sent me home with) and then blot gently with toilet paper. (I also blot with toilet paper after a shower or a sitz bath.) Thanks so much for all this help! I just want to make sure I am in good shape so I can take good care of my new little baby.

Public Comments

1. I had a 4th degree tear and that is exactly what mine looked like. It should be fine but if you are worried just call your doc and ask if he should check it out. Good luck hun
2. It can take a while before you really start feeling more comfortable. Keep taking ibuprofen and/or tylenol, soak your bottom in warm water (sitz bath) to promote blood flow to the area which will speed healing, and if you're still worried, give your doctor a call. Your body has undergone a major physical trauma, and you can't expect it to bounce back too quickly. It could take weeks or months, and I'm sorry to say that sex might be uncomfortable for many many months after delivering when you've had a repair done. But it WILL get better eventually! Hang in there!
3. you are fine hun. take some tylenol and get some reat and do your sitz baths those always made me feel better!
4. Yikes, you gave birth on the 11th and had a tear, I'd say there would be something wrong if you WEREN'T in pain! Can you use neosporin with pain relief on the area? It's only topical but it might help a bit. I'd say if you don't see swelling or redness, if the wound doesn't look "mad" and there's no discharge, you're probably OK. It's only been a few days, this is a very tender area and every time you move your legs that area gets "jostled". Not to mention you just squeezed a watermelon out of your ... er ... area ...
5. Sounds normal. If the redness starts extending out farther, you have discharge, or a fever I would call the MD. A little bleeding and a lot of tenderness is normal. Are you using Tucks (witch hazel) pads? They are sold for hemorrhoids but you can wear them around on your pad and they'll help with the episiotomy pain. Also do you have Dermaplast spray? You can buy it in the first aid seciton of the drug store and spray it on the episiotomy to numb it. And you are taking motrin a couple times a day, right? It's an anti-inflammatory so it'll help with healing as well as pain.
6. All is good. As long as there is no puss or strange color there you are fine. It takes a wile for them to heal. Mine were bad I needed 27 stitches with my 1st son. the pain is normal and so is the stinging. Mostly when you pee it will burn because of the salt found in urine. But also sweat and pretty much anything will make them burn. After 6 weeks I still had pain in that area and could not be with my husband for quite a wile. You JUST gave birth so don't worry about it. Use Hazel witch pads they work great and help heal the area. Also try not to snoop around down there trying to look at them because that will cause the stitches to tear. Hence why you have seen blood. Good luck and God bless ur little one. Oh yah and take some warm baths just pop into the water that help also.
7. I had a really awful tear with my daughter 9 years ago and it was so long and painful the healing process. I took sitz bath a lot just to relieve the swelling and pain. I used tucks pads all the time too. I know it's very painful and it can be confusing but as for me I remember that when it was swollen it was quite red and it took quite a while for the stitches to fully dissolve. I think it sounds pretty normal and you are doing all the right things. If you are concerned I would speak with yer doc but you sound like you're doing the right things. It took quite a while to heal for me and even now 9 years later if I stand for too long I still have little twinges of pain. Good luck!! I know how it feels!!