What happens in the days after a vaginal birth?

[Phteven]

I never had any checks of my stitches etc until after I went home and the home visit midwife had a look. Then again I went home within 24 hours of having Yasin so they didn't have much time to check.

[Bathsheba]

No one checked my bits after any of my (3) vaginal births. I never tore or had stitches though. They ask you about your blood loss, whether you have done much wee or passed your first bowel movement (this is one they seemed to focus on more than anything... I never expected to feel so nervous doing a poo before but it was kinda nerve wracking LOL). As a part of my discharge check-up they pressed my tummy quite firmly over my uterus area to see how well it had retracted (mine was always good so no further questions). I wore roomy Peter Alexander flannie drawstring PJ pants (dark red/orange/brown floral pattern good for hiding the odd stain) the day after birth and black trackies on departure. I lived in my PJ's when i got home for the first week. It was a conscious decision which served as a visual reminder that I was feeling fragile and that I was BABYMOONING ie "please don't ask me to get up and make you a cup of tea or pop a load of washing on... I need to REST".

ETA: On the whole I was always amazed at how well my bits returned to normal so quickly after birth

[ShootingStar]

I had an episiotomy and stitches and mine werent checked while at hospital. A midwife who came to my house once i was home did check them only because i thought they were coming undone.

[Phteven]

Don't forget that you don't have to consent to anything that you don't want to so if you feel fine and someone's checked recently you can tell them so

[DoubleK]

oh i forgot about them asking if you have been to the toilet.. one nurse told me i couldnt go home till i had opened my bowels.... i didnt, but ended up telling them i had, as i knew i wouldnt be able to go till i got home!

[Bathsheba]

LOL tsk tsk Rach!

I wonder what the possible complications bowel-wise could be? It's so scary isn't it? Such a relief though when you are finally brave enough to do it though! (with each baby I kinda realised that it was a mental barrier as much as a physical one, maybe because I wasn't damaged, just scared)

[Karina]

I had a catheter afterwards as my bits were SO swollen that I physically couldnt get any urine out. So, while the catheter was in, I had to record how much urine was in it each time I emptied it and what time I had emptied it. Once the catheter was out (about 48 hours after birth) I still had to pee into a pan and measure and record how much. They also asked me each day if I had done a poo yet. I think twice, they came in and felt my uterus from the outside - once the day after birth and another time just before I went home. They only asked me about my blood loss once. They wanted to know what colour it was. They only looked at my stitches twice - one when I told them I didnt want the catheter anymore and once just before I went home. They didnt say I had to do a poo before going home. They just asked if I had, I said no, and so they gave me a laxative to take as I was leavng the hospital.

[Zee]

No checks here, they felt my uterus a few times and just before I went home they asked did I want to be checked but I said no.

I think trackies would be best anyway, much more comfy!!!

[danniellabella]

I had an episiotomy. My stitches were checked once or twice while in hospital. I also had an epidural and I was able to get up and have a shower straight after I was stitched up but that could be because they'd let the epidural wear almost completely off.

[meow]

I only stayed a day and they asked if I wanted my stitches checked but I left it a few days and one of the midwives checked at home. I had my uterus and abdominal seperation checked before leaving.

[Trish]

i would think overalls would be a bit awkward with bfing as well??

FJ I was going to say the same thing too. Esp with a newborn baby when you need most of your boob out.

[Janie]

Sort of OT, but I really second Bath's suggestion of living in your trackies when getting home. It really does enforce a babymoon, and if you wear good ol' flanny pjs like I did , it makes BFing very easy Don't ask me how long I lived in my pjs for although I did occasionally get dressed into a tracky if I knew someone was coming. But if people turned up unannounced they got to see my pjs LOL. That's if we didn't have the "rack off" sign on the door. Do I sound unfriendly?

[Snoopea]

The only thing that shocked me and I still remember chasing the midwife down the corridor in a panic. Was blood clots, not all women get them but they are quite normal, I never new about them and had a rather large one I hit panic about.

I was lucky with no tearing but my daughter grazed me, I would recommend to take Ural with you to the take the acidity out of your urine, otherwise like me you'll end up in tears. (Some hospitals provide this but not all)

Track pants are a must, anything loose and comfy!

I also went Hypo, after birth (Natural no drugs), but I was bouncing around from excitement I think!

Best of Luck for your upcoming Birth!!!!!!!

[leebee81]

I left within 8 hours of having Oliver. My midwife checked the next day at my home visit because I had a small haemotoma they were concerned about. The three stitches were for minor grazing (three locations) and they weren't worried about those. She also felt my tummy for seperation and to check my uterus.

[smiles4u]

I too like KRYSTAL BALL was often asked if I needed pain relief tablets for a headache, etc... which I luckily never needed

I had a small tear, no stitches BUT lots of grazes which I took URAL satchets (otherwise peeing could burn like hell )... and was never checked

[Zee]

Rach- I did the same thing!!!! I was also told that when I showerd before they took me upstairs for after care that they wanted me to wee whilst in the shower, I didnt wee till that night when I couldnt hold on anymore and damn it burned!!!

[Antheia]

With regards to needing to wee after you have bub, my midwife told me to wee in the shower and hold the shower hose there to let the water run over my stitches so that it didn't sting. Worked a treat.

[Cricket]

For a hospital or a homebirth we are always given a squirt bottle to fill with warm water to gently spray over the perineum during/after peeing. Helps a great deal for the stinging! My homebirth midwives also gave me a herbal "tea" to bathe in and put in the squirt bottle which really helped heal everything up quickly. I'll have to re-check and see what was in it, but it was wonderful stuff! My "scrapes" healed within a day!
Anyways, what to expect post-vaginal birth - if you have tears or stitches or haemorrhoids, they SHOULD check you regularly. (at least ask, and tell you what to watch out for.)
The "rule" about having a pee and BM before being discharged is to make sure that your bladder/urethra weren't too bruised during delivery, which I think can interfere with peeing, and a lot of women are so afraid of breaking their stitches or popping something open, or hurting their already sore haemorrhoids after birth that they hold the BM until they are badly constipated and in trouble. The nurses just like to make sure that you know everything works!

When I was a nursing student, we were told to check breasts, uterus, bladder, bowels, lochia, episiotomy, Homan's sign (for deep vein thrombosis - not too common) and emotional state, during every shift.