episiotomy anyone?

they bloody hurt dont they?!! i had internal tears last time and it wasnt as painful as this is. does anyone have any advice about how to get some relief?

i hear you!!
i had one first time and it bloomin hurt...for months im afraid, i had lots of salt baths,sat on pillows, fed lying down anything to stay 'off' the area. and keep up the pain relief, keep the ice up to it too
:hug: the internal tearing is easier to deal with than the episotomy

how long til you can go to the loo more easily and painlessly? this is very ouchy!

get some ural it takes the acid out of your wee... also if you can have a jug of warm water to pour over your vagina as your weeing...
salt baths are great for the wound too..

I had one with DD1 - I had 2 salt baths a day and then dried with a hairdryer set on cool :) mine healed great! Hope it feels better soon darl

yep they hurt, mine was fine for the first week, then when it started to heal it was agony. I cant stress enough about salt baths, i would have up to 4 a day just sit in for 5 mins and dry off with the hair dryer was very very soothing. i think they helped me heal quick although it was about 3-4 weeks til i could sit normally, it really ached if i was on my feet too long.
i stood in the shower to pee with our removable shower head aimed at the area to dilute the pee, it just stung way too much on toilet.
hope you are feeling better soon - oh and congrats.

Try those water icebocks in the tubes, wrap them in a chucks cloth and put them in your knickers. I used a squirty sauce bottle in the loo so as I peed you can squirt away. Also you can hold toilet paper over the stiches when you go to the toilet and after #2 just go straight to the shower and wash yourself rather than trying to wipe too much.

Hope your feeling better soon

I didn't have the episiotomy, but what I've used since my grazing and when I have thrush (actually, only once since pg with DS!) was a purified lanolin, as well as Ural, or just loads of water (I know, seems counter productive, but really dilutes that stingy wee!). The lanolin acts like a barrier, but is natural and healing, unlike a petroleum based product like Vaseline.
Also, seconding the frozen tubes! You can use a condom filled with salted water (will freeze quicker, stay frozen longer), or there is a product you can buy from Mothers Direct for post-birth soothing :)

Ice, ural is a must. lay down with a pillow under your butt as often as you can. Keep the area very clean. Don't strain when doing a poo, if you need to, have some metamucal to help keep poo soft.

I didn't do the warm salt bath thing, but probably should have.

I don't have anything to add to the above excellent advice, just a great big hug. I couldn't even believe how painful the episiotomy was. I couldn't walk for weeks, seriously. I think the salt baths felt the best.

But even with how bad mine was (3rd degree tears and episiotomy), it really healed great and doesn't hurt at all anymore. I didn't think it ever would, but its really amazing what our bodies can do!

wow - sorry to say, but, i had no issues with mine at all.
I had ultrasounding treatment done on mine while i was in hospital, about 3 or 4 sessions, maybe that made the difference..
good luck thou, i hope things get better for you soon.

thanks girls, i have some ural so will get into that... it is safe during breastfeeding isnt it?

how do you go about making a salt bath? just usual table salt?

does anyone know if i can take panadene forte while breastfeeding?

mine was feeling ok, but went to the shop yesterday arvo and ever since then it has been killing me.. must have overdone it.

i think i have a few heammaroids too which arent helping in that area! oh god, the things we do for our babies! :-)

hollo i just used cooking salt its cheap at supermarket, i brought a 2kg bag and used heaps i probably overdid the salt if thats possible but it felt so good after - dont worry before you know it you will feel normal again i thought i was going to be sore for the rest of my life but fine now.

Like some of the other girls have said, I used an empty Pump water bottle or one with a sports style pop up lid on it and would squirt salty water as I was weeing. Helped heaps.

Mine healed ok cept that occassionally when I am getting AF or in the first day of AF I feel a lot of pressure where the scar tissue must be. Its a horrid feeling. Hopefully you don't get that, she heals up nicely and you never notice it ever again!

For your roids...try some withhazel lotion on cotton wool, just soak the cotton wool then apply it to the horrible roids and it will give you some comfort and also shrink them back up within a few days. A girlfriend was told to do this by a midwife and it is the best thing I have ever done for the little gremlins!!!

best of luck!

Edited to add: Forgot to say that after showering I would stand with my legs wide apart and sweep the towel in front of me to generate a strong cool breeze that would dry the area off without having to go anywhere near it. Looks odd, but beats the alternative. Or I would use my hairdryer set on cool....but someone already said that yeah?