What are your experiences with tearing or having an episiotomy during birth? What was your recovery like? Anything you did to help ease the pain and to heal faster?
I only got a graze but had a 9lb baby I found sitting down gently or on a pillow or even not directly on ur bottom. The worst part is going to do toilet to do #2. I find folding up some toilet paper and holding the front since it feels like the insides are going to fall out lol tmi sorry Jodie
had an episiotomy. .ice packs were a savior for pain (wasn’t so painful I felt a need for painkillers) and a spray bottle with salt water to keep it clean (and then pat dry) was the best advice from my midwife! Helps to reduce chances of infection and promotes healing! Felt fine after 2 weeks. Deb
I had a small tear inside and small episiotomy outside. I used ice packs at first. Felt very ginger and sorry for myself. Don’t stress about pooing, nothing bad will happen just eat plenty of fibre. I had shallow baths with a big handful of Epsom salts after about a week and they really helped. Anastasia
2nd degree episiotomy the ice packs at the hospital were great for the numbing but afterwards at home I would take a luke warm bath to relax myself for 5 to 10 mins and a week or so after, I would have a sitz bath (aka salt bath – only a few pinches of salt) which helped recovery (dont have a salt bath too early after delivery otherwise your stitches will dissolve too quickly before they have a chance to heal) and keeping my panties as dry as possible after toilets or showers to prevent infection or foul odour. Sorry tmi but gl!! Oh and pelvic floor exercises right after birth was good too, felt stronger below with all that stretching!! Amii
I had a tear on the inside of my vaginal wall when showering id place a folded face washer down there and when I got out of the shower I use to lay in front of a fan to give it a chance of being dried out for a little bet. (Sorry if its to much info) Jennifer
Graze tear that took about 2 weeks to heal with #1. Ice pack in undies in hospital helped swelling. No tearing with #2 water birth and felt normal straight away. Huge difference! Bethany
I had internal tearing with both of my bubs, it only took a couple of weeks to heal and the stitches to fall out. Freeze some thin ice packs or even damped a pad and freeze it then wrap it it will help with the aching! Also you could use a squeezy water bottle to make up a warm salt water wash to clean your stitches while your in the shower or after you go to the toilet. Kerry
I’ve have 2 episiotomies and 2 tears. Tears healed heaps quicker and were far less painful. One tear required stitching, the other didn’t. Manda
I tore really bad they put dissolvable stitches in thank god! Extremely painful for about a month to sit down or lay for the first couple of weeks. When you think about it it goes really quick, but doesn’t feel like it at the time. I just took panadol as needed and they tell u to bath it in warm salt water twice a day. So I just sat in a bath for a little and then had a shower to wash the rest. Making sure i dried well. (This is to help it heal without infection). Your dr will tell you all this anyway I’m still a bit tender though in areas 10 months on. Jacente
I had an episiotomy I put Ice packs on to numb before going to the toilet helps a lot, the midwives told me to shower after I go to the toilet as well and to spray water down there with the water and to use a hair dryer to dry and not to use a towel. Abt two weeks to heal but I’m still a bit tender now 4 mths on. Kara
Episiotomy – My cut was quite large but ‘in a good direction’ apparently, so the stitches etc did not end up near my bottom. Due to the epidural my bladder stopped working so I had to have my catheter in for 4 days. I hated it at the time and made getting in and out of bed annoying, but as I didn’t have to pee myself I was not having to pee past my stitches so they had four days of healing with little to no irritation so that was not particular sore at all. The worse pain for me was a hemorrhoid! Made sitting down so painful and uncomfortable, plus #2 was uncomfortable but the hospital have me lactulose to keep bowl movements soft and that made it more comfortable and then the day I saw the doctor about it she gave me the cream to use and within two applications it was feeling so much better!! And lastly ice packs! Ice everywhere on the under carriage after birth is great!! My recovery was quick, I drove 800kms home 5 days after giving birth and yes I did some of the driving as well. I was up and about walking 3 hours after I had my baby as well (bit shaky on my legs then as the epi was still working) Chloe
I tore pretty bad at the time I didn’t realise though. Afterwards you are sore but you will be sore tear or not after you give birth. At tghe.end of the day no matter how you deliver it is that most amazing experience. Ainsley
Please don’t ask this question you are guaranteed to have a totally different experience to everyone else and you’ll just freak yourself out. I tore and it was fine. Hurts of course but preferable for me to a large surgical scar from a cesarean that I didn’t want good luck and trust your doctor and midwife on pushing it limits tearing and can avoid it completely. Ange
Recovery was fine after episiotomy. Had 2-3 salt baths a day and that helped. Witch hazel on sanitary pads and in the freezer were great also. Also used wet wipes instead of toilet paper. Anna
had one with my first baby. He was posterior delivery. I used ice packs in my pads in hospital for 5 days and then i just showered twice a day (used the shower head on low and warm temp to clean down there) mine was healed and i couldn’t feel the disolvable stitches after 2 weeks. Tried having sex 3 weeks postpartum, still sensitive, after 6 weeks it was fine, felt a bit tighter than normal for about 3 months actually. Marrissa
I used something called EPI NO . It is used from 36 or so wks and you used it to stretch yourself prior to labour. I had No tearing, stitches or grazes. Jenna
I had episiotomy with bub #2 and had a second degree tear with bub #3. I recovered quicker from the tear. Less swelling and less discomfort. Kylie
Horrible 3b degree tear! Putting ice inside a sanitary pad to numb helped a lot and I did this for 2 weeks or more. Panadol and Nurofen for 2 weeks or more. I was told to wash it every time I went to the toilet, I bought one of those hose connections for the bath but another method is fill a squeezie bottle with water and flush yourself with it. I was still experiencing some pain and discomfort 6-8 months later and a women’s health nurse from the local community centre told me to massage the scar with pure vitamin E cream. Only recently can I say that I don’t feel any discomfort, from ny baby being about 10 months old. Not fun but that was a severe tear so not sure how minor ones go. Michelle
I had a massive episiotomy 4 weeks ago. No pain at all anymore and all healed. Salt baths help healing but should wait a week before having one (I only had 1 and did it 2.5 weeks after). For the first week keep up with panadol and nurophen. Try to spend some of the day laying down to take pressure off. And have a spray bottle of water and spray after going to the toilet and pat dry to keep the area clean. It’s really not as bad as a lot of people make it out to be Gennevieve
2nd degree tear. lost 2 litres of blood and needed a blood transfusion. took 3months revovery. take benefibre, eat all bran, drink loads of water. buy a butt donut to sit on, panadol n nurofen. lay on your side not on your bum. I got internal and external stitches and it was the internal that created the most pain. also see a gynecologist if you don’t feel its right down there. Danena
I had third degree tear, nearly fourth degree, had a lot of stitches was being stitched for two hours! The recovery was quite painful to sit and get comfortable without feeling tender and like your stretching your stitches. Passing a bowel movement for the first time was horrible! Most likely felt better after about 4 weeks but intercourse has never been the same, still very uncomfortable more than 6 months later. Skye
2nd degree tear. Lots of stitches. Bit sore for a week then tender for a bit longer. Took Panadol for a few days. Bethanie
I tore with having my son I recovered in just over a week all I can say is sit down slowly and insteadt of wiping down there dab it so u dont break the stitches Demi
I had an episiotomy, took Panadol semi regularly for a week and haven’t had any pain since. I had one of those shower hoses (like at the hospital) at home and found that helped. Keep everything down there as clean and dry as possible, and pat dry instead of rubbing. Sarah
I had an episiotomy at my first birth and tear at my second. Recovery was no problem with both. Make sure to keep the area clean and dry Row
use water to poor down while going to the toilet I got cut from a-b the recovery took about 6 weeks 10 weeks on I’m feeling better but still can get sore Jayne
I had an episiotomy and wasn’t in too much pain afterwards, just uncomfortable. I found the scar took some time to heal, about 3 months. I saw a Women’s Physio. You can do laser therapy (my scar had healed before I found out about this). Samantha
I have third degree tears when I gave birth. Then pain was controlled with Panadol and took about a week to heal. Tegan
tore, (too rapid crowning) but a donut cushion and witch hazel helps lots, and air drying Beck
I had a episiotomy when I have birth. I found that I’ve packs “down there” helped a lot with swelling and helps you relax, as for the pain I just kept taking painkillers and also laying on my side and sitting on an angle helped a lot. Jamiie
Share your experience with tearing or episiotomy in pregnancy in the comments below
What are your experiences with tearing or having an episiotomy during birth? What was your recovery like? Anything you did to help ease the pain and to heal faster?
