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tearing, episiotomies and stitches.......help

Hi ladies

im 35 weeks tomorrow and feeling fairly calm about labour however i am getting myself into a right state at the thought of having to have stitches if i was to tear or have an episiotomy,i lie in bed at night worrying and cant sleep, sometimes getting as little as 2 and a half hours sleep a night.

When expressing my concerns to my mother, instead of giving me reassuring advice she thought it was appropriate to tell me how badly she tore and was crying and screaming in pain as they had to stitch her inside and out. This is typical behaviour from my mom.

Anyway i wondered if any of you ladies have needed stitches and do they give you an anaesthetic to numb the area first? i know i may sound daft but its really stressing me out because i really hate needles.

xx :\?

Replies

  • Hi,
    It's 10 years since I needed stitches, but I can assure you I was given anaesthetic before they did it and i didn't feel a thing. I also had a natural tear and didn't notice that happening, but then your mind will be on other things. Good luck, I can't wait to be in that position again, 30 weeks to go for me!! xx
  • Hiya, i dont even remember if they gave me anathesthtic or anything to numb the area. I remember having gas and air, which i didnt need, but i liked it!! ha ha! Honestly, the stitches were fine, they didnt hurt and are nothing to worry about. You have you baby to keep you occupied anyway. I had second degree tear. The only thing i didnt like was how much it has swollen up down there!! ha ha!! Honestly it is fine! xx
  • hiya, I had an episiotomy and had several stiches. Don't worry about it though hun, I had local anaesthetic and gas and air and didn't feel a thing- honestly. It was a sore afterwards though but thats to be expected after having a natural birth!
  • I was more worried about this that my labour, too!

    I had a slight second degree tear that I didn't feel, and the injected a pain killer and I have gas and air for the stitch. It felt a bit pricky but was okay. Don't forget, you would have just given birth- you will feel invincible!!

    The reality of afterwards is much better than what you would imagine it to be too. I was slightly sore and it stung a bit when I peed, and the first poo was scary, but please don't let it worry you like this as it won't be as bad as you think xx
  • Hi,
    I had a third degree tear so ended up being stitched up in theatre. The actual tearing I didn't notice happening at all - not that there isn't other pain going on in that area! I was stitched up really well and healed nicely.

    It is a bit uncomfortable in the few days following labour but that's inevitable I think! And I was a bit scared about going to the loo for a number 2 but they give laxatives etc to make that as easy as possible and it's fine on your stitches, it's just mentally a bit difficult!

    Good luck! I'm 34 weeks tomorrow and I won't be concerned if I end up tearing again.

    MM
    33+6
  • Hey hun i'm not sure if i tore or had an episiotomy (sp) but didnt feel that at the time anyway, when i had stitchs they gave me a local anestetic (sp) and G&A did feel any pain with it and to be honest after you push out your baby you just dont care about any of that.

    afterwards i didnt feel any pain down there until i went to the toilet but after the first time i lernt to have a jug near by and it wasnt so bad.

    So try not to worry, i know easier said than done but dont always listen to the horror stories just tell yourself that they have a low pain threshold!!!
  • I had a second degree tear, which I didn't feel, when I had my son 19 months ago, and had stitches. I was given a local anaesthetic for the stitches, and gas and air - I could feel slight pulling but no pain (apart form being sore down there from just having given birth!). I was loving the gas and air and the midwife was concerned it meant I was in pain, because you shouldn't be, but I wasn't - but it did distract me from hearing them talking about what they were doing as the midwife was still training to stitch so was talking to a senior midwife about it!
    I found going to the loo afterwards surprisingly ok. I've had no problems from the tear or stitches - I was sore for about a week but I think that's just giving birth!

    [Modified by: *Sunflower81* on February 26, 2010 02:59 PM]

  • Hi, I had an episiotomy when I had my daughter 3 years ago and although I could feel the doctor stiching me up, it didnt hurt as I was injected with anesthetic. Was sore after by again thats to be expected.
    Try not to worry too much hun, im sure you will be fine xxx
  • Honey - i had the exact same fear. I had my DD 27months ago now, and had to be cut twice to get her out. Once i was in labour my fears about that happening actually disappeared as i was focussing so much on my breathing.

    I'm not sure if it's standard practise but before any cuts were made i was given a local anesthetic injection in my lady bits (barely even noticed injection) and didnt feel anything at all when i was cut, if i'd not been told about it i wouldn't have had a clue it had been done.

    I had over 30stitches in my bits, but again the stitches were done under local anaesthetic so didnt feel a thing, the only annoying thing about it was it took about 30mins to be stitched at which point i was desperate to hold my baby!

    My stitches healed without any problems, they were sore for a few weeks but it was wasn't anything i couldn't handle, warm baths and the odd paracetamol helped. Now My bits are as normal as ever, no scarring (or non that i can notice!) and no discomfort.

    I promise you the idea of it really is much worse than the reality XX
  • I had an episiotomy 10 days ago when i had to have an emergency forceps delivery with my dd. I had a complete spinal block so didnt feel a thing. The stitches were uncomfortable for the first few days but i used cool packs in my knickers and took paracetemol regularly which seemed to help. Now, 10 days on, i hardly notice them and they are no longer painful. One thing i would recommend is to drink as much water as possible during labour so your wee is diluted when you go to the toilet! My first wee wasnt painful at all.

    Fingers crossed you won't tear or need to be cut!

    Good luck xxx
  • I had stitches for a 3rd deg tear last time round. Had an anesthetic and didn't feel a thing - Hubby did get to hold the baby first though - that was probably the most traumatic bit about the whole experienceimage This time its my turn to hold the wee one firstimage
  • Try not to worry. I had an episiotomy and I continued to tear too.... I have since had a repair operation (9 months down the line) as I didnt heal well first time around. So even if things dont go to plan it can be fixed!!!
    Also I didnt feel a thing when they were stitching me, just enjoy the pregnancy and stop worrying. Don't let this fear stop you from pushing!
  • I Hun, with my first i was given an episiotomy, which i didnt feel happening and i was given a pain killer before i was stiched up.
    With my second i had a tear and i didn't feel that happen, i wasn't given a pain killer while i was stiched up that time, simply cause i had my dd so quickly i was totally numb down there anyway x
  • Bless you hun i was like this.. its all i thought about.

    Its not nice obviously but you wont care once you have given birth. Just try and put it to the back of your mind xxx
  • As MrsNoName says you'll barely notice once you've given birth and you're holding your baby.... but I was given a local anaesthetic (for a tear, which I didn't feel happening) and didn't feel any pain whilst being stitched, I was just aware of a sort of tugging.

    Please try not to worry, I know it's easier said than done.
  • i had stiches with my first and had no pain relief whilst having them and to be honest i didnt feel a thing i had gone numb from giving birth xx
  • Hey happysausage,

    Glad you have asked this as its worried me somewhat too. I'm 40 wks tmoro so hopefully it won't be long now - its nice to see that the thought of any of these things happening is worse than it really is.

    I discussed it with my mw and she said the only reason people worry so much is because its your bits, if it was anywhere else it would be fine....

    Although i'm worried and think if i have to choose i'd prefer a natural tear, i just keep thinking that i'm gonna be a mummy soon and try and push it to the back of my mind....good luck hun and thanks to everyone for sharing their stories xxx
  • HI ladies and thanks for telling me your stories it has really put my mind at ease and has helped me feel more relaxed about the whole thing.

    xx
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