Hi Hun, Don't worry about the moan. I thought my HV was pretty useless yesterday as well - she just kept refering me to the GP! Everything i asked her she just said 'well some babies bla bla bla' Although I'm not crying a lot I feel very down at the moment and quite lonely in between visitors (of which there are lots this week!) Jasmine is 2.5 weeks old and I'm just trying to get my confidence to go out by myself etc but finding it really hard and find myself worrying about it....silly i know. Re stitches - I had an episiotomy and my stitches are generally not sore anymore - so i would get yours checked my someone as it has now been 4weeks - they may not be dissolving properly and may need removing. You are soo not alone with these feelings. Sorry if I've not been much help...but know what you are going through... S XX
Aw hun dont worry about the HV. Mines is pretty good at giving advice but she constantly makes me feel like I have post natal depression even though I have no signs and feel fine, I told her that I had the odd day where I felt tired and down but only because Olivia was having so much trouble with her colic and reflux.
I had an epistomy and had a lot of stitches that go the whole way back, I am almost 8 weeks on and still very tender and swollen. I spoke to my gp at the 6 week check and she said it is normal and you can find yourself still sore for a few months after the birth.
No she didnt bother looking, she was talking about smear tests and I told her I wasnt ready for one and she advised against it, she said there is still a lot of repairing has to go on and a lot of girls results where coming back abnormal. I told her I was still really uncomfortable, then she asked about contraception and I told her there was really no need to worry about that at the moment, im too sore and she said it was really common and it can take its time healing.
I havent started Olivia on the bonjela yet, she is still constantly chewing her hand and dribbling but it doesnt seem to bother her too much at the minute! Thankfully.
Your HV does sound quite unhelpful. I can't believe some of the stuff she has come out with- the swimming baths etc. Is there a chance you can visit your GP and chat things over with them? Alison & Lily (6 weeks) xx
Oh hun, it is completely normal to need a rant and a cry!! Geez... I have been doing that this week.
Im not sure what the hv are supposed to do either.. still working that out but Ive only had one visit so far (yesterday) and Brody is 26 days old today. Mine is very scatty and I didnt really click with her at all BUT I am thankful that she got the ball rolling for me yesterday and Im finally getting some help with our problems. She also phoned me today to follow up and give me more help. I was in tears yesterday as I had reached the point of despair by the time she came, so she too talked to me about PND.. seems like standard procedure. I declined the offer to put me on to a psychologist. I just need someone to help me help Brody as Im so down with him being in so much pain all the time (I cry whenever I see anyone cry so when it's my own son Im an absolute mess!! together with being absolutely exhausted from it all).
As for the stitches.. I too had a 2nd degree tear (internal) and some grazing (external) so had 2 stitches. One popped out after a week and my mw checked this eve and said the other had now come away too, which she said was because I had an infection (Ecoli - which was then treated with anti-biotics last week). I was uncomfortable with the infection (lots of discharge and stitches still stung when I went to wee) but have been good since it cleared up on the anti-biotics. I dare not take a look down there, especially after my mw said this eve that since the infection made the other stitch come away things arent as closed as they were with the stitch. She said its fine but its not her lady bits!! Im too scared to look but then I think well, maybe I won't tear next time. I read on another post somewhere, in Baby I think, about someone having fanny farts from their incident / healing. That horrifies me as I felt one going to the loo the other day :x (sorry TMI there).
No one told us the truth about how un glamourous this all is did they! Sim if I can offer you some advice - DO NOT LOOK YET!! You have enough on at the moment without putting yourslef through that - I had a bit of a feel in the bath (TMI!) and then got brave and decided to look - BIG MISTAKE!! Its not a sight that needs to be seen whilst our emotions are all over the place!!
A friend of mine who is also a peadiatrician said that after giving birth to her son the bruising/swelling alone was horrific to look at and that took 8 weeks to go down and thats normal- so that made me feel better. I am wondering if I have an infection as I seem to be getting a lot of yukky discharge - how did the doc diagnose it? Did they do a swab or just take your word for it and give you the antibiotics? I'm at the GPs on Tues so I'm hoping they will have a look and tell me everything is doing ok or fix her!!
I never know I was so attached to my lady bits but I kind of want them to be back to normal now!!
It's apparently not normal to be getting discharge, so that was a sign for me. It wasnt off colour (ie green) or smelly though - but if it is then this is a sure sign of an infection. Also, I wasnt red (like inflammation) either, but again this is a sure sign. I had the gp take a swab and he prescribed me antibiotics that werent supposed to affect bf. Then he sent it off to be tested and said he would call if I had an infection (which he didnt :evil: - I only found out when I took Brody to the gp last Friday and it was mentioned in the referral to the paed team at the hospital since I had taken antibiotics).
I don't think I will look, not for a while yet. When I am feeling game enough to go anywhere near sex again I may ask hubby (and he will probably lie!!)
Replies
Don't worry about the moan. I thought my HV was pretty useless yesterday as well - she just kept refering me to the GP! Everything i asked her she just said 'well some babies bla bla bla' Although I'm not crying a lot I feel very down at the moment and quite lonely in between visitors (of which there are lots this week!) Jasmine is 2.5 weeks old and I'm just trying to get my confidence to go out by myself etc but finding it really hard and find myself worrying about it....silly i know. Re stitches - I had an episiotomy and my stitches are generally not sore anymore - so i would get yours checked my someone as it has now been 4weeks - they may not be dissolving properly and may need removing. You are soo not alone with these feelings. Sorry if I've not been much help...but know what you are going through... S XX
I had an epistomy and had a lot of stitches that go the whole way back, I am almost 8 weeks on and still very tender and swollen. I spoke to my gp at the 6 week check and she said it is normal and you can find yourself still sore for a few months after the birth.
xx
I havent started Olivia on the bonjela yet, she is still constantly chewing her hand and dribbling but it doesnt seem to bother her too much at the minute! Thankfully.
Alison & Lily (6 weeks) xx
xx
Im not sure what the hv are supposed to do either.. still working that out but Ive only had one visit so far (yesterday) and Brody is 26 days old today. Mine is very scatty and I didnt really click with her at all BUT I am thankful that she got the ball rolling for me yesterday and Im finally getting some help with our problems. She also phoned me today to follow up and give me more help. I was in tears yesterday as I had reached the point of despair by the time she came, so she too talked to me about PND.. seems like standard procedure. I declined the offer to put me on to a psychologist. I just need someone to help me help Brody as Im so down with him being in so much pain all the time (I cry whenever I see anyone cry so when it's my own son Im an absolute mess!! together with being absolutely exhausted from it all).
As for the stitches.. I too had a 2nd degree tear (internal) and some grazing (external) so had 2 stitches. One popped out after a week and my mw checked this eve and said the other had now come away too, which she said was because I had an infection (Ecoli - which was then treated with anti-biotics last week). I was uncomfortable with the infection (lots of discharge and stitches still stung when I went to wee) but have been good since it cleared up on the anti-biotics. I dare not take a look down there, especially after my mw said this eve that since the infection made the other stitch come away things arent as closed as they were with the stitch. She said its fine but its not her lady bits!! Im too scared to look but then I think well, maybe I won't tear next time. I read on another post somewhere, in Baby I think, about someone having fanny farts from their incident / healing. That horrifies me as I felt one going to the loo the other day :x (sorry TMI there).
xx
A friend of mine who is also a peadiatrician said that after giving birth to her son the bruising/swelling alone was horrific to look at and that took 8 weeks to go down and thats normal- so that made me feel better. I am wondering if I have an infection as I seem to be getting a lot of yukky discharge - how did the doc diagnose it? Did they do a swab or just take your word for it and give you the antibiotics? I'm at the GPs on Tues so I'm hoping they will have a look and tell me everything is doing ok or fix her!!
I never know I was so attached to my lady bits but I kind of want them to be back to normal now!!
Sorry for the amount of TMI in that post!!
xx
I don't think I will look, not for a while yet. When I am feeling game enough to go anywhere near sex again I may ask hubby (and he will probably lie!!)
xx