All you ladies who had an episiotomy, how long did it take for you guys to heal.
Did you do anything to help speed up the process.
I am having troubles with bowel movement because of the sutures and I can’t walk too far without screaming out in pain… everyone at the hospital told me that things would be better around the one week mark…i’m at that point but no signs of relief…
i had this and it took 7 weeks in total to completely heal
what helps is to fill the bath up with warm water and add salt and sit in it for about 10 mins. that will help the healing process. this is the only thing that helped me.
Re: Episiotomy healing time and process
definately warm water with salt... even after you poo or pee.. wash ureself with warm water.. not hot scaling but warmer than just lukewarm.
also.. make sure you dont have haemmroids... i didnt get an episiotmy but i did get stitches down there... i would get sharp pains now and then and i thought it was just the stitches.. but then ithought i will let my mom take a look and she tells me i have haemmroids... i got somethign to put up my bum and they were gone in 3 days as well as the pain
so get it checked out.. :)
no haemorroids...... alhamdulillah .... its definitely the stitches that are making me scream... and everyone told me 7 days...it is the *#$%#% 7th day....
I ahd episotomy... My cousin told me that pain was unbearable and told me to put luke warm water and add payodine in it and put your bottom for sometime tehre in.
I, however, alhamdolilah didnt have any such unbearable pain (or maybe i have pain all over my body). doc gave me a tube to apply named 'mycitacin'(check spellings) and that worked really well
Re: Episiotomy healing time and process
automne77,
if you live in the US, try using Dermoplast spray, you can get this at any Walgreens/ Walmart, etc. costs around $7 . When you use the spray try to spray the area completely by lifting your leg... it heals faster.
For constipation try using the all natural : Isabgol (around $4) can find at any Indian stores.
Both helped me very much. I hope you recover soon...I know what you are going thru.
Take care.
Re: Episiotomy healing time and process
I had the episiotomy with my first one .... no it does not get better in 7 days, it took me at least 3 weeks to be able to sit without feeling the awful awful pain. It was so bad during the first week, I took prescription strength Motrin throughout.
The dermoplast spray recommended by Ayesh is great, it helped me a lot.
Sitz baths are also good, but with a hungry yelling baby and me being a zombie with no sleep, I didn't have enough time to use those that much.
All in all, it took about 4 weeks for the pain to ease up and I took about 6-7 weeks to heal completely.
If you don't like Ispaghol (i gag on it usually), try Miralax.... its very good.
Re: Episiotomy healing time and process
Allow me to put my Dr's hat on...
Depending on the depth and length of the episiotomy, it will NOT usually take 7 days if it's a big one. 7-10 days is when the stitches should dissolve, but usually this is when they START to dissolve. Sitting in salt baths are usually advised by many, but some Dr's say this can have an effect on stitches making them dissolve quicker than they should - debatable. Salt baths or warm water baths with some tea tree or lavender oils may help. It is likely that the water rather than the oils have a soothing effect.
Take pain killers - any that suit you.
Use a large jug of water everytime you use the loo.
Sit on a cushion or cushioned surface.
Stool softeners are your best friend - they are not actually proper laxatives.(Lactalose preferred here in the UK).
Above all, rest and take it easy as much as is possible, it will take time, but it will heal!