Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

Geez girls, I'm a mess! Thank goodness you are all so patient and supportive.

BTW - Riley is doing better. She was super fussy this morning, but she went to the doc, was nice and alert and the doc is very encouraged. Her color is definitely improving. Thanks SO MUCH for all the advice!

So anyway...I'm really struggling with my recovery. I feel like it is really abnormal at this point. I take motrin for the discomfort...helps somewhat. I have so much discomfort getting up and sitting down- I'm unsure whether it's my stitches or hemorrhoids. Is it harder to recoup from a natural tear than an episiotomy? I wonder if that's the issue...

Also, I'm taking colace for the hemorrhoids...but seriously, I'm so tense every time I go. I'm literally scared to go into that room. I'm not successful and I feel so stopped up...TMI sorry. I'm taking colace, but only one a day- I don't remember if they told me how long I can take it and how often. And the sitz bath is pointless - for one thing, I'm so tense on it and can't get comfortable...and just about then is when the baby gets fussy and DH has trouble calming her down.

I had this baby Tuesday night- everyone said you feel better each day, but I'm not sure I'm getting any better. And I feel so guilty because I think it makes me less of a mommy to be feeling so awful all the time. Makes me get frustrated a lot easier.

Any tips? Has anyone else struggled with an awful recovery from a vaginal delivery?

Thank you all SO MUCH again! Honestly, I have no idea what I'd do without you!

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

Well first off... It WILL get better

Second... I had an episiotomy with my 1st and a natural tear with my 2nd and I will say say that my recovery was 1000x worse with the natural tear. It felt like it took forever and the littlest movement would hurt so bad.

But it did get better after about 2 weeks or so.

As far as the BM... I found that the more i tensed up and became anxious about going the more it hurt. I had to help myself calm down and relax and it got better.

HTH

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

i had an episiotomy but my dr did a bad job sewing me up and i had a hematoma. i was in pain for probably almost 2 weeks. going to the bathroom was HORRIBLE, i didnt go for a week at least! and when i did i sat there crying freaking out, i throught maybe the dr sewed me up too tight or something i used that foam and witch hazel wipes they gave me, that worked a little bit. It does eventually get better, it just takes some time. Hang in there

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

It was at least 2 weeks before I felt better. I had a second degree tear as well as hemorrhoids. Definitely take a stool softener and don't strain. Let it happen naturally, to avoid hurting yourself further. Also, my doctor gave me these creams that I used for both the tear and the hemorrhoids that help numb the area.

BTW, I wasn't using motrin, I was taking Hydrocodone due to how difficult MY labor was. I had torn muscles in my back as well as the above injuries. Why do I want to do this again? LOL

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

I remember it being hard. I did have a natural tear as well. Keep up with the Motrin, when I forgot to take it on schedule, the pain was bad. And for the "going" part, Metamucil was my favorite drink for a while. And it really helped. Hang in there!

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

Awww first off

I remember those days - for me it was such a shock - after a relatively easy pregnancy and delivery I was really shocked at how difficult the pp recovery period was - I find its something not too many people talk about so i was unprepared.

For me I had a REALLY rough time BF and the pain was unbearable so that really overshadowed my pain from my tear so I can't really remember how long b/f I felt better. I do remember the sitz bath was a TREMENDOUS help - if you can get DH or someone to stay with DC so its like a break for you - even for 10 min a day I think it will make a difference - take the phone or a book with you to help take your mind off things.

As for the hemmroid situation - if the pain persists or if at any point you see blood I would mention it to the OB - I assumed what I had was hemmroids from pushing (since I didn't have any during pregnancy or b/f) but, it turned out I had gotten a fissure from the pushing (a tear you know where ) and the symptoms are very similar. Had I realized early on that is what it was it would have saved me ALOT ALOT ALOT of pain!

Also prune juice b/c my best friend - its gross but, its all that worked

Hope you feel better soon - and, I promise you - you will - one day you will feel like your old self again I promise!

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

I tore, almost a 4th degree and I felt worse as the days went on instead of a little better everyday. By about 5-7 days PP I couldnt take the pain anymore, it was worse than labor and was excrutiating. The script meds werent doing anything. Anyway, I called my OB and she had me come in.....she checked out my stitches and it turned out I had hematoma, I dont remember the correct term. Needless to say it was a giant blood clot on the interior side of my stitches which was putting pressure on them. My OB popped it and I IMMEDIATELY felt relief and better. So if you are getting worse instead of better as the days go on. Definitely worth a call. I wish I had called sooner, wouldve saved myself from days on not being able to walk, sit, stand, lay down.

Message edited 7/5/2009 6:45:21 PM.

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

I felt the same way (and just went through it)...I only started being able to sit and stand without extreme pain a week after delivery. My doctor said 2 colace a day, so that's what I am doing, and it really helps--I'd say up to 2--1 in morning, one at night.

For the pain, the nurses also gave me tucks pads to put on top of the sanitary napkins--it helps numb the area for a bit. They also gave me a numbing spray that helps for temporary relief.

Other than that, after a week I stopped taking painkillers and felt much better. Up to that point, it was very painful all the time. Even now, if I sit some ways it is painful.

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

Thank you all sooo much. Taking the 2nd colace seems to have helped. This is going to be a HORRIBLE TMI question but...when you take the colace, do you always flush out, and feel that muscular release, if you know what I mean? I feel that just about every time I go...but last time I didn't and wow what a difference. I'm hoping that's how it should be.

I'm gonna have DH buy some metamucil tomorrow and eeeew prune juice. I'll do anything to feel better again.

How do I know if I tore any more than I already did? At what point should I call my doc?

TIA!!

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

Every day it got a little easier. I felt that the sitz bath was made a huge difference in the recovery. No I wasn't comfortable in it but there is a reason they recommend it. Definitely eased things.

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

Theres also a cream they gave me to put on down there that really helped.. If you go to the drug store and ask them for dermablast its for burns they gave that to me also. That one is a spray. The sitz bath really did help me I would try that again....

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

I had a 3rd degree tear into my sphincter muscle and then vestibulitis on top of it- and fissures....I was a mess...I am just now feeling back to normal and I am 4 1/2 months pp. I am on some meds and it has helped a lot!

So, yes the recovery is difficult but it will get better! Good luck!

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

Posted by TaraGotHutched

Thank you all sooo much. Taking the 2nd colace seems to have helped. This is going to be a HORRIBLE TMI question but...when you take the colace, do you always flush out, and feel that muscular release, if you know what I mean? I feel that just about every time I go...but last time I didn't and wow what a difference. I'm hoping that's how it should be.

I'm gonna have DH buy some metamucil tomorrow and eeeew prune juice. I'll do anything to feel better again.

How do I know if I tore any more than I already did? At what point should I call my doc?

TIA!!

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

Ugh --I know how you feel! Dermablast is the only thing that made it bearable! I tore too, and it did hurt for a few weeks, but it got better. I hope you feel better soon!

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

it will get better!!!!!!



i agree with the ap, i would stick to the stool softeners rather than actual laxatives. you don't need to go more often, you just need your stool to pass through more easily, kwim?

you can take much more colace than one daily - i would try taking more.

i don't have experience with tearing, but i do remember having a very hard time getting up from sitting/lying down for a couple weeks because my pelvic muscles were weak...

i don't think it can hurt to call the doc and tell him/her how much pain you're in. like an ap said, you could have something like a clot that could be easily treatable.

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

i had an awful recovery. I was sore for weeks. literally 5 weeks.

The hemmoroids o god, i had them for 10 weeks.

I never thought it was going to get better down there.

I was scared every time i went to the bathroom, i had to ease myself onto the bowl and off.

I had to ease myself into chairs, couches, you name it.

I am not looking forward to being sore again after baby #2

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

I still had a lot of discomfort for a few weeks after. The first week, I was only able to sit on my bed. The second week-- only in one particular chair, etc. By 4 weeks-- I had little to no discomfort. I had a natural tear as well. It does take time-- just try to rest and you'll feel better. And the pooping will get easier too!!

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

I had a pretty bad tear. Alexa came out with her hand on her cheek


My midwives game me an ointment called Dibucaine that helped. I also used a special herbal remedy that was prepared when I was in labor to use in the spray bottle when I went to the bathroom and on my pads which were frozen. Supposedly it helps you heal pretty quickly. I think I was uncomfortable the first 2 weeks and then it gradually got better.

Ibuprofen is your friend and this was coming from my midwives who are NOT into medicine at all!!!

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

I had a rough recovery also... I had a 2nd degree tear and then had hemmoroids for weeks.

The foam doughnut helped a little, the dermablast helped too (I think that was what it was called), and the tucks pads.

Also, the nurses put ice inside the sleeve of a diaper (wierd I know) and had me sit on it - that seemed to help too.

And ibuprofen!

It WILL get better. I too never thought I would see the day, but by 6 weeks, I finally felt okay "down there"!

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

tara i hope you feel better! and riley is so cute!

i read all of the boards and you guys are scaring me!

i can't wait to get settled so we can start on a family of our own - the only things that scares me about pregnancy is getting an episiotomy and/or tearing - the labor and birth i'm ok with - but afterwards that worries me - i get keloids so i am so afraid of scarring issues whether vaginal or c-section....so everytime i see posts like this, i read them and then i get nervous!

but anyway, i'm really just crashing to say i hope you feel better soon! i think its great that we have this site to chat about these things - b/c it's things like this that not many people talk about - and it's also great that i can scare myself!

but anyways, congrats on the baby!! and get well soon!!

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

Posted by nov04libride

Posted by Nik211
i can't wait to get settled so we can start on a family of our own - the only things that scares me about pregnancy is getting an episiotomy and/or tearing - the labor and birth i'm ok with - but afterwards that worries me - i get keloids so i am so afraid of scarring issues whether vaginal or c-section....so everytime i see posts like this, i read them and then i get nervous!

well, on the bright side, the tearing was nothing compared to my 40 hours of labor and 4 hours of pushing! i had 2nd degree tears.

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

I started to feel better after 2 weeks. Natural tear and was definitely petrified of the bathroom. Bathing with epsom salts and lavender oil every day for about ten minutes definitely helped me feel better. I also sat on that stupid blow up donut they give you at the hospital for quite awhile! Hang in there - you will feel better!

Re: Vaginal delivery moms - recovery?

i teared and hadve hemmoroiads....DS is one week old...doc told me to use the sitz bath...but it hurts so bad to sit there....i'm so uncomfy....so i get up after 5 minutes...i think i've only done it 4 times! they gave me i think dibucaine ointment...does nothing for me...also gave my some spray mousse, i think i'll try that or witch hazel/tucks pads for my roids...peeing is still not the same for me...i cant pee...i usually have to wait till it builds up...i do tkake colace and motrin....i still have my hobbit feet...