anyone else still healing?

Kelli - posted on 01/31/2009

i had my son naturally no drugs or interventions on 19th april 08. i tore all the way up my right side of my labia and clitoris, i had 13 stitches and 1 long stitch, i now have alot of scar tissue damage and also a permenant lump which gets painful at times. i also tore my tummy muscles which are still 2cm apart. my son had his hand by his face as he came out as to why i tore so bad. my son was only 6 pound 8 ounces which is relatively small but he still did alot of damage. i believe that everyone just heals when the body is ready if it ever does its been nearly a year and im still no where near healed. i guess its just time and your deffinately not the only one, i no so many people who have had some horrific births too. it makes you think twice about doing it again.

Sarah - posted on 01/31/2009

It really took me 9 months to start feeling like myself again! hang in there..it will get much much better

Jessica - posted on 01/31/2009

LOL... I must admit that you are not the first woman I have heard about feeling tighter down there AFTER birth. Apparantly, its fairly common??

I am from Australia... what about yourself?



I have another question for you mothers... for those who DID tear- Did you use drugs? If so, do you think that because you couldnt feel the birth entirely, that may have caused you to tear?

Danialle - posted on 01/31/2009

Quoting Jessica:

If all of you ladies dont mind, can you tell me where you are from??
I tend to find that the majority of women who have had forceps or vacuum or been cut are from USA....

My daughter got stuck and we had an emergency team in the room about to help pull her out but the midwife was able to move her with her hand at the last minute. I swear it was 3 or 4 minutes with her head half out before she came loose. But still with all of that, and me being a tiny girl myself, I still had no damage. In my birth plan I stated that I wanted perinial (sp?) massage whilst she was coming out to ensure no damage was done...
I also feel tighter down there than what I did before child.

I guess its just kind of interesting to see what factors involved in the birth may have helped or hindered you in any way. Did you all use drugs or go drug free? Was there any perinial massage used? What position did you birth in? etc

I also had a midwife and did a homebirth in water.I had no drugs and didn't have perineal massage. But the water seemed to have helped me to not tear. I birthed using my husband like a birth chair with stirrups. I only pushed for 37 minutes. This was also my first child. I weighed 115lbs when I got prego and 140lbs when I gave birth. I am about 5' tall. My son was 7lbs 6oz  and was 19.5 in long. He was a lot bigger than what they thought he would be. (I was all baby)

I too feel tighter down there than I did before I had my son. I thought it was weird to feel tighter instead of looser. I am glad I am not the only one and don't feel like I am crazy anymore. Where are you from?

Danialle - posted on 01/31/2009

My son was posterior too and he had to be pushed back in by my midwife because his shoulders weren't coming out right. Then I got a labial tear. I didn't tear my perineum luckily though. It took me forever to heal all the way. My perineum still hurts during intercourse even though I didn't tear. I am sorry for your rough birth. Hopefully the next one will be better. Try using panty liners soaked in witch hazel that have been in the freezer or fridge, the coolness helps take out the sting. This really helped me. Cold cabage leaves also helped. You should probably also tell your doc to see if this is normal. Good luck

Penny - posted on 01/31/2009

Golly...sounds just like me, it my son was born in january and it was at least late march before I was not feeling the pain.  My son was 8 lb 11oz and I tore badly I ended up with over 40 interior and exterior stitches. He was vacuumed and forceps twice each and I was literally seconds away from an emergency c-section, when he finally gave way and I had him.

Jessica - posted on 01/30/2009

If all of you ladies dont mind, can you tell me where you are from??

I tend to find that the majority of women who have had forceps or vacuum or been cut are from USA....



My daughter got stuck and we had an emergency team in the room about to help pull her out but the midwife was able to move her with her hand at the last minute. I swear it was 3 or 4 minutes with her head half out before she came loose. But still with all of that, and me being a tiny girl myself, I still had no damage. In my birth plan I stated that I wanted perinial (sp?) massage whilst she was coming out to ensure no damage was done...

I also feel tighter down there than what I did before child.



I guess its just kind of interesting to see what factors involved in the birth may have helped or hindered you in any way. Did you all use drugs or go drug free? Was there any perinial massage used? What position did you birth in? etc

Jessica - posted on 01/30/2009

WOW! OUCH... I am not suprised that you have still not healed... what a huge amount of damage!

Do you have salt baths? I have heard they are great for healing up that area after birth.

Im sorry, I cant be much of a help as I had no damage from my birth. :-S

Jen - posted on 01/30/2009

My dauhgter was almost 8 lbs. and she came out with her elbow by her head and she hadn't turned all the way so I tore. The midwife said it wasn't a bad tear it was just at a weird angle. I ended up with about 7 stitches. Even though it healed pretty quickly I swear sometimes that I feel like it has torn again or stretched or something. I've come to face that fact that it's never going to be the same as before having the baby. 

Jackie - posted on 01/30/2009

i am a small person and had a 9lbs boy (noone expected him to be that big). the dr had to cut me from one opening to the other and use the forceps to get him out after 2 1/2 hours of pushing. i ended up with an infection a week later and at my 6 weeks appt was told to give it another 6 weeks. i think it was about 3 months before i was healed. i do know that tearing is a lot worse that being cut because it is much more difficult to sew up. if your uncomfortable and still worring about it i would definetly go see the doctor and if you dont like what he says get a 2nd oppinion. i also sat in the epsom salt bath (there is a thing you can put on the toilet to sit on) and it helped with irritation and just made it feel better in general.

Sara - posted on 01/30/2009

i had my son Nov 12 also, they had to use the vacuum because he too was posterior with his cord wrapped around his neck twice and leg once. I was healed at my 6 week check up, but i also had the dr cut me instead of letting me tear, although i tore a lil. It does depend on how well you were stitched and all that too, but id say if your still not healed in a month, you need to see the dr to makw sure its all ok.

Julie - posted on 01/30/2009

I had a similar experience. My son was born vaginally on Sept 28. He was a small baby, but I'm a small woman, and he came out with his hand by his head and I had a fourth degree tear. Fortunately, though, I didn't have much pain, and it was healed and looking good at my 6 week check-up. Intercourse with my husband is still a little uncomfortable, but we take it slow and it's getting better. I hope you get better soon!

Dixie - posted on 01/30/2009

i tore my labia too. it burned to pee for 2 months. i had my daughter in oct. 2006 and it still doesn't feel the same down there sometimes. my baby's father thought her neck broke because it popped so loud.

Danna - posted on 01/30/2009

wow...sounds like u had a memorable first birth....i personally tore internally and exteranally with my third child...i really dont remember how long my healing process was but i do remember it was longer than my other three births...i guess many things about the birth can play a role in healing...for example where and how u tore....how u were stitched and even how fast ur body heals..only time can tell...hope u feel better soon.