Recovering from episiotomy

[dslojkowski]

I delivered my beautiful daughter, Teri, on Tuesday morning after a rather difficult labor. The doctor had to perform an episiotomy all the way back to my rectum and use the forceps because she was facing out instead of in. Now I've got nasty hemmoroids and don't seem to have much rectal control (kind of gross, sorry). Also, I'm really stretched out from the forceps. Will Kegel exercises help me get back to normal? I'm sure they'll help with the rectal thing, but I'm not going to be all stretched out forever, right?????

 

[Gayla]

I didn't have an episiotomy when my daughter was born, but I had a third-degree tear that was very hard to repair. I was very stretched out at first. But Kegels helped a lot. By the time I went for my six-week checkup, I was almost completely back to normal.

I know it seems hard to believe at three days postpartum, but your body will be back to (almost) normal someday.

-- Gayla

 

[Sheila]

Do those kegels!!!!

Congratulations on the birth of your baby. Yes, doing kegels will make a world of difference. You will not be "stretched out" forever. Muscles have memory and your kegel muscles will "remember."

Take care and keep us posted. Believe me, you are not alone.

Sheila Watkins

 

[Mandy Lee]

Some advice

Congratulations on your new baby!!

On one of my birth's, I had to have 22 stitches because of my big baby boy's shoulder got stuck and it was so so sore!! The best thing to do is soak!soak!soak! Do you have a sitz bath? It sit's on the toilett and you can sit there and soak. It feels so good on the perineum area and also those dreaded hemmoroids. If you don't have a sitz bath, get in the tub as often as you can. It really helps the area to heal fast. Tucks also helped with the hemmoroids. You will heal, it just takes time I'm sorry about how hard your labor went but just think, it's over and you did it! You made it through the hardest part. I have to do it soon. Today is my due date and I think I may be in labor)

Mandy Lee

 

[dslojkowski]

Thanks all!

Thanks for the reassurance. I kind of knew that Kegels would work, but I just needed someone who has been through it to tell me. Before the birth I was doing over 200 a day, now it's a challenge just to do 50, but it's getting better.

Hope everything went well for you, Mandy!

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Congratulations!

How precious, a baby girl. I'm so excited for you. I hope you and baby Teri are doing well and you are having a little more relief down there these days. Take Care!