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Question about stitches



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 28th 04, 06:49 PM
Jill
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Default Question about stitches

I have quite a few stitches (vaginally), they are the kind that dissolve...I
have never had this kind before. It's been 3 weeks and they are still there
(of course)....I am just wondering, how long do they remain before they do
dissolve? I am so afraid they are going to itch as it heals more. As it is,
I am still very sore in the area. There is not ONE chance I'd not follow the
"6 week rule", because...ouch! In fact I am wondering if it will not still
be sore at the 6 week mark because that's just in 3 more weeks. I can't
believe it takes this long to heal....or at least, I can't believe it still
hurts this bad after 3 weeks. I have not taken pain medication since the
first week except for the occasional Motrin.

By the way, I highly recommend stool softeners. My first BM about 3 days
postpartum was not too bad, but after that I was more constipated, and that
caused the WORST pain I have ever had. I thought stitches were ripping out-
not while using the bathroom, just in general....I literally screamed in
pain for 3-4 days. Narcotics didn't help at all because it was a really
sharp pain like a bee sting, The dr told me that the tear cut through my
vaginal muscles, and pregnancy/hormones caused me to have hard stools and
that was putting pressure on the muscles. Anyway the pain was spasmy, and it
felt JUST like a hornet stinging me up inside..I swear, the most miserable 3
days of my life. They ended up having me drink a bottle of magnesium citrate
and that took 2 days but it stopped the problem.

I don't know why, but I requested stool softners in the hosptial but the
midwives told me not to take them, just take a laxative 3 days postpartum if
I hadn't gone to the bathroom by then. I still started taking stool
softeners the day I got home but evidently it was too late to prevent. I
swear that hurt, I thought for sure the stitches were coming loose.

Anyway I am surprised I still hurt now.


  #2  
Old May 28th 04, 08:10 PM
Nikki
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Default Question about stitches

Jill wrote:
I have quite a few stitches (vaginally), they are the kind that
dissolve...I have never had this kind before. It's been 3 weeks and
they are still there (of course)....I am just wondering, how long do
they remain before they do dissolve?


I don't really know, I never checked. I think I stopped feeling anything
like stitches around 4 weeks.

I am so afraid they are going to
itch as it heals more.


Probably :-) Do you take baths? Those are nice.

There is not ONE chance I'd not follow the "6 week rule",
because...ouch! In fact I am wondering if it will not still be sore
at the 6 week mark because that's just in 3 more weeks.


I wasn't ready at 6 weeks. Do what feels good and stop if it hurts. Do
yourself a favor and buy stock in Astroglide...and use it liberally ;-)

--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (5) and Luke (3)


  #3  
Old May 29th 04, 04:13 PM
Leslie
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Default Question about stitches

Jill said:

Anyway I am surprised I still hurt now.


I was too! I had three sections before my VBAC and I had this impression I
would just leap from the bed feeling great when it was all over. Not! I had
to sit on cushions for a LONG while--longer than three weeks. And I was also
not ready for action at the six week mark--in fact, I suffered pain in that
area for months. The good news is that eventually it did all get better and go
back to normal.

I think recovery time varies based on how much you tear--I had an episiotomy
and three tears, one of them quite bad.

Leslie


  #4  
Old May 30th 04, 09:00 AM
Samantha
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Default Question about stitches



Jill wrote:

I have quite a few stitches (vaginally), they are the kind that dissolve...I
have never had this kind before. It's been 3 weeks and they are still there
(of course)....I am just wondering, how long do they remain before they do
dissolve?


I had one hour's worth of stitching done, many vaginal. The doctor's
had a grand time telling me that they were rebuilding me from the inside
out. At the time, thanks to an epidural, I was amused. Six weeks later
however...

Anyway, at my six week appointment, I still had stitching that had not
dissolved and still hurt quite a bit. They scheduled another appt. for
eight weeks post partum and kept me off "all activity." Around seven
weeks the pain just POOF...disappeared. At the eight week appt all of
the stitching had dissolved and I felt like a human being again!
(Except for lack of sleep, naturally! I vaguely remember sleeping over
three hours at a time in a previous life. ;-)

The only thing that worked for me was wearing clothes that were as loose
as possible. Nothing that rubbed the crotch area worked....skirts,
baggy sweats and shorts, etc. Jeans were hell til around 7 weeks
after. Baths were super comforting as well. I, too, didn't take any
pain medication. Never even filled the script they gave me, which was
probably foolish. A little Motrin would have taken the edge off.
  #5  
Old June 5th 04, 05:56 AM
melbgal1
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Default Question about stitches

In article , Jill
says...
I have quite a few stitches (vaginally), they are the kind that dissolve...I
have never had this kind before. It's been 3 weeks and they are still there
(of course)....I am just wondering, how long do they remain before they do
dissolve?


Not sure, but mine were gone by my 6wk checkup. No itching for me.

snip

I can't believe it still hurts this bad after 3 weeks.


From my experience, this should be your last week of pain.


By the way, I highly recommend stool softeners. My first BM about 3 days
postpartum was not too bad, but after that I was more constipated, and that
caused the WORST pain I have ever had. I thought stitches were ripping out-
not while using the bathroom, just in general....I literally screamed in
pain for 3-4 days.


My sympathies. I had to use suppositries {{ yuk }} (
I am too scared to get off the Metamucil


--
Proudly presenting Bébé B
Born 20.Apr.2004
 




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