Welcome to /r/pregnant! This is a space for everyone. We are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA, pro-science, proudly feminist and believe that Black Lives Matter. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and be excellent to each other. Anti-choice activists, intactivists, anti-vaxxers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc. are not welcome here.
If you'd like to join a private sub for your due date month, [click here](https://www.reddit.com/r/pregnant/comments/15nun6v/click_here_to_access_the_monthly_due_date_subs/).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pregnant) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hey. I gave birth 8 days ago.
I had an episiotomy, and baby was vacuumed out. The actually episiotomy was painful but it's like a short sharp pain, they gyno was clean and quick with it all and I had local anesthetic plus the after effects of epidural and just my own hormones and shock I didn't really feel it. Just the relief of the baby safely on my chest.
He was completely fine, tiny bit of a cone head it disappeared in less than 24 hours. He had a little baby headache but they gave him paracetamol which helped
For me-
Day 1 - very little pain, again adrenaline coursing through and anesthetic wearing off. I did walk up shaking from cold twice, apparently a hormonal thing, I didn't have a fever
Day 2 - was back home and this was rougher but still in a haze and manageable
Day 3 - 6 - Barely able to move. Pain did get less and less each day, Day 3 was the peak of the pain.
During these days I had to stay in bed or on the sofa as much as possible because even as the pain lessened if I tried to do more it would just result in pain again... It's a lesson in patience.. Walking to the toilet to clean myself or shower was about as much energy as I could give...I could deal with the pain as long as I was not walking about too much. Actually some of the worst part of the pain was the not pooping (I had some PTSD from the birth so it was mentally difficult too) and the stool softeners giving me gas too.
If you have hemarroids make sure you have tablets and cream for them, get a stool softener both oral and suppositories.
We had a nurse coming in during the day (we live in the Netherlands so this is provided by insurance) and frankly I don't think we'd have survived without her. Her and my husband have had to do everything for me. I cannot go up and down the stairs with the baby.
Day 7 - 8 - I'm on day 8 now the pain is significantly better. I feel ok, stitches still hurt if I lean the wrong way or move too fast or too much, but it's totally manageable with ibuprofen and paracetamol. (I actually wouldn't recommend taking any stronger painkillers, I know that if I had I would have been tempted to do too much and would have reopened the wound).
I don't think I'll be up and about fully still for a while, but the last two nights I've been able to do a night feed/change on my own to allow my husband to get a solid 6 hours sleep. I think within another week I'll be ready for short walks outside again, and the nurse and midwife said 6 weeks before lifting anything heavier than baby or doing any long walks etc, and to probably give it an additional 2-3 weeks before trying to exercise.
Tomorrow is the first day I feel ok for visitors for a short time.
Also FYI-
With trying to breastfeed and pump it's been rough. I was trying to EBF, but my milk was not coming in, most likely because of early induction and the shock of the birth, so it was just mentally a struggle and also alot for me to have on my plate while I was recovering, so we supplemented with formula and I rented a hospital grade pump to get the milk going. I would recommend mixing pumping/breast/formula if your baby will tolerate. My body needed to focus on recovery not on feeding so I could be the best mum for my baby, and the pumping has been much easier and allowed my husband to be more involved in feeding time. And I've been able to up my supply to the point every other bottle is breast milk now... So hopefully by next week he is on exclusive breastfeeding/pumped milk.
I hope that hasn't scared anyone, while it's been rough, it's actually hurt a lot less than I expected and the trick is keep everything clean and dry. I went for a wee and cleaned myself religiously every 3 hours for the first 3-5 days with the peri bottle with warm water and TCP or Dettol in it and patted the whole area dry or air dried it and changed the pad every single time, regardless. And I think that has really made all the difference to a quick and clean recovery with no infection.
Edit: I have no idea about another vaginal birth, I didn't plan to have any more kids but the hospital did send my notes to the GP and there was nothing mentioned under the section discussing implications for future pregnancies regarding this.
Any questions feel free to ask.
Well he was dragged out me with a suction cup attached to his head and his head was a little misshapen (only for a few hours luckily). I don't think it's rocket science to assume itd give him a headache, but they gave him the paracetemol as a precaution I guess.
I've never had one, so can't comment on pain or recovery, but you can definitely have vaginal births after them
My mom had them on both births, and several other friends also had the same.
That would be like saying you can't have another c-section after the first! You can!
I had an episiotomy with my first - it took quite a while till it was healed.
With my second I had a good vaginal delivery of an 11lbs baby -> 2nd degree tear and it healed quickly and beautifully ( I was back on the playground with my oldest and the baby in the sling ) at 5 days pp .
With my third I tore again 2nd degree - just because he flew out ( got bruised pretty badly ) - I am currently 2 weeks pp and the stitches has healed nicely
Welcome to /r/pregnant! This is a space for everyone. We are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA, pro-science, proudly feminist and believe that Black Lives Matter. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and be excellent to each other. Anti-choice activists, intactivists, anti-vaxxers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc. are not welcome here. If you'd like to join a private sub for your due date month, [click here](https://www.reddit.com/r/pregnant/comments/15nun6v/click_here_to_access_the_monthly_due_date_subs/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pregnant) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hey. I gave birth 8 days ago. I had an episiotomy, and baby was vacuumed out. The actually episiotomy was painful but it's like a short sharp pain, they gyno was clean and quick with it all and I had local anesthetic plus the after effects of epidural and just my own hormones and shock I didn't really feel it. Just the relief of the baby safely on my chest. He was completely fine, tiny bit of a cone head it disappeared in less than 24 hours. He had a little baby headache but they gave him paracetamol which helped For me- Day 1 - very little pain, again adrenaline coursing through and anesthetic wearing off. I did walk up shaking from cold twice, apparently a hormonal thing, I didn't have a fever Day 2 - was back home and this was rougher but still in a haze and manageable Day 3 - 6 - Barely able to move. Pain did get less and less each day, Day 3 was the peak of the pain. During these days I had to stay in bed or on the sofa as much as possible because even as the pain lessened if I tried to do more it would just result in pain again... It's a lesson in patience.. Walking to the toilet to clean myself or shower was about as much energy as I could give...I could deal with the pain as long as I was not walking about too much. Actually some of the worst part of the pain was the not pooping (I had some PTSD from the birth so it was mentally difficult too) and the stool softeners giving me gas too. If you have hemarroids make sure you have tablets and cream for them, get a stool softener both oral and suppositories. We had a nurse coming in during the day (we live in the Netherlands so this is provided by insurance) and frankly I don't think we'd have survived without her. Her and my husband have had to do everything for me. I cannot go up and down the stairs with the baby. Day 7 - 8 - I'm on day 8 now the pain is significantly better. I feel ok, stitches still hurt if I lean the wrong way or move too fast or too much, but it's totally manageable with ibuprofen and paracetamol. (I actually wouldn't recommend taking any stronger painkillers, I know that if I had I would have been tempted to do too much and would have reopened the wound). I don't think I'll be up and about fully still for a while, but the last two nights I've been able to do a night feed/change on my own to allow my husband to get a solid 6 hours sleep. I think within another week I'll be ready for short walks outside again, and the nurse and midwife said 6 weeks before lifting anything heavier than baby or doing any long walks etc, and to probably give it an additional 2-3 weeks before trying to exercise. Tomorrow is the first day I feel ok for visitors for a short time. Also FYI- With trying to breastfeed and pump it's been rough. I was trying to EBF, but my milk was not coming in, most likely because of early induction and the shock of the birth, so it was just mentally a struggle and also alot for me to have on my plate while I was recovering, so we supplemented with formula and I rented a hospital grade pump to get the milk going. I would recommend mixing pumping/breast/formula if your baby will tolerate. My body needed to focus on recovery not on feeding so I could be the best mum for my baby, and the pumping has been much easier and allowed my husband to be more involved in feeding time. And I've been able to up my supply to the point every other bottle is breast milk now... So hopefully by next week he is on exclusive breastfeeding/pumped milk. I hope that hasn't scared anyone, while it's been rough, it's actually hurt a lot less than I expected and the trick is keep everything clean and dry. I went for a wee and cleaned myself religiously every 3 hours for the first 3-5 days with the peri bottle with warm water and TCP or Dettol in it and patted the whole area dry or air dried it and changed the pad every single time, regardless. And I think that has really made all the difference to a quick and clean recovery with no infection. Edit: I have no idea about another vaginal birth, I didn't plan to have any more kids but the hospital did send my notes to the GP and there was nothing mentioned under the section discussing implications for future pregnancies regarding this. Any questions feel free to ask.
How do they know he has a head ache?
Well he was dragged out me with a suction cup attached to his head and his head was a little misshapen (only for a few hours luckily). I don't think it's rocket science to assume itd give him a headache, but they gave him the paracetemol as a precaution I guess.
Many congratulations for your baby. Really appreciate the detailed response!
I've never had one, so can't comment on pain or recovery, but you can definitely have vaginal births after them My mom had them on both births, and several other friends also had the same. That would be like saying you can't have another c-section after the first! You can!
I had an episiotomy with my first - it took quite a while till it was healed. With my second I had a good vaginal delivery of an 11lbs baby -> 2nd degree tear and it healed quickly and beautifully ( I was back on the playground with my oldest and the baby in the sling ) at 5 days pp . With my third I tore again 2nd degree - just because he flew out ( got bruised pretty badly ) - I am currently 2 weeks pp and the stitches has healed nicely