If you had tear and stitches

[Y Thingy]

Did you feel it when they're stitching you up? I got two shots down there after giving birth before they started repairing. I'm not sure if it's working properly or not but I felt most of the stitching and they hurt a lot. The area was numb after everything was done, though. Maybe they're just too impatient to wait? Or they didn't give me something strong enough to work fast enough? I complained about the pain and they handed baby to me and asked me to focus on my new baby and not to think about the pain. :(

I'll definitely ask my midwife about this. Just wondering what others' experience are.

[hunter]

That's so sad!:( My midwife uses superglue instead of stitches for small repairs, and I've been lucky enough to not need stitches. But I know that she gives a shot and then waits while Mom BFs before getting started. I'd probably tell them it hurts and they can come back later when I'm numb!

[Irie]

I had a small tear and needed two stitches. They didn't give me anything to numb me and I couldn't focus on the baby since he had just been taken to the NICU. I'd say it was the most painful part of the birth.

[DoulaAmanda]

I had more stitches than the dr would count, so I have no idea how *many* but I know it took around an hour and a half to sew me back together (which they did not do correctly :( ). I was not given ANY pain medicine for it, and was in truly excruciating pain for the entire thing. :mad:

Definitely ask them about it and make sure you are fully numbed before they begin (if you even need stitches this time).

[KimberlyAnn]

I had to have quite a bit of stitches when I had ds... I tore and had an episiotomy. They numbed me and it didn't hurt at all. Well while they were doing it anyway! ;) It hurt for quite a bit afterward.

[LillyJ]

I had a pretty bad tear and nothing to numb it before the stitches. My midwife told me that it was completely up to me, whether to get the shot or just go ahead with the stitches but she told me that since the needle to give the shot was bigger, she recommended going without it. Now I loved my midwife but I don't know what she was thinking on this one :rolleyes: It hurt!! If I had it to do over, I would get the shot first!

[StephM]

Ok, lurking here as usual ;)

Reading your post, it sounds like we had the same experience, word for word! I felt it all and they told me to just focus on the baby. However, I had an OB cranky on call OB, not a midwife and I did have a severe 3rd degree tear, so it took awhile. I hope to avoid the entire severe tearing issue next time by not letting anyone near me that can't support my perenium properly.

[missym]

I had a tear something similar to DulaAmanda, they did not count the stitches and it took a long time to stitch me up. He did tell me at my 6 wk postpartum that it took two pieces of surgical thread to stitch me back up. However, I loved my ob and as soon as he found out I went without an epidural the first thing he did was shoot me full of novacaine. I did not feel a thing. And as far as baby goes, my dh actually got to hold my ds before I did as they wanted to make sure I got stitched up right. So he did a wonderful job. I do have to agree with Kimberly though, that it did hurt for quite a while afterwards.

[*Jenn*]

I had an episiotomy and yes I did feel the doctor stiching me. It wasn't painful but it was uncomfortable. The first tiem I mentioned it he blew me off, all I said was "ow i feel that" Next time I just spoke a little firmer and louder "Dr. N*** I feel that." And he gave me another shot of that numbing stuff he was using.

[sdipert]

I didn't feel the stiches nor did I have any pain afterwards. I did have an epidural so that may be why I didn't feel it.

[born2birth]

The first time, I could feel every stitch! The lidocaine did nothing for me. The second time, I had an epidural so I was already numb and didn't feel anything. The first time I was only sore for a couple days. The second time, oh man! I could barely walk for 2 weeks! The tear was no worse, but I think it was the way I was stitched up. I haven't had any problems with it, though, so I don't know!

[BrandiL]

I can't believe they would do that!! I had a really minor tear - the midwife debated whether I needed stiches at all - she finally decided that I needed only one just to keep things lined up properly as it healed. She gave me a shot to numb the area for ONE stitch and I didn't feel a thing.

If you feel it - you need to make sure your doc or midwife knows it - there is no excuse for them to stitch you up without numbing the area first.

[missing]

I got 3 stitches.

My midwife gave me 2 shots first to numb the area, and actually shot a bit of the numbing stuff onto the skin before giving the numbing shots !

First stitch, I felt nothing.
Third stitch, I felt nothing.

Second stitch, I FELT - and it HURT !!

I have no idea why I felt the 2nd stitch, but it was horrible - much worse than labour.

I cannot imagine getting more than that at all.