# Episotomy and a 2nd degree tear following forceps



## Katie4 (Oct 21, 2007)

Hi!

I've had what my many m/ws have called a "traumatic labour"...20+hours with 2+ in 2nd stage which ended up in theatre with a spinal block and forceps  I also got a UTI and an infection in my perineum 5 days post labour. 2weeks of antibiotics and lots of pain killers....and here I am. 

my episotomy has actually healed v well but the tear hasn't and although the tissue looks healthy (if lumpy) there is a longitudinal gap of abut 1.5cm.....one m/w said it would heal...my gp said it wouldn't but it would feel "better" by the time I'm three months post-delivery.

it's not exactly painful any more but the two sides do rub when I walk   and don't look like they would ever even touch, let alone "knit" together...but there was a smaller transverse gap at the top of my episotomy where the 1st stitch was and that has now come together...

I suppose I'm wondering what you think? (Hard to say without seeing I know but generally do tears come back together)

Thanks

Katie


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## oink (Feb 22, 2004)

Hi hun

you need to see your GP, who should be able to refer you to be seen by a specialist in previous birth trauma.

Let me know how you get on

Take care x


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## Katie4 (Oct 21, 2007)

Thanks. Saw GP today who said she would refer me in 5 weeks if things had not improved. 

Is that a reasonable timescale? I'll be 10 weeks post birth then. 

Katie


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## oink (Feb 22, 2004)

Hi

yes that does sound ok, all healing should be completed by then!!

Let me know how you get on

Take care x


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## Katie4 (Oct 21, 2007)

I thought I would give you a quick update so any other ladies in my position know what happened!

Well I asked for a referral to my obs consultant as I wanted to ask some questions about my labour and also get her opinion on my bits! I saw her at 11 weeks post delivery. 

The pain has mainly gone now, I can sit without a cushion and walking is OK now. So...she thinks that everything looks erm fine and that the soreness I have may be relieved by oestrogen cream as she thinks it's caused by BF. The gap at the top of the episotomy healed a while ago and the "gap" further up is still there but my cons doesn't think it's a gap but just stretched tissue which is supported by the fact that my surgical notes said there was only a 1st degree tear but someone put on my discharge notes it was a 2nd deg one?! The 1st midwife I saw after the labour at home said I'd only got a "graze" so that would make sense but then others said there was a gap? It's hard because I couldn't say what it looked like before but my basis for thinking there was a gap still there was that a midwife said it was a tear as it was vertical (but then that didn't make sense because the tear stopped where the episotomy started.....)

So...I've been sent away being told everything is fine which is good but has left me feeling quite annoyed (and still a bit confused!) as aside from being very painful the whole experience has been really traumatic and upsetting and needn't have been had the notes been correct and had all the midwives and drs involved in my care agreed on what was what. 

Thank you for your support. I hope this post helps someone else on FF

Katie x


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