Now that you had your baby…..let’s focus on YOU!
Yes that’s right I said YOU not the baby!
You have just given birth to a little human. That is amazing!
Now let’s give that body some love.
Today we will talk about healing and care of the perineum.
Correct!
The perineum is a diamond shaped area bordered by the vagina and the anus, including the muscles that form the pelvic floor.
This area goes through a lot of stress and changes during delivery and needs some TLC after! But with the right care you can snap back in no time. The perineum is super resilient - just like us women!
Oops! Missed this one.
No matter if you had the easiest birth ever or it was a grueling experience- Most women will have some soreness and swelling in the perineum. Well that makes sense…...since this area stretches during labor and delivery!
So even if you needed a C-section- your muscles in the pelvic floor which are part of the perineum can still be stretched and be sore!
This may cause some trouble sitting, walking , urinating or with bowel movements. But don’t worry! You don’t have to suffer! There are many things to do that will help!
Not this time!
All of the options are great to help with the soreness!
Cool Ice pack or cooled witch hazel pads for the first 24 - 48 hours: you can make your own ice pack (crushed ice in a glove or plastic bag wrapped in a hand towel) or you can buy flat cold gelpads or a maxipad/cooling pad combo. Cooled witch hazel pads placed between your pad and perineum can be just as effective! Apply 10-20 minutes at a time as needed.
Warm Sitz bath: A sitz bath is just a warm shallow bath (either in bath tub or a container you put over your toilet) that covers your bottom and hips. After 24-48 hours of icing start with warm sitz bath 5 minutes, 4 times a day and after bowel movements.
Numbing medicine: a numbing benzocaine spray may be given by your health provider
Pain relievers: over the counter pain relievers such as Ibuprofen or acetaminophen
Here are some helpful tips for specific concerns:
Pain when sitting: Sitting on a pillow or a donut shaped cushion when sitting will help relieve the discomfort.
Pain when urinating: A peri-bottle (squirt bottle) is your friend! Use this to squirt warm water on your perineum WHILE you are urinating- not just afterwards to clean the perineum. Usually hospitals will give you a bottle to take home or there are many peri-bottles options to buy that are angled and may be easier to use.
Did you know that 9 out 10 first time moms will tear or need an episiotomy! Sometimes women tear naturally in the perineum after delivery. Others may need episiotomies, a cut made at the opening of the vagina to help with delivery.
Both tears and episiotomies may need a few stitches to heal....and NO the stitches do not need to come out- they dissolve!!
Care for tears and episiotomy is the same as overall perineum care. Besides routine care as we have already talked about - the most important thing is to prevent infection.
Maintaining good perineum hygiene is key!
Let’s talk perineal hygiene! It is normal to have bleeding/ discharge (called lochia) for up about 4-6 weeks.
So keep your perineum clean with these reminders!
Many moms have “poop paralysis” - which is the fear of having the first bowel movement- especially if they had stitches!
Constipation is common during pregnancy due to hormonal changes and this may continue days to weeks after delivery and make it harder (pun intended!) to have your first poop.
The best approach is the get regular fast and not to strain! This prevents stitches from opening up.
Following tips will help you get regular:
Fear of pain during sex is extremely common. It is best to wait until perineal pain has resolved. While there is no clear guidelines, most health care providers recommend that by 4-6 weeks most women should be able to resume their sex life.
Why 4-6 weeks? Because that is the usual time that lochia and vaginal discharge have stopped, tears and episiotomies have healed and sutures have dissolved. Water based lubricants may be helpful to use.
If you are unable to by 3 months you should contact a healthcare provider.
Sorry!
Each mothers healing time will vary and depends on the person and their birth.
If there were no tears, usually moms will feel better by 7-10 days after delivery.
Small tear may heal between 2- 4 weeks
Large tears into the rectum or closer to the rectum may take up to 6 weeks to heal and need more frequent monitoring by your provider.
The muscles that form the pelvic floor will are continue to heal and strengthen up to 6 months after delivery!
Kegel exercises help stimulate circulation and strengthen your pelvic muscles. This can help with faster healing of tear/episiotomies, better sexual experience and prevention of urinary leakage and prevention of pelvic prolapse in older age.
How to do Kegel exercises:
Now go and give yourself a little bit of TLC!
Remember that after delivery taking care of YOU is just as important as your newborn baby!
*Please reach out to MaternalWell or your health care provider if you have any specific needs or concerns.