A few post-partum questions for experienced mommies...?

Question

My midwife discharged me only 7 hrs after I delivered b/c the baby had to be transferred to another hospital, so I didn't think to ask some of these questions. Just wondering if some other mommies could help me out!

How long will it take the episiotomy to heal? (I'm pretty sure they said it was a 2nd degree midline, if that matters.)

How long will it take the breast engorgement to go away? What can I do to make it go faster? She's been nursing every 2-3 hours today, and I've been expressing milk as well. Does expressing make it worse? It seems like it would just cause me to produce more milk, but it helps with the pain and fullness. I don't want to make it worse in the long run, though.

Any other tips for a first time mommy would be greatly appreciated!!

Almost forgot - how long should I expect to bleed? I've heard everything from a few days to a few weeks, so I'm really confused...

She was 8 lbs, 13 oz (thus the episiotomy, lol). She came home from the hospital Tuesday, she just had to spend a couple days being monitored in the NICU!

Answer 1

The bleeding will last about three weeks and start out very heavy and clumpy, with some really big clots at times. After about a week, it will taper off to what would be your normal period type bleeding.

The episiotomy can take as long as 6 weeks to heal, but the first time you and your hubby have relations, it will probably feel like your first time lol. Expect some discomfort. Episiotomies are graded 1 through 4, with 1 being minimal and 4 being extensive. I once heard a Grade 4 Episiotomy compared to a "Vaginal C-Section" there was such a big incision.

The engorgement will go away once your baby is nursing regularly, and your body will adjust to her demands. Expressing will keep your production up (good thing), and you can freeze what you express for later.

The best advice I can give you is to sleep when your baby sleeps right now... Later you won't have that luxury...

Congrats!

Answer 2

I can't speak to the episiotomy (I didn't have one), but as far as the breast engorgement, you can try hand-expressing a little bit in the shower or into a cloth diaper before you feed. Or you can pump for just a minute or two and freeze the milk for later (you never know when you might need it). But expressing a lot will make it worse; it will increase your supply because your body is trying to keep up with the demand. If your baby isn't draining your breasts, the supply will adjust in a couple of days or a week at most, although you'll still feel really full first thing in the morning.

Other tips: You've probably heard this before, but sleep when the baby sleeps. Your job is to take care of the baby, so take it easy for the first couple of weeks and let other people take care of you. And take lots of pictures; you can never have too many!

Good luck with your baby and breastfeeding... It's wonderful to be a mommy!

Answer 3

Episiotomy - about 10 days. Stitches dissolve. Be careful- dont want to pull those!! Bend, sit etc with caution.
Breast engorgement I think was about a week with my first one. Express as little as you can to releive the pain and pressure. Even a hot shower will help. (you will "waste" the milk though) It is a supply and demand system so you are right about not wanting to express too much. (Although when it first comes in you feel like you could feed a small country!) Freezing it is a great idea - liquid gold. I didnt start freezing right away with my first one and I just cringe on how much I wasted!! Feeding while engorged cause me to have major nipple pain and I used these great little breast shields - like a rubber nipple you put over yours; helped SO much.
Rest, rest, rest. Everyone tells you sleep when the baby sleeps - that is so true. It is tempting to want to "just do a couple of quick things" but it is so much more important to rest! And dont forget to eat. Sometimes you get overwhelmed and are so busy it is easy to forget. I always made sure I had a glass of milk or juice with some fruit or crackers every time I sat to nurse.
Best of luck!!!

Answer 4

The episiotomy won't be fully healed for about 4-6 weeks but it should start feeling a bit better in a week or so.

Pumping and nursing will help with the engorgement, keep it up.

You can expect heavy bleeding for about the first week then it will taper off and stop somewhere between 4-6 weeks.

Sleep when the baby sleeps and let as many people help as possible.

Answer 5

First off, congratulations on your new addition!

It takes the episiotomy a few weeks to heal. My doctor told me not to have sex until six weeks after I gave birth, and even then it was a little uncomfortable. The actual swelling and pain from your stitches will subside within a week or two.

I didn't breastfeed, but my breasts were engorged as the milk dried up for a few days. (they started REALLY hurting two days after birth, but by the fifth day post-partum, I was back to normal.) The more you breastfeed or express your milk, the more milk you will produce.

Sleep when your baby is sleeping. You'll find out you can actually get more done around the house when your baby is awake. What I found really helpful was to buy a Baby Bjorn baby carrier. Just strap your baby in and you're good to go... laundry, cooking, etc.

Congratulations again, and good luck!


***Oops, forgot to mention... I bled for about two and a half weeks. Your next period will come about six to eight weeks from when you gave birth.

Answer 6

Your episiotomy should be all healed in about 6 weeks (you sould have a follow up checkup at that time). With my first though I wasn't healed for close to 9 weeks- it was a difficult forceps birth. Try using a cloth covered ice pack for pain. As far as breast engorgement goes- I've suffered through 3 bouts of mastitis and did everything in my power to prevent without luck. It's tricky to know how much milk to express in between feedings- for sure make your breasts soft enough for the baby to get properly latched on. In the shower try running hot water over your breast and express milk at the same time. This may help. If you notice red streaking on your breast skin or if you start running a fever call your doctor right away. You may have mastitis and will need to be treated with antibiotics. Enjoy your newborn they are only tiny for such a short period of time! Congratulations!

Answer 7

I don't know exactly how long the episiotomy will heal, but somewhere around 2-3 weeks. It shouldn't take that long because a c-section takes about 4 weeks to heal (not fully heal, but to seal up).

As far as breast engorgement, if you breastfeed, it's going to be a LONG while, more like a year or so. If you don't, then it only take about a month, but your breast will hurt.

For bleeding, it takes about 2+ weeks. It's more like a very long period. You'll be fine. By the time you know it, it's over. I had a c-section and it took me 1 whole month to stop bleeding.

Answer 8

I'm not sure how long the episiotomy takes to heal. I was told not to have sex or anything for 6 weeks after I gave birth, and I was able to walk around without the pain of the episiotomy three days after the birth. For the engorgement, if you keep pumping and feeding, you'll keep producing.

Answer 9

Ok, My eposiotomy was 3rd degree and I am 10 weeks post......It healed up by 4 weeks but not all the way. It stopped hurting so much though. It is still tender now but alot better.
Congrats on breastfeeding!!!
I got mastitis after my milk came in and they told me to keep from getting engorged to not pump your breasts dry. My son ate every 2 or 3 hours and after 6 weeks it regulated a little better. Time and patience is the only thing you need to make it all feel better.
The bleeding for me went away in 3 weeks and I still have not had a period and I am nursing. Everyone is different though.

For your breasts....When you take a shower run the water over them and massage them from closest to your chest out. It doesnt always feel great but keeps from getting clogged ducts.
My son had problems latching on at first because he was a sleepy baby but now he nurses like a champ and it is so much easier for me to nurse!!
Good Luck and I hope I helped
Cograts on the baby and I hope you are both doing well.

Answer 10

well, first of all congrats!

every womans body is different, so healing will be hard to predict. I had a13stitch episiotmy, so it took 2-3 weeks to feel better, but it was still tender for another month. Use tucks hemorrhoid pads on it, or a cotton pad with witch hazel on it. You can spray the area with a lydocane spray, like solarcane, to help with the pain.

Breast engorgement will feel better once your milk supply had regulated, in few more days. You may still be sore just before a feeding/ pumping, but it is important to establish a good milk supply now.

I bled for 10 days, 3-4 heavy then just spotting for a few more. That was really the least of my worries!

Good luck