Here’s a doctor’s answer to taking care of vaginal stitches after birth, whether map-CS or normal delivery.
Caring for vaginal stitches after birth
After giving birth, a woman should not only remember her newborn baby. She should also care for herself as it is vital for her to rejuvenate and recover.
The number one that needs care is your vaginal stitches after birth. You don’t want to risk your wounds becoming infected and causing more risks to your health.
There are two types of wounds a new mom gets. The first is a wound that is caused by childbirth by normal vaginal delivery. Second, is the wound that is gotten through cesarean section delivery. For proper healing, these wounds need to be sutured. Requires proper and proper care.
According to Dr. Katrina Tan, an OB-Gynecologist from Makati Medical Center, the wound caused by normal vaginal delivery or known as episiotomy is the cut made between the anus and vagina of a pregnant woman.
Not all women who give birth will experience this. Because it is done only to help women who have difficulty getting the baby out of their vagina. Statement by Dr. Tan,
“For our mothers, an episiotomy is the cut that you get when you have a normal vaginal delivery. It is cut between the anus and the vagina. We do that if we think that it will help you with the delivery of the baby.”
How to take care of stitches after normal delivery
Image from Flickr by Alex Treadway
According to Dr. Tan, the suture caused by the episiotomy can cause discomfort to the mother. If not given proper care can cause infection or illness. That is why her important advice to her patients with episiotomy is that they should know the proper care of their sutures.
“Care of the episiotomy wound begins right after delivery. Wound care, wound cleaning and pain management is usually what we advised patients.”
Aside from keeping it dry and clean at all times. It is also important to wipe your private part clean. Washing the vagina should be done first before the anus or buttocks as this may contain bacteria that can infect the suture.
“You have to keep the cut and the surrounding area clean and dry at all times. After going to the toilet, you have to pour water over the vaginal area so as to be able to clean the wound area.
When you wipe, you really have to be gentle. And you wipe from front to back so you won’t bring bacteria from the anus to the wound or cut.”
Normal delivery stitches healing time
In addition, she added that the mother should also be aware of the signs that her suture may be infected.
“You should also be aware of the signs of infection. If the wound is red, swollen, there's discharge coming out, there is persistent pain and has odor, you have to tell it to your doctor so you can be examined.”
But if there are no problems and the episiotomy care is done correctly, it will heal quickly within 4-6 weeks. At the same time, the newborn woman's body returns to strength or normal.
“It is gradual healing. So normally it takes 4 to 6 weeks. The 6 weeks is the postpartum period everything that changed in your body everything will be back to normal kasama na yung episiotomy.”
How do I know my c section is healing
Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
As with episiotomy care, the suture caused by cesarean section delivery should be kept dry and clean. It should also be covered with gauze for two weeks to ensure that dirt does not enter.
It should also be examined by a doctor after one or two weeks after giving birth. Only the doctor can signal when the mother can take a bath. To make sure her seam can't be read.
How to clean c section wound
“After a CS section, it also depends on your doctor when you will be allowed to take a bath. But normally, we keep the wound dry for 2 weeks after delivery. You may put a bandage or sterile gauze over it and then tape it.
Then you need to clean it every day. Put hydrogen peroxide, betadine or an ointment or whatever it is that your doctor prescribes you. Also, visit your doctor after a week or 2 after delivery so she can reevaluate the wound.”
C section scar healing stages: How to prevent wound from opening
A CS wound is closed using a special thread that melts spontaneously. The best way for it not to open is properly caring for your c section wound. For women who have CS or are planning to CS, here is her answer to their common concern.
“This is a common concern. I usually tell my patients that it is not going to open. What we used to suture it are absorbate sutures that will melt on its own.
Usually in the next 2 weeks. So before the suture melts, the wound must have already closed properly.”
In case the wound does not close properly, it may be because the stitching is not good. It may also be caused by one of the following reasons.
Reasons why the CS wound may not close properly
“One is infection. If something is infected, the wound will not heal properly. That’s why we tell patients about proper wound care.
We tell them not to wet it and to always keep it dry. You need to put betadine and sterile gauze. You have to keep clean and dry it so it won’t get infected and it would not dehisce or open.”
“Another reason for it to open is if fluid is coming out. Sometimes, if there's a lot of blood coming out or fluid coming out it tends to open a bit. But this rarely happens.”
To avoid this, this is the important advice of Dr. Tan in women undergoing cesarean section delivery,
“We put patients on an abdominal binder to support that area where the incision is. So, you just have to be aware that you have a wound there and limit your movement. Just make sure that you don’t perform sudden movements that might affect or hit that area.”
Internal stitches after birth
The uterus's internal C-section incision can also open or rupture. You won't be able to see it, but you'll most likely notice signs and symptoms that something isn't quite right. These are some of them:
- abdominal pain
- bleeding from the cervix
- dizziness
- blood pressure that is too low
- a high temperature
- urinating that hurts
- bowel movements that hurt
- Inability to have a bowel movement or severe constipation
- a bump or protrusion in the lower stomach
Is “binat” real after giving birth?
According to Dr. Tan,
“Binat to me is like relapse. When you are already getting better then suddenly you start feeling all those symptoms again. That’s how I interpret binat.
This can happen because no matter how your labor and delivery went your body needs time to heal after giving birth. It is also different for every woman.”
How to avoid “binat”
To better prevent “binat” after giving birth, here is the suggestion of Dr. Tan,
“So how to prevent binat, my suggestion is to get plenty of rest. Seek help when you need it. Because you are a new mom, you are adjusting to a new role. There are a lot of changes to your body. You are breastfeeding. You are fatigued and you are stressed. Seek help when you need it. Because a tired mother might relapse all the symptoms she felt after delivery. Also, eat healthy meals and exercise when you are already allowed by your attending medical doctor.”
If you want to read the Filipino version of this article, click here.
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