Treatment of postpartum sutures. How to handle stitches after childbirth at home

Not all births go smoothly. Sometimes it does not do without breaks, and often, in order for the baby to be born, surgical intervention is required at all. It is clear that the violation of the integrity of tissues - spontaneous or surgical - requires suturing. It is the stitches after childbirth that raise many questions about care, possible problems and ways to solve them. We will talk about how postpartum sutures heal, what affects this process and how to care for them, in this material.

When and how are they applied?

The need for suture material arises when the integrity of the tissues is violated. In natural childbirth during the birth of a baby, a mismatch in the size of the head and genital tract may occur - then an artificial incision will be required in the perineum. Mistakes in the pressing period can lead to ruptures of the cervix, vagina. Perineal tears can happen spontaneously. To prevent them, doctors may cut the perineum. This procedure is called an episiotomy.

After the baby is born and the placenta (placenta) is born, doctors must conduct an audit - they examine the cervix for possible ruptures, assess the condition of the vagina and external genitalia. If there are internal tears, sutures are placed on the cervix, the damaged walls of the vagina are sutured. The application of fixation stitches after an episiotomy is called an episiorrhaphy. Sutures are always applied with the use of anesthesia - local or general (if we are talking about extensive gaps in the internal location).

Internal sutures are applied with self-absorbable sutures by several surgically accepted techniques that ensure reliable and precise contact of the wound edges. Such surgical material does not require maintenance, it is not removed after healing. It dissolves itself over time, only a small scar remains on the internal tissues.

External tears in the perineum and labia are usually sutured with a nodular technique using strong non-absorbable threads, which after a while, when the edges of the wound grow together, must be removed. They need proper and careful care.

When performing a caesarean section, a woman also has two types of sutures - internal, fixing the edges of the dissection on the wall of the uterus, and external - on the skin of the abdominal wall. As in the case of physiological childbirth, internal scars do not need care, they heal and dissolve on their own, but external scars require attention and care.

Recently, doctors have been trying to make sutures after surgical childbirth and sutures after a rupture or episiotomy cosmetic - a special suturing technique makes the healing process faster, and the scars that remain in any case are less noticeable.

Why do they hurt?

Regardless of the method of delivery, if the integrity of tissues is violated, nerve endings and deeper layers of tissues are damaged. It is with this fact that any pain in the area of \u200b\u200bthe sutures after childbirth is associated, as well as a wide range of other sensations.

At first, the stitches hurt, especially when moving. Women after surgical childbirth experience more severe pain, since the area of surgical intervention is wider - the incision for cesarean on the abdomen is approximately 10 centimeters long. In the perineal region, the incision does not exceed 3 centimeters if an episiotomy has taken place. In the case of spontaneous rupture, its length and shape may be different.

The stitches that were put in the first few days are stretched when moving, creating discomfort. But after a week, they practically cease to hurt, because when the integrity of damaged tissues is restored, the primary restoration of nerve endings also occurs. But other sensations appear - it seems to the woman that they itch, pull, pinch, itch.

In many ways, the intensity of pain depends on how high a woman's susceptibility to pain in general. Some have no pain in the suture area after two weeks, while others have discomfort for six months after the birth of the baby.

Does it hurt to remove stitches - a question that worries every woman in labor who has them. External sutures after natural childbirth are removed depending on the rate of healing, usually after 8–10 days. Stitches after caesarean section are removed on the 7-8th day after the operation. There is no acute pain, there is only a slight “tingling” in the area where the stitch of the surgical thread is removed. Usually within 2-3 days after removal, minor discomfort disappears.

Separately, it must be said about the restoration of sensitivity. A slight numbness in the area of postpartum sutures is observed both after natural childbirth and after caesarean section. This numbness is associated with a violation of the integrity of the nerve endings. The numbness usually goes away within six months to a year.

After natural childbirth

The need for stitches often arises, because childbirth itself is an unpredictable process. Seams after physiological childbirth through natural ways have their own characteristics and require special treatment.

What are there?

In fact, a woman cannot feel the internal seams (on the cervix, on the wall of the vagina). The stitches on the mucosa do not bother the new mother, which cannot be said about the stitches on the outside. If a perineal dissection was performed, then the suture can be either vertical or deviated to the right or left. The first method of dissection is called mid-lateral, and the second - parineotomy.

Depending on what material was chosen for suturing the incision or rupture, it largely depends on how and how much such a suture will heal. The method of dissection in matters of healing has no significant influence. But the suturing technique is very important - the Shute method (silk threads through all layers in the form of the number "8") often leads to complications than layer-by-layer, longer, but more thorough suturing of damaged tissues with different types of suture material with a final cosmetic "stroke" . Such seams look more aesthetically pleasing and heal faster.

How many heal?

Stitches after physiological childbirth heal faster if they are properly and carefully treated. In the absence of complications, the edges of the wound grow together in 5-7 days. A day later - two of them can be removed.

It is clear that the desire of the newly-made mother to quickly get rid of the threads in such a piquant place, which seriously complicate her life. To promote faster recovery of damaged tissues, a woman should pay special attention to intimate hygiene. Lochia is released from the genitals after childbirth. Postpartum discharge is especially abundant in the first 3-5 days after the birth of the baby. The blood environment of the lochia is optimal for bacterial growth, and the suturing area in the perineum will be in constant contact with the lochia. In addition, the wound is more difficult to dry out, since a woman does not have the opportunity to leave it open for contact with air - you need to wear a pad.

They will heal faster if the mother changes the lining more often, using exclusively sterile pads in the first few days after birth. After visiting the toilet, be sure to wash yourself, blot the seams gently with a clean towel or dry cloth and immediately change the gasket.

Sitting is not recommended if a median episiotomy has been performed (the incision is directed perpendicular to the anus), with a median-lateral dissection (the most common option), the woman is allowed not to sit, but to sit down slightly on the thigh, which is opposite to the incision line. You will temporarily have to take care of the child standing and lying down. Following this recommendation for at least 2-3 weeks will help prevent tearing and damage. You can sit in a normal position no earlier than after 3-4 weeks.

The state of the blood of the puerperal also affects the rate of healing. If there are no problems with hemostasis, then wounds usually heal more quickly and are less likely to become complicated. To increase blood density, it is important to add buckwheat porridge, boiled red meat to the diet and avoid fried and salty, bakery and flour products.

Straining the perineum (pushing in the toilet, walking fast) is not allowed until the stitches are completely healed and removed. Failure to follow these recommendations inevitably leads to the development of complications.

Possible complications and consequences

Unfortunately, without unpleasant consequences and complications, the suturing sites do not always heal. Both rupture and surgical dissection are forms of traumatic impact, and therefore the likelihood of complications exists.

A woman can understand that healing comes with violations and deviations if the healing time is violated in a big way. The formation of a dense bump in the area of the sutures is a very unpleasant sign that may indicate that the edges of the wound during suturing were carelessly joined, incorrectly, in haste. If layer-by-layer suturing took place, then seals on the seam may be a sign of inflammation of certain internal layers, the formation of hematomas on the mucosa.

If the wound after childbirth heals for a long time, then with a high degree of probability there is one or another complication. A woman should pay special attention to symptoms such as suppuration of the suture, discharge from it. An infected wound is festering, and therefore a woman must undergo a course of treatment to cope with the infection. If the discharge from the genitals acquires an extremely unpleasant odor along with poor healing of the sutures in the perineum, you should also consult a doctor.

If the labia does not look symmetrical, there may be an application error, which is now manifested by excessive tension on one side. If the seam suddenly began to hurt more, you can not ignore it.

Swelling, puffiness and slight redness may well be present, but only in the first days after childbirth. If these phenomena persist after a week or two, this cannot be considered the norm. A mandatory visit to the gynecologist is also required by fever, soreness and difficulty urinating, as well as divergence of threads.

The discrepancy may be indicated by the resumption of bloody or serous discharge from the suture. If such weeping areas are detected after the surgical sutures are removed, they are most often left alone, the wounds tend to heal later by the secondary intention method. If the seam is completely open, the stitches are broken over a larger area, the stitches may be re-sutured.

The stitches in the perineum are in close proximity to the anus and urethra, and therefore the likelihood of inflammation due to infection with intestinal bacteria is always higher. If the pain persists for a long time, the stitches bleed, the scar festered and inflamed - all these are unconditional reasons to see a doctor. Independently at home, such problems are not treated.

Most often, women with stitches after childbirth are concerned about the question of how to have sex, what problems may be associated with this. Many note that sexual intercourse even 2 months after childbirth delivers certain painful sensations. This phenomenon in medicine is called "dyspareunia". This consequence will have to be temporarily reconciled, since neither intimate lubricants nor other methods bring significant relief. Gradually, the seams soften and become more elastic, and unpleasant painful sensations disappear. Usually, by six months after childbirth, there is no trace of dyspareunia.

Care and processing

Given all of the above, it becomes clear why there are special requirements for the processing of sutures after physiological childbirth and why it has such a significant effect on the speed of recovery. In the maternity hospital, the stitches in the perineum are processed by medical personnel. Once a day, women are recommended to lie with an open perineum under a bactericidal lamp. Most of the problems do not happen in the hospital, but at home, when care becomes a personal matter for the puerperal.

Houses can be washed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. It will help dry out the wound. This procedure should be carried out no more than 1 time per day, excessive use of potassium permanganate can provoke excessive dryness of the external genitalia.

Wiping the perineum is prohibited. You can only lightly blot it with a soft cloth or diaper. Every day, the seams are treated with brilliant green, since this antiseptic is active against the most dangerous of bacterial pathogens - staphylococcus aureus.

At home, in order to avoid tears, seam tears, discrepancies, it is important to avoid constipation, for which a woman should eat right and, if necessary, use permitted laxatives. For a more aesthetic formation of scars, approximately 4 weeks after childbirth, when the stitches have already been removed, you can start using Contractubex. An important condition - there should be no complications.

After caesarean section

The internal seam after caesarean section, as already mentioned, does not need care. But a woman should remember the likelihood of a violation of its integrity if the requirements of the doctor are not followed. But the external one will require both care and observation.

Kinds

The seam on the abdomen can be horizontal or vertical. In the first case, the incision is made in the lower abdomen, almost above the line of the pubic bone. This method is called a Pfannenstiel section and this is how up to 90% of all caesarean sections are performed. A vertical suture extending from the navel downwards or even enclosing the navel region is called a corporal suture. It is used only for health reasons, when the surgeon needs to get faster and more extensive access to the abdominal cavity in order to save the child's life. Basically, such a dissection occurs with an emergency caesarean section, but this is far from always the case.

The Pfannenstiel suture looks more accurate, it heals faster, it is less complicated, it does not spoil the appearance of the abdomen. The vertical one looks rough, and due to the inconvenience of the location, tension and tension of the muscles, it is more often complicated and hurts longer, the need to anesthetize it lasts longer.

Internal sutures on the uterus usually heal within 8 weeks, complete formation into a full-fledged and wealthy scar is completed by the end of the second year after surgical delivery. The external heals at a rate proportional to the suturing technique, the materials chosen, the precision of the surgeon, and the presence or absence of complications. Proper care and in this case plays an important role.

The vertical corporal suture heals in about two months, sometimes longer. Horizontal in the lower abdomen - up to 20 days. When sectioning along the Pfannenstiel, the threads are removed already on the 7-8th day, and after that the formation of the external scar continues for about two more weeks.

Stitches after childbirth are not uncommon, and any young mother is concerned about how to care for them.

Stitch care after childbirth at home while breastfeeding

Returning home from the hospital, the young mother should remember about the seams, if she has them. At the same time, the restrictions imposed on a woman largely depend on where exactly the doctor had to resort to using a needle to restore tissue.

Seams after childbirth are of two types:

external - imposed on the perineum as a result of its rupture or surgical dissection;
internal - superimposed on the cervix and vaginal walls.

More information about postpartum sutures in the article -.

The tactics of a woman's behavior, both with external and internal seams, are in many ways similar.

For some time after the birth of the baby, you can not sit. Yes, you need to feed the child standing or lying down. In some cases, you can take a semi-sitting position.
How long you can not sit, the doctor decides depending on the number of tears and the severity. In one case, a week is enough to recover, while in the other it will take a month or even more.
Pads should be changed as often as possible, in the event of a perineal tear/cut every two hours, even if the personal care product appears to be fit for use.
One and a half to two months should not use slimming underwear. It creates excessive pressure on the pelvic organs and perineum, which does not contribute to healing. Panties should be loose and made of natural fabric to allow air to flow to the genitals.
It is important to take all measures to prevent constipation. Stress when trying to go to the toilet for the most part can lead to divergence of the seams.

If there are stitches, doctors do not allow women to sit for a while after giving birth

Treatment of external seams in order to protect against infection

After returning home from the maternity hospital, the young mother needs to continue to process the external seams - they are the ones that require the most attention. If the internal ones are superimposed with absorbable threads and do not need special care (provided there are no infectious diseases), then the places of stitching the perineum should be given increased attention.

The main task of a woman is to protect the outer seam from infection. You can’t put an antiseptic bandage on the perineum, and besides, postpartum discharge is a breeding ground for the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms. That is why cleanliness is the key to successful healing, and washing and treatment with antiseptic preparations are important to maintain it.

washing

It is necessary to wash the seam on the perineum not only in the morning and evening, but also after each visit to the toilet. To do this, use toilet or laundry soap. It dries the wound, speeds up the healing process. At the same time, experts advise washing not in a basin, but under running water, not wiping yourself with the usual movements, but gently blotting the affected area with a towel or letting the skin dry naturally. After washing, treatment with antiseptic preparations is carried out.

Treatment with antiseptic preparations

Even in the maternity hospital, the seam on the perineum is regularly lubricated with a solution of brilliant green. You must continue this process even after discharge. To do this, use cotton swabs or sterile cotton wool. Some doctors recommend replacing the brilliant green solution with hydrogen peroxide. Processing with its help is carried out using a gauze cut. During the procedure, a slight tingling sensation is possible, which is a variant of the norm.

Some experts argue that manganese can be used to process external seams. However, this tool is less convenient to use, because a solution of crystals must first be prepared, while brilliant green or hydrogen peroxide is completely ready for use and does not require additional manipulations.

Photo gallery: preparations used for suture treatment

After the brilliant green, traces remain on clothes and bed linen, so often women prefer to use other antiseptic preparations From potassium permanganate crystals, you first need to prepare a solution, and only then treat the seams with it Hydrogen peroxide is a ready-made solution for treating external seams on the perineum

Seam care preparations

To accelerate the recovery of perineal tissues, healing and antiseptic preparations are used:

Bepanthen;
Mom will need Bepanten not only for the treatment of postpartum sutures, but will also become an indispensable assistant in caring for a newborn.
Solcoseryl;
Miramistin.

In case of complication, tampons impregnated with an antibacterial drug should be placed on the internal seams. To do this, a sterile bandage is folded in several layers and twisted in the form of a tourniquet. Immediately before insertion into the vagina, an ointment is applied liberally to it. The procedure is carried out before going to bed, and in the morning the tampon is removed.

The use of conventional tampons used during menstruation for the treatment of internal festering sutures is unacceptable.

Treatment of festering external seams is the application of gauze soaked in ointment to the problem area. Before this, it is necessary to wash, blot the remaining moisture with a towel and treat the wounds with an antiseptic preparation. The effect of the drug should last 2-6 hours, and to keep the napkin in place, put on panties with a pad.

Photo gallery: preparations for the treatment of festering sutures

Levomekol is a combined topical preparation used, among other things, in gynecology. A napkin soaked in ointment is applied to the external seams, and the internal ones are treated with tampons. Vishnevsky balsamic liniment is used to accelerate the healing of seams

Stitches hurt, than you can anesthetize

Soreness after suturing is inevitable. But in the case of internal ruptures, it passes quickly, and after discharge, the pain does not make itself felt. As for the external, the discomfort can disturb the young mother for a longer time.

Discomfort occurs when trying to sit down, when rubbing against clothes, as a result of the inflammatory process. The first days after childbirth are the most painful, but after the stitches are removed (after 5-7 days), as a rule, most of the discomfort disappears. If there are many injuries and they cause severe pain, Lidocaine spray or Diclofenac suppositories and their analogues (Diklak, Voltaren and others) will help alleviate the condition. But their use must be discussed with a doctor.

Candles Diclofenac, Diklak, Voltaren on the package are labeled as rectal. But they can be safely inserted into the vagina.

The area between the vagina and the anus is quite elastic, but despite this, your baby may need more space in order to be born. If the baby's head is large enough, then tears or incisions (for help) are possible, as a result of which stitches have to be applied. How to process stitches after childbirth, you must be explained in the maternity hospital, but if you were not provided with such information, then you should carefully read this article.

Some statistics

Your obstetrician should examine you very carefully after delivery to determine the severity of the problem. In the maternity hospital, a medical worker should look after you and tell you for the future how to handle stitches after childbirth if they fester. This problem is extremely rare if you properly monitor your health.

Don't panic, nine out of ten mothers "tear" during natural childbirth, but these tears are minor, requiring little or no attention. Sixty to seventy percent of tears require stitches.

There are four types (degrees) of breaks:

1st degree - a small superficial tear that does not affect the muscles. Usually left to heal without sutures.
Grade 2 - A deeper tear involving the muscles requires stitches. If you decide to let it heal naturally, it will be more comfortable for you, but the recovery will take a little longer than you expected.
Grade 3 - these tears are sewn up without discussion, because they affect the anal sphincter (the area around the anus). If this damage is not taken seriously, then health problems will arise in the future.
Grade 4 is the most serious damage that can result from natural childbirth: the rupture can go all the way to the gut.

And now let's go directly to the question of how to process stitches after childbirth. Proper and careful care of the intimate area will help heal all injuries faster. Remember, if you have serious injuries, then you can not sit! If you cannot do without it, then buy a special circle for sitting (it is used during an exacerbation of hemorrhoids). You are shown rest for the next twenty-four hours, try to relax as much as possible and gain strength.

Personal hygiene

Keep your stitches clean to reduce the risk of infection. Wash your hands before handling stitches after childbirth. Take a shower at least once a day. Change the lining, do special exercises, do not wear tight-fitting clothes. Drink more water, eat foods rich in vitamins. If the gap was serious, check with the obstetrician about the course of antibiotics, you need it.

Before proceeding directly to the treatment of sutures, it is worth determining what injuries you have, where the sutures are placed. If the breaks are internal, then they do not require special attention, the main thing is to observe personal hygiene. Here, self-absorbable threads are used, which can be natural or synthetic. If the threads are natural, then you will get rid of them in about a month. Another thing is if the seams are synthetic, then you have to wait about three months.

If you have an external tear, then you should carefully monitor the healing process, otherwise there may be suppuration. You can’t lift weights and sit for two weeks, then slowly start to sit down on hard surfaces.

How to handle stitches after childbirth? Means for processing

The external sutures are removed after about a week, if this was not done in the maternity hospital, then be sure to contact the antenatal clinic. If you observe personal hygiene, then the seams will not fester and will pass by themselves, but you can help them. Remember how to handle stitches after childbirth for quick healing:

antiseptics;
antibacterial ointments;
brilliant green;
hydrogen peroxide;
potassium permanganate;
chlorhexidine;
levomekol.

The better to process stitches after childbirth, you must determine for yourself, based on the individual characteristics of your body.

How to process seams after childbirth at home, figured it out, but how to do it? You should not resort to these procedures in a sitting position. Keep your body ventilated: use breathable pads, wear loose-fitting underwear. Night airing will have a very beneficial effect, so you will have to sleep on a special disposable diaper without pads and underwear.

C-section

It is much more difficult to process seams after a caesarean section than to process seams in the perineum after natural childbirth. These procedures should be handled by a specialist while you are in the hospital, obstetricians will do everything for you there. The stitches are removed after a week, only then you can take a shower for the first time, gently washing the wound.

So, how to handle stitches after childbirth by caesarean section? The methods are simple:

antiseptic;
sterile dressing.

In addition to the fact that this method leaves a noticeable mark on the girl's body, it reminds of itself for a long time with painful sensations.

How to ease the pain

If we are talking about a cesarean section, then the pain can be dulled with painkillers, and in the future it will completely disappear, since it will be allowed to wear a bandage. With stitches on the perineum, pain disappears a few days after childbirth. How to deal with them? Apply cold to the perineum, take an anesthetic. As a rule, injections are given in the maternity hospital, and at home you can get by with Nurofen, which is allowed during breastfeeding.

If you are worried about itching and quite tolerable pain, then you should not panic, everything will pass soon, but if you notice purulent discharge, consult a doctor immediately, it may be suppuration of the sutures.

Divergence of seams

Seam divergence is very rare. The reasons why this happens are as follows:

early intercourse after childbirth;
weight lifting;
constipation;
hard squats, etc.

In general, anything that can bring pressure on the genitals. How to understand that the seam has parted? You will experience pain and bleeding. Do not panic, all you need is to get an appointment with a gynecologist, there he will already determine the severity of the problem. If 1-2 stitches have parted, then re-suturing may not be required - such small injuries will heal themselves. But if the damage is large, then you will have to resort to surgical tightening of the wound.

Potassium permanganate

Now we will analyze in more detail the question of how to process stitches after childbirth, namely, we will consider each proven remedy separately.

The first of them, very effective and time-tested, is potassium permanganate. A powder or a ready-made solution can be found in any home, especially if the family is waiting for an addition. Potassium permanganate solution can be used for douching and suture treatment. Please note that a pale pink solution is used for douching, and a dark and saturated solution is used for suture treatment. Although potassium permanganate will not help your wounds heal quickly, it will protect you from inflammation and infection. You should not often douche, as the manganese solution kills not only microbes, but also beneficial microorganisms.

To prepare a solution of potassium permanganate at home, use warm boiled water, make sure that all the grains dissolve well and there are no crystals left. Undissolved elements of potassium permanganate can cause a burn, especially when it comes to the delicate skin of the genital organs. To make the solution, use a clear beaker to make sure there are no granules left. In addition, be sure to strain it through several layers of gauze. Treat the seams with antiseptic preparations should be twice a day.

Zelenka

Zelenka promotes healing, prevents suppuration and infection in the wound. Unlike potassium permanganate, a solution of brilliant green is sold in pharmacies already in a ready-to-use form. To process the seam, use cotton swabs or a piece of sterile cotton wool. All that is required of you is to moisten a cotton swab in the solution and process the seam. A solution of brilliant green, as well as potassium permanganate, contributes to the fastest tightening, as it dries the wound.

Hydrogen peroxide

Cuts and abrasions happen in every home, so hydrogen peroxide should be in your home first aid kit. If you have this tool at hand, then consider that the problem is half solved. For processing, take a small piece of gauze bandage and moisten it with hydrogen peroxide. Apply to the seam, a slight hiss and tingling is a normal reaction. Do not hold the lotion for a long time, otherwise you will get burned.

Medical alcohol

It is worth using medical 40% alcohol only in extreme cases, if the seam begins to fester in places, it is only the seam that needs to be processed, this remedy will dry out the healthy skin around the damage, which leads to poor healing. However, if the stitches fester, you should not self-medicate, it is better to consult a specialist.

Before treating wounds, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, preferably up to the elbow. If you find white growths on the wound, you should not clean them off - this indicates that a new layer of epithelium is forming. If they are removed, then scars will form on these places in the future.

Take care of your personal hygiene, do the processing of seams, be in a positive mood, the support of loved ones is now more than ever welcome. Your mood is transferred to the child, give him a happy childhood! Good luck and get well soon!

How long do they heal
How to care for stitches
What complications can be
How to shoot

During childbirth, it is not uncommon for a woman to have a rupture of the vagina, uterus, or perineum. This situation is not difficult, because doctors skillfully and quickly sew up such gaps, without focusing on this special attention.

In fact, all this is very unpleasant. Firstly, the process of stitching is a rather painful procedure. Secondly, stitches after childbirth can bring a lot of worries and troubles to a young mother. You need to know how to minimize them and reduce the undesirable consequences of gaps to nothing. Proper postpartum care for these "battle" scars will largely depend on where they are located.

Kinds

Depending on where exactly the rupture occurred, there are external (on the perineum) and internal seams after childbirth (on the cervix, in the vagina). They are made with threads from different materials, which means they require special care, which the young mother must be informed about.

Stitches on the cervix

reason: large fruit;
anesthesia: not performed, since the cervix loses sensitivity for some time after childbirth;
suture materials: catgut, which allows you to apply self-absorbable sutures that do not have to be removed later; as well as vicryl, caproag, PGA;
advantages: do not cause inconvenience, are not felt, do not cause complications;
care: not required.

Stitches in the vagina

reason: birth trauma, vaginal ruptures of various depths;
anesthesia: local anesthesia with novocaine or lidocaine;
suture material: catgut;
disadvantages: preservation of soreness for several days;
care: not required.

Seams at the crotch

causes: natural (damage to the perineum during childbirth), artificial (dissection by a gynecologist);
types: I degree (the wound affects only the skin), II degree (the skin and muscle fibers are damaged), III degree (the rupture reaches the walls of the rectum);
anesthesia: local anesthesia with lidocaine;
suture materials: catgut (at I degree), non-absorbable threads - silk or nylon (at II, III degree);
disadvantages: preservation of soreness for a long time;
care: rest, hygiene, regular treatment with antiseptic solutions.

A particular problem is the external seams after childbirth, which are performed on the perineum. They can cause various kinds of complications (suppuration, inflammation, infection, etc.), therefore, they require special, regular care. A young mother should be warned about this even in the maternity hospital, and also informed about how to treat such wound surfaces. Usually women have many questions about this, and each of them is very important for her health and condition.

How long does it take for stitches to heal after childbirth?

Every woman who could not avoid ruptures is concerned about how long the stitches heal after childbirth, because she really wants to quickly get rid of pain and return to her previous lifestyle. The speed of healing depends on many factors:

when using self-absorbable threads, healing occurs within 2 weeks, the scars themselves dissolve for about a month and do not cause much trouble;
much more problematic is the question of how long the sutures heal when using other materials: they are removed only 5-6 days after childbirth, they take from 2 to 4 weeks to heal, depending on the individual characteristics of the body and care for them;
the healing period of postpartum scars can increase when microbes enter the wounds, therefore, the ability to treat wound surfaces and monitor their cleanliness is required.

In an effort to quickly return to their old way of life and get rid of painful sensations, young mothers are looking for ways to quickly heal the stitches after childbirth so that they do not interfere with their enjoyment of the joy of communication with the newborn. This will directly depend on how accurate a woman is and whether she competently takes care of her postpartum “combat” wounds.

How to care for seams?

If ruptures could not be avoided, you need to know in advance how to care for the stitches after childbirth in order to avoid complications and speed up their healing. The doctor must definitely give detailed advice and tell you how to do it correctly. This is part of his professional duties, so feel free to ask. Usually, caring for stitches after childbirth involves a sedentary lifestyle, hygiene, and treatment with various wound healing and antiseptic agents.

In the maternity hospital, the midwife treats the external scars with “greenery” or a concentrated solution of “potassium permanganate” 2 times a day.
Change your pad every two hours after giving birth.
Use only loose natural (preferably cotton) underwear or special disposable panties.
You can not wear tight underwear, which exerts strong pressure on the perineum, which has a bad effect on blood circulation: in this case, the healing of stitches after childbirth may be delayed.
Wash your face every two hours and after every visit to the toilet.
Go to the toilet at regular intervals so that a full bladder does not interfere with uterine contractions.
In the morning and evening, when you take a shower, wash your perineum with soap and water, and during the day just wash it with water.
It is necessary to wash the outer scar as carefully as possible: direct a jet of water directly at it.
After washing, dry the perineum with blotting movements of the towel in one direction - from front to back.
Another important question is how long it is impossible to sit with stitches after childbirth if they are made on the perineum. Doctors, depending on the degree of damage, call the period from 7 to 14 days. At the same time, it is allowed to sit on the toilet immediately on the first day. After a week, you can squat on the buttock opposite the side in which the damage was recorded. It is recommended to sit down exclusively on a hard surface. This issue needs to be considered during the return of a young mother home from the hospital. It is better for her to lie or half-sitting in the back seat of the car.
No need to be afraid of severe pain and because of this, skip a bowel movement. This creates an additional load on the muscles of the perineum, as a result of which the pain intensifies. To facilitate this process, you can safely use glycerin suppositories after childbirth with sutures: they are rectal and soften the stool without harming the wounded perineum.
Avoid constipation, do not eat products that have a fixing effect. Before eating, drink a tablespoon of vegetable oil so that the stool normalizes and does not slow down the healing process.
Do not lift weights weighing more than 3 kg.

These are the basic rules of hygiene that allow, even with breaks, the body of a young mother to quickly recover and return to normal. But what to do if the stitches after childbirth hurt for too long, when all the deadlines have already passed, but it still doesn’t get easier? Perhaps some factors provoked complications that will require not only additional care, but also treatment.

What complications can occur with suturing?

Very often, a woman continues to feel pain and discomfort after two weeks after giving birth. This is a signal that something has prevented healing, and this is fraught with various complications - in this case, medical intervention, treatment, and treatment of sutures after childbirth with special preparations will be required. Therefore, a young mother should be extremely attentive and sensitive to her own feelings, monitor the healing process of postpartum injuries very carefully.

if the scars do not heal for a very long time, they hurt, but during a medical examination no pathologies and special problems were identified, the doctor may advise warming up;
they are carried out no earlier than 2 weeks after childbirth to allow the uterus to contract (read more about the restoration of the uterus after childbirth);
for this procedure, use "blue", quartz or infrared lamps;
heating is carried out for 5-10 minutes from a distance of 50 cm;
it can be done independently at home after consulting a doctor;
ointment for healing sutures "Kontraktubeks" can also relieve pain: it is applied 2 times a day for 2-3 weeks.

The seam has come apart:

if the seam has opened after childbirth, it is strictly forbidden to do something at home;
in this case, you need to call a doctor or an ambulance;
if the divergence of the sutures after childbirth was indeed diagnosed, most often they are superimposed anew;
but if at the same time the wound has already healed, this will not require any medical intervention;
in such cases, the doctor, after the examination, will prescribe how to treat the stitches after childbirth: usually these are wound healing ointments or suppositories.

very often women complain that their stitches itch after childbirth, and very strongly - as a rule, this does not indicate any abnormalities and pathologies;
itching is most often a symptom of healing, so it should not cause anxiety in a woman;
in order to somehow alleviate this unpleasant, albeit favorable symptom, it is recommended to wash yourself more often with water at room temperature (the main thing is not to be hot);
this also applies to those cases when the suture is pulled: this is how they heal; but in this case, check for yourself whether you started sitting up too early and whether you have to carry weights.

if a woman notices an unpleasant, abnormal discharge (not to be confused with the restoration of menstruation), smells bad and is suspicious brownish-green in color, this may mean festering, which is a serious health hazard;
if the seam is festering, you must definitely tell the doctor about it;
this is how complications such as inflammation of the sutures after giving birth or their divergence can occur - both cases require medical intervention;
if infection occurs, antibiotics may be prescribed;
from external processing, it is recommended to smear with Malavit shvygel, Levomekol, Solcoseryl, Vishnevsky ointments;
if the scars fester, only a doctor can prescribe what can be treated: in addition to the above anti-inflammatory and wound healing gels and ointments, chlorhexidine and hydrogen peroxide are also used, which disinfect wound cavities.

if, after childbirth, shovkrovit, most likely, the basic rule was violated - do not sit during the first weeks: the tissues are stretched, and the wound surfaces are exposed;
in this case, it is not recommended to treat the problem area on your own, but to contact a specialist directly;
alteration may be required;
but most often it is enough to use wound-healing ointments and gels (Solcoseryl, for example).

If the first days passed without the complications and special difficulties described above, there will be one more procedure left - the removal of sutures after childbirth, which is performed by a specialist on an outpatient basis. You also need to mentally prepare for it, so as not to panic and not be afraid.

How are stitches removed?

Before discharge, the doctor usually warns on which day the stitches are removed after childbirth: in the normal course of the healing process, this occurs 5-6 days after they are applied. If the woman’s stay in the maternity hospital is delayed, and she is still in the hospital at that moment, this procedure will be performed on her there. If the discharge happened earlier, you will have to come again.

And yet, the main question that worries all women going for this procedure is whether it hurts to remove stitches after childbirth and whether any anesthesia is used. Of course, the doctor always reassures that this procedure resembles only a mosquito bite. However, everything will depend on the pain threshold of a woman, which is different for everyone. If there were no complications, there will actually be no pain: only an unusual tingling sensation mixed with a burning sensation is felt. Accordingly, anesthesia is not required.

Childbirth is an unpredictable process, so anything can happen. At the same time, ruptures are not uncommon and are not perceived by doctors as a complication or difficulty. Modern medicine involves professional, competent suturing after childbirth, which subsequently deliver a minimum of discomfort with proper care.

One stitch, two stitch, it will be fun! - the obstetrician used to say with a needle at the feet of a happy woman in labor. For some, this black humor becomes not a funny reality and causes a lot of trouble and trouble. We will tell about situations that inspire obstetricians to take up a needle, ways to quickly heal and relieve pain.

When stitches are applied and the causes of ruptures

Childbirth does not always go smoothly, and sometimes you have to pay for the happiness of having children with birth injuries - tears and cuts in the genital tract, on which external and internal sutures are applied after childbirth. Injuries are internal - tears on the cervix and vagina, and external - tears and incisions in the perineum.

After a natural birth, the obstetrician necessarily checks for gaps and, if detected, they are sutured. Otherwise, if suturing is not carried out, the postpartum period threatens to end with a hospital bed due to bleeding in the injured tissues and infection, and in the future even provoke prolapse of internal organs and urinary and fecal incontinence.

The process of applying external and internal sutures takes a long time and requires a highly qualified doctor, and in the case of ruptures in the cervix, passing to the vagina and uterus, and some virtuosity due to the inaccessibility and risk of damage to the nearby bladder and ureters.

Internal sutures after childbirth on the cervix, vagina and the uterus itself are superimposed using absorbable threads from biological or semi-synthetic material. If only the cervix is affected, then anesthesia is usually not required - after childbirth, it is insensitive. In all other cases, local or general anesthesia is used - anesthesia or epidural anesthesia.

The muscle layers of perineal ruptures and incisions are also sutured with absorbable threads, and the skin is often made of non-absorbable silk, nylon and other materials that are removed at the maternity hospital or in the antenatal clinic, usually 3-7 days after childbirth, when the suture is scarred. The procedure is quite painful and therefore anesthesia is required during execution.

The reasons for the gaps can be different. This is not following the advice of an obstetrician during the straining period, and the presence of scars from sutures imposed in previous births (the scar consists of inelastic connective tissue), rapid, prolonged, premature and instrumental births (forceps), anatomical features of the pelvic structure, a large head in a child, breech presentation, low elasticity of the skin at the time of delivery.

The attitude to episiotomy - dissection of the perineum, is different for obstetricians. For some, this is a routine procedure that is applied en masse to avoid the risk of perineal rupture. Other doctors strive to make the birth process as natural as possible, intervening when it is already quite clear that a rupture cannot be avoided. If instrumental childbirth is performed with forceps or a vacuum extractor, then a preliminary dissection of the perineum is recommended.

Episiotomy does not help to avoid grade 3 tears when the anal sphincter is involved in perineal integrity and may even contribute to such injury. Nevertheless, surgical incision has a number of advantages over rupture. Dissected tissues are technically easier to take in than torn ones. The resulting wound has smooth edges, healing occurs faster and a more aesthetic scar is formed.

Healing and suture treatment

It is regrettable, but what happened happened, and as a result, after giving birth, you got stitches. With internal sutures, if the suturing procedure is performed correctly and carefully, it hurts for about 2 days. They do not require special care and do not need to be removed, as they are made of absorbable thread.

Self-absorbable sutures after childbirth from natural material - catgut completely dissolve in about a month, and from synthetic - after 2-3 months. Internal heal faster and can disperse in extremely rare and exceptional cases.

Quite another matter - the outer seams of the perineum. With such a postpartum reward, it is painful to move around, it is problematic to go to the toilet and it is absolutely impossible to sit down due to the fact that the seams can disperse.

The ban on sitting is valid for two weeks, after which you can gradually try to sit on hard surfaces.

If catgut sutures were placed on the perineum, then you should not be afraid if pieces of threads that have fallen off appear after a week - during this period the material loses its strength and breaks. The seams will not disperse, unless, of course, they start dancing. How long the material will be absorbed depends on the rate of metabolic processes in the body. Sometimes there are cases when the catgut did not resolve even six months after suturing.

Sutures from a non-absorbable thread from the perineum are removed 3-7 days after childbirth. If this was not done in the maternity hospital, then the removal of the stitches is carried out by the gynecologist in the antenatal clinic. During the removal procedure itself, it is a little unpleasant, but in most cases it does not hurt, or the pain is quite tolerable.

How long the stitches heal after childbirth is affected by the individual speed of healing of injuries received by the body - both from small scratches and from more serious injuries.

Usually this process does not take more than a month, but on average it takes 2 weeks.

Both before and after the removal of sutures, it is necessary to regularly treat them. This is especially important, since postpartum discharge and the constantly moist environment of the perineum contribute to the multiplication of various microorganisms on the wound surface. As a result, the sutures can fester and healing will be delayed indefinitely.

How and how to handle stitches after childbirth at home? Also, as in the maternity hospital, it is necessary to carry out treatment two to three times a day with antiseptic solutions and / or antibacterial ointments that suppress the uncontrolled growth of bacilli that cause inflammation. The most affordable means are the well-known brilliant green, hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate, chlorhexidine, etc. From ointments - levomekol, etc. Processing should be carried out, avoiding a sitting position.

If you provide air access to the perineum, then healing will go much faster. To do this, you need to use "breathable" pads made of natural materials and refrain from wearing tight underwear. The ideal option is to provide "ventilation" during sleep, when you can completely abandon underwear and sleep on a special absorbent diaper, or an oilcloth with a regular cloth diaper.

To speed up regeneration, it is also necessary to have good nutrition, which supplies building material to the site of injury. From folk remedies, tea tree oil, sea buckthorn oil accelerates healing. And of course, hygiene rules and cleanliness are only welcome on the way to quick healing.

How to ease the pain

In the process of suture healing, tissue contraction occurs - the wound surfaces are reduced, and the wound is closed with a scar. Therefore, it is quite normal that the stitches hurt after childbirth, like any other injury that violates the integrity of muscle and epithelial tissues. Discomfort - Pain and itching in the perineum may be experienced up to 6 weeks postpartum.

If the pain is of a different nature, and even more so when suppuration of the sutures has begun, you should consult a doctor.

If the pain is severe, which happens in the first days after childbirth, then applying cold to the perineum, painkillers can help to cope with it. In the maternity hospital they give injections, at home you can take ibuprofen (Nurofen), which is not contraindicated during breastfeeding and has an anti-inflammatory effect. To reduce the pain during urination, you can try to urinate while standing in the bathroom, legs apart.

What to do if the seams come apart

Rarely, but it happens that the seams partially or completely diverge. This can happen due to weight lifting, early onset of sexual relations after childbirth, sudden sitting down and other awkward sudden movements, increased pressure on the genitals during constipation.

In the hospital, with a serious discrepancy, the sutures can be re-applied. Signs of suture divergence are pain, swelling, discharge from the wound. What to do in this case? Do not panic and get to see a gynecologist. If a few stitches have come apart, then you can leave everything as it is. In more serious situations where there is no health hazard, healing will occur, but a plasty of the vulva may be required in the future.

We hope that very soon those who were lucky enough to get under the obstetrician's needle run and jump with eyes full of joy from their little "female happiness", not even remembering the recent troubles after childbirth. We wish that scars do not become an adornment for women and a speedy postpartum recovery!

How to treat stitches after childbirth at home for a woman whose childbirth took place with some complications? Does the healing of sutures after childbirth take a long time during a planned operation?

In a maternity hospital, the processing of sutures after childbirth falls entirely on the medical staff. Nurses themselves perform the required manipulations. How should a woman take care of her stitches after being discharged from a medical institution and how should she handle them?

Childbirth is a natural process. But not all women have it without consequences. Almost every fourth woman is faced with the fact that after the birth of a baby, she has to take care not only of him, but also of her own stitches. Where do they come from?

Sutures are applied during caesarean section, with ruptures of the cervix, tears of the vagina and ruptures of the perineum. Sometimes obstetricians dissect the perineum specifically to facilitate the passage of the baby through the birth canal. In order for the healing of sutures after childbirth to be faster, they must be carefully looked after.

If a woman is prepared for a caesarean section in advance, and the expectant mother is warned about the problems that will arise after the operation, then it is impossible to prepare in advance for ruptures during childbirth. Why do they arise?

Tears on the cervix occur if the attempts began before the cervix was fully opened.

Perineal injuries - during rapid and premature birth, pelvic application of the child, due to the peculiarities of the individual anatomical structure.

Obstetricians make perineal incisions when a woman cannot push for health reasons or when there is a threat of spontaneous rupture of the perineum.

The processing of sutures after childbirth in the maternity hospital falls on the medical staff.

For those women who have undergone an operation - a caesarean section - dressings are made daily. During them, the seam is examined, the resulting fistulas are removed, purulent contents - if it appears. At this stage in the development of medicine, the external seam is finally formed by the fifth day. If a non-absorbable material is applied, then the sutures are removed at this stage. A woman can treat a protracted scar on her own, without visiting a medical facility in order to make a dressing. Tight bandaging by the end of the second week is no longer required.

Healing of sutures after childbirth depends on the individual reaction of the body. Some women have to bandage the outer suture for up to 2 weeks after a caesarean section, while others remove the dressing after a week and treat the suture with brilliant green.

How to treat stitches after childbirth on the cervix or with vaginal ruptures? In the maternity hospital, nurses carry out hygiene procedures, washing the gaps with a weak solution of manganese or lubricating with brilliant green if the seam is within reach. By the time of discharge from the hospital, a woman usually does not worry about such stitches. For their quick healing, she will only have to observe personal hygiene and not overstrain: do not carry weights, observe sexual rest for 2 months. After 2 weeks, such sutures, subject to the above conditions, heal. The self-absorbable material used for these tears disappears after 3 months.

With perineal ruptures, the stitches are more painful and heal slowly. If the obstetrician made incisions in the perineal region, then such sutures are tightened faster due to smooth edges. The suture material is removed after 5 days, but a woman is allowed to sit down only for 10 days. While a woman is in the hospital, she does not need to think about how to process stitches after childbirth. Manipulations are carried out by a nurse, twice a day treating wounds with potassium permanganate, brilliant green or furatsilin.

At home, a woman has to deal with the seams on her own. If you do not protect the seam from bacteria, then it will remind of itself for a long time. It is quite difficult to ensure sterility in the perineal region. To do this, you need to change the pads every hour and a half, wash yourself when you change them and after going to the toilet, wear loose cotton underwear and treat the seams with an antiseptic.

A woman selects an antiseptic for herself at home on her own, analyzing the sensations caused by the drug. Zelenka, malavit, solcoseryl, chlorhexedine, levimikol, sea buckthorn oil or chlorophyllip can be used as an antiseptic. Subsequently, special ointments for scars may be needed.

Swelling of the wound or purulent discharge from them shows that the healing of the sutures after childbirth has slowed down due to complications. After consulting a doctor, most likely the seams will have to be treated with Vishnevsky ointment or synthomycin emulsion.

Proper suture treatment after childbirth helps a woman recover faster and return to a normal active life. Neglect of personal hygiene at this stage is unacceptable. Festered sutures can cause a serious complication in a woman - sepsis.

The happiness that embraces a woman at the same time cannot be expressed in words, all the pain, all the torment experienced just a few minutes ago is forgotten. But in order to calmly hold the baby in your arms, you will have to work a little and suffer.

The most unpleasant, painful and long time ranks first when the cervix opens. But the second - the birth of a baby - is a matter of minutes, which, however, can overshadow or (worse) a rupture of the perineum. Some women resist the incision as best they can: they are indignant and even scream. But you need to understand that this manipulation is sometimes simply necessary.

The birth canal can be narrow for the baby, and if the doctor does not make an incision, then the child will do it himself. Then it will be tear with irregularly shaped torn edges, and it will be quite difficult to sew it up, not to mention the fact that it will be long and painful to heal.

But the incision made with a scalpel is even and neat, will allow just a few stitches to bring the edges together. Such a seam will heal quickly and will not cause much trouble if it is properly cared for and processed.

External (external) and internal seams after childbirth

Internal seams superimposed with rupture of the cervix and vaginal walls. Since the cervix loses sensitivity after childbirth, when suturing, the woman in labor practically does not feel anything.

But when stitches are placed on the vagina, it is quite noticeable, so local anesthesia is done. Internal sutures are made with self-absorbable threads that do not require additional care and removal of sutures.

To the outer seams carry the seams on the perineum, and here everything is a little more complicated. A woman can tear on her own and the stitches on the breaks heal longer.

However, mostly doctors manage to make a smooth (and absolutely painless) incision towards the anus. Stitches in this place are a little painful, so local anesthesia is also done here.

The stitches on the perineum after childbirth should be especially monitored, because this is a place where you cannot apply a sterile bandage, and the stitches are in contact with the external environment and can easily become inflamed.

Self-absorbable sutures

Recently, almost all sutures are superimposed with self-absorbable threads. This is very convenient: they do not need to be removed, and already after 7-10 days there will be no trace of them.

The only thing that a woman can notice is pieces of threads or knots on the pad. Don't be alarmed, know that these remnants of the threads mean that the seams have almost dissolved. A month later, at the examination with a doctor, you can be sure of this.

Let's look at some features

In order for the seams to heal quickly and not become inflamed, they need to be properly looked after. Internal seams in normal flow not processed at all because sterile absorbable sutures are used. There is enough hygienic care.

But if the internal seams are inflamed or festered, then use tampons with levomikol or any other anti-inflammatory ointments.

Special care is needed for the outer seams. They should be processed 2 times a day. In the hospital, this is done by a nurse.

First, the seams are treated with hydrogen peroxide, and then brilliant green or iodine. In addition to this, physiotherapy is carried out to promote speedy healing.

The woman in labor follows through change sanitary napkin every 2 hours, in the maternity hospital use sterile disposable panties. Wash your face at least 2 times a day and after each act of defecation (and do this long after discharge). After washing (potassium permanganate), the seams should be gently blotted with a towel, but, in no case, do not rub it, then treat with peroxide, and then with brilliant green or iodine.

A woman after childbirth always has a lot of trouble. And problems with seams are only a small part of them. But believe, a healthy baby sniffing sweetly in his arms, will atone for all the labors and make you forget about all the difficulties associated with childbirth.

Many women who encounter stitches for the first time after childbirth do not know how to behave properly so that the seams do not come apart.

The most important thing is a woman in labor with stitches should not shrink within 7-10 days in no case. That is, eating, feeding the baby, swaddling and doing other work is possible only in a lying position or standing.

At first it will be difficult to get used to it, and all the time there will be a desire to sit down. It is important not to commit such stupidity, otherwise the seams will open.

Previously, it was much easier, because the baby was brought only for feeding and immediately taken away, so the woman in labor could rest, get used to her new position. Women in labor with sutures were generally forbidden to get up unnecessarily, which is why the healing of sutures after childbirth was much faster.

But now, when the baby is brought in on the first day and left with his mother until discharge, it is rather difficult to observe bed rest, because you need to get up and swaddle the baby, wash, feed. Well, how can you not forget and not sit down out of habit?

Remember: it will be possible to sit down no earlier than after 10 days (and this is provided that the seams heal well without causing complications), and then only on a hard chair, and after another 10 days - on an easy chair, bed or sofa.

Since the woman in labor is being discharged for 5-7 days, then the trip home will not be very convenient, the car will have to go in a semi-recumbent position. Warn relatives in advance that only one passenger will be allowed to ride in the car with you, as you will need more space.

There is one more thing: in the first week after suturing, you need to properly go to the toilet "by and large". It is best to give an enema at the first urge, otherwise the seams can also disperse from the tension of the pelvic muscles.

What to do, if…

Seams parted

If the seams are still separated, it is important to determine this quickly.

Internal seams come apart in extremely exceptional cases. It is simply impossible to notice this on your own. This can only be seen by a doctor during an examination. Such seams, as a rule, are no longer touched.

Most often this occurs with external seams in the crotch. Sudden movements, the wrong act of defecation, or if the woman sat down, can cause the stitches to open.

If this happens literally the next day after birth, then repeated sutures are placed. Another conversation, if the edges of the wound have already healed, and the seams have parted. Then the doctor decides on the re-suturing.

If it is only a couple of stitches and there is no threat to life, then the seams can be left as is. But it also happens that the seam has dispersed completely. Then the edges of the wound are excised, and the sutures are applied again.

While the woman is in the hospital, the doctor examines her every day, and if he finds that the seams are starting to diverge, he will take action. But if after discharge it seems to the young mother that the seams have parted, then you should immediately contact the antenatal clinic, where the gynecologist will tell you what to do after the examination.

The stitches hurt

The stitches may hurt for the first couple of days, then the pain should go away. Internal seams heal much faster, and the pain is felt weakly, passing in a couple of days in general. But the outer seams can disturb for a long time if you do not follow the regimen.

Painful sensations when trying to sit down are quite natural, but if the pain appears in a calm state, this may signal an inflammatory process.

That's why it is necessary not to endure the pain, but to consult a doctor. If you have time in time, then the inflammatory process is easily eliminated, but if you tighten it, the seams will fester, and it will take a long and tedious time to be treated.

When are stitches removed?

The situation is more complicated with ordinary seams that need to be removed. This can only be done after the wound has healed. Best case scenario it happens on day 6-7.

But if there is inflammation of the sutures after childbirth or the sutures fester, then the healing is delayed and you have to deal with the inflammatory process and only then remove the sutures.

So when are the stitches removed after childbirth? All this is decided individually.. Before discharge from the hospital, the woman is examined by a doctor and, if everything is fine, the stitches are removed (the process is almost painless). If it's too early, the doctor will tell you when to go for a consultation.

One of the most common complications during childbirth is ruptures during childbirth of the soft tissues of the birth canal, which include the cervix, vagina, perineum, and external genitalia. Why is this happening and is it possible to avoid seams? In fact, it is impossible to single out any one reason for the gaps. But some of them can be affected.

First of all, it must be remembered that only healthy tissues have sufficient elasticity and extensibility. The inflamed tissue is fragile and edematous, therefore, with any mechanical action, it does not stretch, but breaks. So, any inflammation of the genital organs the day before can lead to ruptures during childbirth. Therefore, about a month before giving birth, every woman should undergo an examination and take a smear for microflora. When inflammation is detected, treatment is prescribed with subsequent monitoring of its effectiveness. Another reason for the decrease in tissue elasticity is previous trauma (scar tissue does not contain elastic fibers and is therefore practically inextensible). So, if a perineal incision was performed during previous births, as a rule, during subsequent births, this is also indispensable.

Rapid delivery, the lack of coordinated work of the woman and the midwife, the large size of the child or the incorrect insertion of the presenting part of the fetus is another reason for ruptures during childbirth. In ideal childbirth, the fetus moves through the birth canal gradually and the body tissues of the expectant mother have time to adapt to the increasing pressure, they are stretched more and more each time. If the body does not have time to adapt, then this leads to impaired blood supply and swelling of the tissues of the birth canal, which inevitably ends with a rupture.

Stitches after childbirth: repair of tears and incisions

All injuries of the birth canal are subject to mandatory treatment. It begins when examining the birth canal immediately after the separation of the placenta. For suturing small cervical tears, anesthesia is not required, since there are no pain receptors in the cervix. If a very deep tear is found (which is rare), the woman is placed under general anesthesia to examine the uterine cavity to determine the depth of the tear. Cervical tears are sutured with absorbable material.

After examining the cervix, the walls of the vagina are examined. If there are few gaps during childbirth and they are shallow, then local anesthesia will be enough - the edges of the wound are cut off with painkillers. For deep and multiple tears, general anesthesia is used. If epidural anesthesia was used during childbirth, then when suturing, the anesthesiologist adds an analgesic to an existing catheter. Tears in the walls of the vagina are sutured with absorbable sutures that do not need to be removed.

Small cracks in the external genitalia often do not require suturing, as they heal quickly, however, this part of the birth canal is very well supplied with blood, therefore, if the cracks are accompanied by bleeding, they must be sutured after childbirth. Damage to the external genitalia is very painful, so medical manipulations in this area often require general anesthesia. The sutures are superimposed with very thin absorbable threads that do not need to be removed.

At the end of the postpartum examination, the integrity of the perineum is restored. Currently, sutures after childbirth are more often applied with absorbable suture material and do not require removal, interrupted non-absorbable sutures are less common.

A separate case of suturing during childbirth are sutures after caesarean section. Previously, during a caesarean section, the abdomen was cut in the middle “from the navel to the pubis” and interrupted sutures were applied. Now a small incision is made along the pubic hairline. Most often, a special continuous cosmetic suture is applied, less often - interrupted sutures or metal staples. Stitches after caesarean section are removed on the 7-9th day. With proper care, a year after the operation, a white scar remains as thin as a thread, which is easily covered even by bikini bottoms.

Healing stitches after childbirth

Of course, all young mothers are concerned about the question of how long stitches heal after childbirth? So, this process depends on the size of the damage, proper care, general condition of the body, methods and materials used for suturing. When using natural or synthetic absorbable materials, wound healing occurs in 10-14 days, the sutures dissolve in about a month. When using metal brackets and non-absorbable material, they are removed after childbirth, on average, on the 5th day in the hospital, before discharge. Wound healing in this case will be longer - from 2 weeks to 1 month.

Stitches in the vagina and on the cervix

Self-absorbable sutures in the vagina and on the cervix do not need special care. It is not necessary to process and remove them, you just need to ensure complete peace and cleanliness. Postpartum discharge is an ideal substrate for the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, during the first three weeks after childbirth, it is necessary to carefully observe the rules of personal hygiene so that the infection does not enter the genital tract. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before each visit to the toilet and changing pads. After using the toilet, remove the old gasket from front to back. Wash your perineum with warm soapy water. The direction of movements and water jets should always be from the genitals to the rectum. After washing the genitals, blot them dry with a napkin or a well-absorbing towel. Such a towel, like underwear, must be changed immediately when contaminated with secretions, and daily - if all this remains clean in appearance. Even if you don't feel the urge to urinate, be sure to go to the bathroom every 3-4 hours. But it will be impossible to take a bath in the first month after childbirth.

Seams at the crotch

The presence of seams on the perineum will require even more careful hygiene. In the first two weeks, they hurt quite badly, it’s hard to walk, and it’s forbidden to sit, mothers feed lying down, they also have to eat lying down or standing up. This does not apply to going to the toilet, since you can sit on the toilet already on the first day after the birth of the baby. Wash hands and perineum, use soap with antiseptic. Do not touch the seam area with your hands. Gaskets in the early days must be changed often, sometimes every 2 hours, since for the speedy healing of the wound it must be kept dry. Use special disposable panties for the postpartum period or loose cotton underwear.

While you are in the hospital, the midwife will perform the suture treatment twice a day, using a solution of "potassium permanganate" or "brilliant green" for this. Removing the threads is a painless procedure that largely relieves discomfort.

In the first days after childbirth, it is necessary to delay the stool, for this it is better not to eat cereals, fruits, vegetables and other foods that stimulate bowel movements. Usually this does not cause big problems, since a cleansing enema is performed before childbirth. After 3 days, laxatives will help restore the stool if necessary. To avoid constipation, you can drink a tablespoon of vegetable oil before eating, then the stool will become soft and will not affect the healing of the seams.

After removing the sutures and discharge from the hospital, if the injury sites heal well, there is no need for treatment. It is allowed to sit down on a hard one only after 2 weeks and only on a healthy buttock opposite the side of the incision.

During the day, do the following exercise several times: draw in the muscles of the vagina, perineum and anus. Stay in this state for a few seconds, and then relax your muscles. Then repeat everything again. Exercise can be done within 5-10 minutes. It stimulates blood flow to the organs and promotes their better healing. Absorbable suture knots fall off around the third week. Chamomile infusions will help from pain and itching in the seam area. This infusion can be washed away, or you can moisten a gauze pad with it and apply it to the wound for 1-2 hours. Some women use cold compresses. To do this, crushed ice is placed in a sterile rubber glove. The glove is applied to the wound for 20-30 minutes. During the first month, try not to sit or stand for a long time. It is better to lie on your side, and sit on a pillow or a circle. At the end of the first month after childbirth, you should visit a gynecologist in a antenatal clinic. He will examine the places of the seams, remove the remaining absorbable threads, if necessary.

Stitches after caesarean section

Stitches after caesarean section. Women who have undergone a caesarean section should be prepared for the fact that pain in the area of the postoperative wound will disturb for 2-3 weeks. In the early days you have to use painkillers. At this time, when you walk, you need to put on a postoperative bandage or tie up your stomach with a diaper.

You should not lie down in bed, as early rising and moderate activity (baby care, walking along the corridor) not only improve intestinal motility, but also contribute to better uterine contraction and faster healing of the postoperative wound. While you are in the hospital, the procedural nurse will clean the stitches with antiseptic solution and change the bandage daily. It is important to protect this bandage from water, so cover it with a towel when washing. You must ensure that the clothing adjacent to the wound is always clean. Underwear, including a nightgown, is changed every day, and as it gets dirty, even more often.

After the stitches are removed, you can go home and take a shower. As a rule, additional processing of the seam is no longer needed. The first 2 weeks after discharge, the skin should be washed with soap and water 2 times a day. After washing the seams, they should be gently blotted dry with a disposable or freshly washed towel.

Until the wound has completely healed, it is recommended to wear light, breathable underwear. Tight underwear can injure the seam after a cesarean. The best option is loose-fitting cotton trousers with a high waist. In the first month after childbirth, a newly-made mother is not recommended to lift weights more than the weight of the child. It is also necessary to wear a special postpartum bandage. At first, the scar can itch very much, this is due to the healing processes, you just have to be patient. By the end of the second week after childbirth, you can begin to lubricate the scar with creams and ointments that improve skin recovery.

Complications after childbirth

A feeling of heaviness, fullness, pain in the perineum may indicate the accumulation of blood (hematoma formation) in the area of damage. This usually happens in the first three days after childbirth while still in the hospital, so you should immediately report this feeling to your doctor.

The divergence of the seams most often occurs in the first days or immediately after their removal, rarely later. The reason may be early sitting down, sudden movements, violation of sterility and poor matching of tissues during suturing, as well as non-compliance with the rules of hygiene in the postpartum period. This is a rare complication that occurs with serious deep perineal tears. If, after being discharged home, the area of the suture began to bleed, hurt, turned red, purulent discharge appeared, it is urgent to consult a gynecologist, since, most likely, an infection has joined and inflammation has occurred. For treatment, the wound will need to be treated with various antiseptics, and sometimes special surgical treatment may be required.

Complications after childbirth require immediate treatment, as they can lead to very serious consequences - postpartum peritonitis (inflammation of the abdominal cavity) or sepsis (a general infectious lesion of the whole body that spreads through the blood). Therefore, if something bothers you in your condition, be sure to consult a doctor.