Following childbirth, it is common to have tears and bruising in your perineal area.
It is really important to keep your perineum (the area between your vagina and back passage) as clean and dry as you can. Use water to wash, especially after any tears or stitches, to reduce the risk of infection and promote healing.
Pain and swelling can last 7-14 days after having a baby. Your midwife will check your perineum during your postnatal check. Please ask for help if:
These symptoms can suggest infection or that your wound is not healing as expected.
Using pain medication as advised or using a cold pack can help.
Some positions are often more comfortable. For example, lying on your side or sitting with a pillow under your thighs to reduce pressure on your perineum/stitches.
Bruising and tears are very common in the perineal area when you give birth. Tears occur in the perineum, labia and inside the vagina. The size of the tear can also vary:
An episiotomy is a surgical cut in the perineum that enlarges your vagina, helping you give birth. You may need one:
Stitches stop any bleeding from tears. The number of stitches you have depends on the location and depth of the tear. Thankfully, the stitches start to dissolve after 10 days and are usually gone by 6 weeks, so you don’t need to remove them. It is normal to find small pieces of stitch material when in the bath or on the toilet.
It is very important to keep the perineum clean to reduce the risk of infection, so always wash your hands when you change pads, touch your perineum or go to the toilet.
Additionally, doing the following will help reduce the chance of infection:
Take regular pain relief (Paracetamol or Ibuprofen are safe to take while breastfeeding if there is no other reason you cannot take these) for the first few days. Don't wait until you're in pain. Please read the dosage information carefully.
Cold therapy (ice packs) can reduce swelling and ease discomfort. Apply the pack for up to 5 minutes at a time, ideally whilst lying on your side to reduce pressure in the area. Allow at least an hour between applications. Never place the ice pack on your skin, as this can cause ice burns. Wrap it in a clean, damp cloth or flannel first.
You can use air-filled valley cushions or rubber rings to relieve pressure, but sitting on them for more than 30 minutes can restrict circulation, leading to swelling and longer-term discomfort.
Your pelvic floor muscles prevent urine and stool from leaking. During birth, the muscles are stretched and weakened. Recovering strength for these muscles is important for bladder control and for speeding up perineal wound care. If you need advice on how to perform pelvic floor strengthening exercises, click here.
When you exercise your pelvic floor muscles, blood flow to your damaged tissue increases, helping speed up the healing process.
Your perineum can feel uncomfortable and bruised after childbirth. Therefore, it’s okay to feel concerned about opening your bowels in case of pain or damaging your stitches.
Thankfully, both of these are very unlikely. Still, you may want to hold a wet, warm flannel on your perineum to provide support while opening the bowels the first few days after childbirth.
Additionally, wash your perineum with water after you’ve opened your bowels to reduce the chance of infection.
It is not advised to use soap or shower gel as this can increase irritation and skin sensitivity.
Additionally, pat the area dry rather than wiping or rubbing. Avoid long, hot baths until your stitches have healed (at least 2 weeks).
Discover more about your body after birth here.