Fire down below
Look at any magazine picture of a new mum and her baby and you could be forgiven for thinking that after the birth, all the pain and discomfort are over. After all you’ve done the hard part; everything from here on in should be plain sailing, right?
Wrong. Your back may hurt, you may have a headache and perhaps worst of all your perineum (the area between you vagina and anus) may be bruised, cut or torn. Perineal pain is common in a large number of women whether or not they’ve torn or had an episiotomy. The degree of discomfort can vary from a vague throbbing or discomfort, to achiness and stabbing pains.
When you are like this, basic movements like walking, sitting or going to the toilet can be horribly uncomfortable and sex almost impossible (perish the thought).
In spite of the fact that this is a widespread problem there is surprisingly little research on how best to deal with it. Doctors and midwives rely mostly on prescriptions for modern painkillers or numbing sprays combined with simple old-fashioned remedies such as Epsom salt baths and bags of frozen peas.
There are, however, a number of things you can do to aid the healing process.
- Try witchhazel – still a favourite among midwives and herbalists. Witchhazel is soothing and cooling and has a mild anti-inflammatory effect on the skin. You can apply it directly to the perineum or try soaking a face cloth in cold water, wringing it out thoroughly, and then putting witchhazel on the cloth before applying to the perineum.
- Essential oils have their uses post-natally as well. One famous research study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, found that women who added essential oil of lavender to their baths for 10 days post-natally experienced much less perineal pain than those who used either a synthetic or placebo oil.
- If you have to be on the move then the Femme Pad (available form Asda, £12) is a gel pad that fits in your panties like a sanitary towel. Keep it in the fridge before you put it on and it can be used to soothe and cool the perineum. This device is a high tech twist on that old standby, the bag of frozen peas. While not the most glamorous solution, frozen peas can be very soothing if your stitches feel hot and inflamed.
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