- Care to avoid infection and inflammation
- Care to relieve pain and discomfort
- Care to accelerate healing
After a normal delivery, it is important to take some care with the episiotomy, such as not making efforts, wearing cotton or disposable panties and washing the intimate area towards the vagina towards the anus after using the bathroom. This episiotomy care aims to accelerate healing and prevent the region from becoming infected and must be maintained for up to 1 month after delivery, when healing is complete.
Episiotomy is a cut made in the muscular region between the vagina and anus, during normal delivery, to facilitate the baby's exit. Generally, the woman does not feel pain at the time of the episiotomy because she is anesthetized, but it is normal to experience pain and discomfort around the episiotomy in the first 2 to 3 weeks after delivery. Understand when episiotomy is needed and what the risks are.
The stitches used in the episiotomy are usually absorbed by the body or fall naturally, there is no need to return to the hospital to remove them and the region returns to normal after healing is complete.
Care to avoid infection and inflammation
To avoid infection in the episiotomy region, you should:
- Wear cotton or disposable panties for the skin of the region to breathe; Wash your hands before and after using the bathroom and change the absorbent whenever necessary; Wash the intimate area in the direction of the vagina to the anus after using the bathroom; Use products intimate hygiene with neutral pH, such as Lucretin, Dermacyd or Eucerin intimate liquid soap, for example; Do not make efforts, being careful to support your arms in the chair when sitting and do not sit in low chairs to prevent spots burst.
It is very important for the woman to be aware of the signs of infection from the episiotomy, such as redness, swelling, release of pus or liquid from the wound and, in these cases, consult the obstetrician who delivered the child or go immediately to the emergency room.
Care to relieve pain and discomfort
To relieve the pain and discomfort caused by episiotomy, you should:
- Use a pillow with a hole in the middle, which can be purchased at pharmacies or a breastfeeding pillow, so that when sitting, do not press the episiotomy, relieving the pain; Dry the intimate area without rubbing or pressing so as not to hurt yourself; Apply cold compresses or an ice cube at the episiotomy site to relieve pain; splash water on the intimate area while urinating to dilute the urine and reduce the burning sensation at the episiotomy site, as the acidity of the urine in contact with the episiotomy can cause burning; in front of the episiotomy with clean compresses when evacuating to reduce the discomfort that can arise when applying force.
If the pain in the episiotomy region is very severe, the doctor may prescribe analgesics such as paracetamol or anesthetic ointments to relieve pain and discomfort, which should only be used under medical advice.
Usually, intimate contact can be resumed about 4 to 6 weeks after delivery, however, it is normal for the woman to experience pain or discomfort, however, if the pain is very intense, the woman should interrupt the intimate contact and consult a gynecologist.
Care to accelerate healing
To speed up the healing of the region that has undergone the episiotomy, one should avoid wearing tight clothing, so that the skin can breathe around the episiotomy and accelerate the healing and do Kegel exercises, as they increase the blood flow in the region, helping accelerate healing. Learn how to perform these exercises.
In addition, the doctor may also recommend the application of specific ointments that help with healing, which may have hormones in the composition, antibiotics or enzymes that promote healing, for example.
