# Guess I don't really need a perineum (long)



## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

Or do I? What do they do anyway? Will I be fine going through life without one?

Here's my story (or skip to the part titled SO HERE'S MY CURRENT SITUATION








:

My first child, Skanda, was born at home. I hired a midwife who had lots of experience. It was my first birth and I didn't feel confident in my body and the birthing experience so I trusted her to help me make decisions that would be best for me and the baby and in line with natural birth. She even loaned me Spiritual Midwifery. But when it came time to have the baby, she seemed to be pushing to hurry it up. She kept suggesting that she break my water even though I didn't really like the idea. She said I was almost complete but the water was bulging and I said I wanted to wait. But the anticipation was too much. Everyone around wanted me to just get it over with. So fine. I told her to break the water. Then I was complete. So what? I didn't feel any urge to push. Everyone around me wanted to meet the baby. They kept asking me when I was going to push the baby out. I said I was tired and laid on my back on my bed to rest. And my midwife held up my leg and asked me to try pushing. I tried. She said it was working. She encouraged me to tuck my chin down and hold my breath and push while she counted. The other midwife held my other leg. It HURT!! My labor had been virtually painless, but it HURT to push. I didn't like it. They said they could see the baby and I was almost there. So I gave a might push and his head was out. I was hurting and pushing seemed easy even though I never felt any urge. There was no cord or anything in the way and I thought the worst was over since his head was out. Then I gave one heaving push and the rest of him came barreling out including an elbow that tore right through my perineum. I have pics of the birth. The assisting midwife had her hands there and was attempting to support me, but I guess it didn't matter.
So the midwife tried to stitch me up after the placenta came out. There was a lot of blood from the tear. And then there was even more blood. She turned pale and said we were going to have to transport me to the hospital. She had punctured an artery while trying to suture me. I guess I have an artery pretty close tot he surface.
She notified the on-call surgeon before we even arrived at the hospital. But he didn't come, despite multiple pages, for about 2 hours. I had a hematoma the size of a walnut when I arrived at the hospital and it was bigger than a softball by the time he got around to draining it and sewing me up. It took me 10 weeks to brave sex and 6 months before I could sit right.

Next birth: I had a different midwife in Hawaii - the most awesome midwife in the world. I had the baby in water. I was so scared to push. She stroked my hair back and told me that I didn't have to push. And I didn't. Nadia came right out into the birth pool in about 10 minutes without much work on my part. I had a tiny tear on my old scar and Roxanne put one stitch in to help it heal but the stitch fell out a few days later. It healed up just fine.

Next birth: I wanted to have the baby in water but I couldn't get into a comfortable position and felt my pushing was not at all productive. Intellectually, I didn't want to push. I knew from my last birth that babies come out whether you push them out or not. But mentally, I was tired and I could feel the pressure of my baby and thought a few pushes and she would be out and we could rest. Then I decided to get out of the water and rest first. I woke up from a short nap in front of the fireplace and decided I was going to push her out. I was pushing. It hurt. She wasn't coming out. I thought I should squat to help her out but didn't want to tear. I tried sitting up with the midwives supporting my legs but it still wasn't working.
Finally, I was getting really frustrated so I asked my midwife to feel around. She was surprised to feel that the baby had moved up and the cervix was still soft, but over her head again. Before my nap, I had felt and her head was right there, practically out. While the midwife's fingers were in there, I had the strangest sensation. The baby started head butting my cervix and then she wiggled her head around some. I sat up on my knees and leaned over the couch and gave some mighty pushes and she was out. I was so exhausted that I couldn't even catch her or pick her up.
After I delivered the placenta and baby was all wrapped up and mommy and daddy were cuddling up with her, my midwife Ann examined my area. She saw no tears. My perineum was intact. She brought me a mirror. I was very happy. I didn't even feel that sore. There was a tiny bit of stinging by my anus when I urinated but I thought maybe it was a stretched area because I had felt strain there when I was pushing.
For a few days after the birth, I felt great. I even started thinking of having sex. And then it started getting sore by the end of the week. I called my midwife and let her know. I self examined but didn't have a mirror and felt my perineum was very separated. The length of the area was about half as long as it used to be. At my two week check up, she looked and was taken aback by what she saw. My perineum had separated along the scar on the outside and into my vagina. It didn't look raw. It was smooth and healed looking, only a tiny bit pink. She got me a mirror and we looked in amazement. She said that stitching it would do no good because it looked healed. She suggested I wait and see how it healed but that it could take months to see any change. My insurance was running out in 2 months so we decided it might be good to get an OB/GYN to look at it.

SO HERE'S MY CURRENT SITUATION:
The gynecologist examined me and noticed a rectocele. The mucosa between the vagina and rectum seemed to have a very small hole and wasn't healing properly. This was exactly where the hematoma was at my first child's birth. He suggested that he shave it and it would heal properly. At the same time, he could rough up the scar tissue that had separated and stitch it back together. That was 3 weeks ago.

One week post surgery - and it was a rough surgery with a difficult recovery and more pain than expected - I could feel things were healing.

One and a half weeks post surgery, I could feel spots where the dissolvable stitches had already dissolved. Then I felt again and there was a gap. It had separated!!

Two weeks post surgery, I have an appointment with my gynecologist and he sees that there is a gap in part of the area that was stitched up. He tells me to stop lifting things and try to take it easier. I do. I haven't even been taking the kids to the library or walking much. I'm doing the best I can to keep my legs together.

Today, three weeks post surgery. My perineum is gone. The scar has completely separated again!! It hurts too







What do i do? Is a gynecologist the only one qualified to look at this issue? Is there another type of specialist I'm supposed to see? I"m taking vitamin E to try to help my skin be elastic. He noticed some redness and thought I might be developing an infection so prescribed antibiotics (that would be round 3). I didn't pick up this round of antibiotics and I'm feeling bad about it. I have been taking Grapefruit Seed Extract pills instead because I don't think it's bacterial, I think it's yeast. But last time I told him I had a yeast issue, he said it didn't look like it because there was no white discharge. *sigh*. So do I need to get this stitched up again?? I am feeling like there must be some sort of reason it keeps separating. Do I need to see a chiro? Could something have prolapsed and is putting pressure on that area making it separate? Or does my perineum just want to be split? Maybe I've started a new body modification trend.
I'm feeling so disconnected and vulnerable


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## Malama (May 11, 2002)

OMG Nipuna. This is horrible! I'm so sorry you've been through this and still don't have an answer. I wish I had some words of wisdom or an answer for what you should do, but I don't









It sounds like there must be something going on there- why would your tissue just come apart again? Did the stitches rip open? or just dissolve like you wrote? it seems that there must be some kind of specialist- maybe a pelvic floor person? sigh....








mama


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

Hi Karen








How's the family?
No, there was no tearing. I bought a mirror today and looked. It's totally smooth and healed looking as before. It's like my just won't knit together. Once the stitches come out, it just separates and looks totally healed.
Think I should ask (or could you ask) Roxanne for advice?


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## Malama (May 11, 2002)

We're doing great! Luka is growing and we're ALL enjoying having a baby around.

I thought about asking Roxanne for you- you can contact directly if you want. Her email is birthrite @ verizon.net and her # is 965-5355 (i think it's OK to post that here, don't you think?). I don't know if she could help, but she would listen! I do know she told another mama who's tear healed poorly that if that mama birthed with her again that she could rough up the scar after the next birth and re-put it back together- like what you had done. perhaps your tissue didn't really abraid well when the doc did it?


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## Artisan (Aug 24, 2002)

Oh my goodness -- what an ordeal! I'm sorry you have to deal with this.

I would get another opinion, for sure. If there is a prolapse, you would probably feel it -- you could most likely feel the weight of your bladder or uterus on your pelvic floor. But it sounds like maybe you need a scar revision. I'm not a gynecologist, but that's the first thing that came to mind. But definitely see another GYN.










P.S. I love your signature!


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## candiland (Jan 27, 2002)

I tore pretty badly with my first and didn't want stitches. I have a fear of needles and such.

My mw told me that most women can heal naturally if they keep their legs together at all times... that the sides can naturally knit back together.

Mine started to knit back together but never totally finished. A few months later, when dh and I had sex after the birth for the first time, I'm pretty sure it opened back up some. After a few MORE times, I'm pretty sure the entire scar line separated.

It feels strange and was quite tender for a while. I have to admit, it's kind of weird having a disfigurement in such a "sacred" and private place. But it hasn't affected how "it" functions during sex and there is no pain... so I am assuming it's mostly superficial and won't cause problems later in life.

Try getting some boric acid powder and packing it into water soluable veggie capsules. Insert one finger-deep before bed for three nights in a row. That should take care of any yeast that may be making your tissue brittle. It sounds rough but it's not at all! I did this right after the birth of my first when my tear was fresh and raw and it didn't hurt or burn in the least. The name is much scarier than the product, trust me!


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

Luka is probably rolling all over the house these days








Thanks for Roxanne's contact info. I might email her since phone conversation is always difficult these days with all my little interruptions








Thanks for the info about prolapse, reader. I guess that's not my problem. I'm wondering if a chiropractor might help a little? Maybe my hips or back are really out of whack and pulling? I thought the gyn really DID do a scar revision. At least the part in the vagina held up just fine (or I hope it stays together - who knows). It's just the outer part of the perineum.


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

Thanks, candiland








My sister uses boric acid for yeast so it doesn't scare me. hehe. I've been taking the GSE and it seems to have taken care of the problem. I just hope the doc isn't mad that I didn't take the antibiotics without telling him I didn't want to. I have a good relationship with this doc but Amelie was crying and I didn't feel like debating the antibiotic issue at the time. The GSE should have covered both bases, right?


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## shannon0218 (Oct 10, 2003)

Wow, I'd be tempted to contact a plastic surgeon, I think that for that to heal roughing up the scar is not going to be enough, I would think it needs to be resected and sewn back together properly, scar tissue by nature doesn't knit, so to rough up enough would be difficult. Sorry you're going through this.


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

over the counter GSE is 1/4 strength but is suppose to kill bacteria and yeast-- thing is you need to recolonize with good flora because it does wipe out all flora... I wonder if you have something like mycoplasma or BV and would want to test to see
although I think that trapped blood was probably the cause of the dehiscence- and was probably in there since then and enlarged and probably became inflamed with this birth then caused the split

Some providers are better than others at repair and suturing-- you could talk to a plastic surgeon
try doing things to colonize with lactobacillus like taking caps eating yogurt, sour dough bread... also instil some into the vagina
consider sitz baths and if you have this repair- redone by someone else- either ob or plastic surgeon use comfrey leaf soaks with some added lavender flowers maybe some plantain leaves thrown as well for about 5 days after to help speed healing-

(use of comfrey is controversal and some strains of comfrey are high in PAs but lowest amount is in leaves and leaf teas have the lowest amount)


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## MamaTaraX (Oct 5, 2004)

Wow, what an ordeal!! I'm so sorry your perineum is so traumatized.
When I had my first son, about a week later I felt something was amiss, it felt like a teeny hole. I went to my OB and she looked, said it was just some residual tearing. She said that she takes ANY feelings like that very seriously. When she had her first they said she didn't tear. Happy was she until a couple weeks later when she felt something amiss, went to her GYN to find out there was a hole. It took one rather long surgery to fix it and another small procedure to re-fix the fix. So she takes holes seriously. She said that if she can't fix one, she sends people to a plastic surgeon "the sooner the better". I think after all you've been through, I'd heed my old OBs advice and the same about: get another opinion and go to a plastic surgeon. Best wishes for healing to you!
Namaste,Tara


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

Thanks Shannon







If anyone knows about medical trials, you sure do. The weirdest part of this ordeal is the vicodin. I keep second guessing myself when I take one. "Do I really need it? Is the pain that bad? Can't I tough it out? Am I going to turn into a pain killer addict?" :LOL I've been taking one every other day but yesterday I took two.


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

Thanks, mwherbs. My gyn said not to take baths so I assumed that meant no sitz baths. He didn't want the stitches dissolving too soon. I have been putting an ointment on it that my midwife gave me from Susun Weed. My doctor agreed that it was a good thing to use. I think it has goldenseal and comfrey and maybe even plantain. (Did we talk about this in that thread I started when I first noticed this problem?). I'm taking 1500 mg grapefruit seed extract daily and I just so happen to be eating sourdough right now. I've been craving yogurt too. Putting like 1/2- 1 cup of plain yogurt on top of my meals.
Tara, do you think this is something that I need to get fixed right away? The rectocele (hole) seems to be healing just fine. It does cause a stabbing sort of pain here and there, but when I self examine, it's not painful to touch it anymore.
I still don't know if this is something that needs immediate attention or it will get worse or just something I can put on the backburner for a year or so. Or can I just live with a split perineum with any further issues?


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## Malama (May 11, 2002)

I don't think you should wait. I think it's important to find a doc who knows what's up and get his/her opinion. if they say it's ok to wait, then ok, but this is part of your sacred anatomy!


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## boston (Nov 20, 2001)

I would also look for a plastic surgeon, mama.
Big hugs to you. That sounds stressful.


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## KiwiZ (Apr 4, 2004)

Check out this site: Urogynecologists
It tells you about urogynecologists (who specialty includes helping women with postparum problems) and how to find one. Perhaps your primary care physician could refer you to one as well? Hope this helps


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

This doc seems to be pretty competent. I'm wondering if there's just too much scar tissue in the area for it to heal properly. I don't know what's going to happen next. I may go see him this afternoon.
I left a message for Roxanne so maybe I'll get to talk to her today








I talked to the midwife who assisted with Amelie's birth and she thinks it's a scar tissue problem. She also told me that the umbilical cord was coming out with Amelie's head. I had no idea. She never breathed a word about it. I guess I was really focused on pushing her out anyway so no need to scare me?


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KiwiZ*
Check out this site: Urogynecologists
It tells you about urogynecologists (who specialty includes helping women with postparum problems) and how to find one. Perhaps your primary care physician could refer you to one as well? Hope this helps

Thanks KiwiZ! I'm on the phone with my insurance right now.


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## Yummymummy74 (Jun 7, 2004)

Hi!

I am soo sorry your going through all this but I wanted to ask you when you say Rectocele what exactley are you refering too? I understood that a Rectocele was inside the vaginal vault on the posterior wall of the vagina and was a thinning of the wall between the layers of the skin that seperates the rectum from the vagina, I also understood that its not an actual hole.. you can see bulging ect.. but there is no clear passage from one side of the wall to the other.

I understood fistulas to be actual holes..

Can you clarify for me? or can someone else as I am genuinely wondering about this.. I second the idea you should have another opinion just in case.


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## Jane (May 15, 2002)

Isn't there a great physical therapist that specializes in pelvic work in your area? (I'll try to remember who is recommending her and PM them) Perhaps the skin will not suport what the muscles "want" apart? It's possible that a surgical repair is not enough, but a combination repair would be. Like a torn rotator cuff requires not just surgery, but therapy afterwards.


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

Marsupialmuma: I don't really understand the terms. Doc called it a rectocele and he thought it was a hole but I told him it wasn't. He kept asking me if I was passing gas through my vagina. After he performed the surgery, he said it was as thin as could be without being a hole. That part is healing fine. It's the perineum that won't stay healed. The stitching looked like this ---o--- at my last appointment and now it looks like this -< When I checked this morning, it looked like even the stitched up part inside the vagina was coming apart as well.
Apricot: Who, where? I'll call anyone. I even called my chiro to see what he thought it would cost me. He said he'll examine me for no cost and we can set up a payment plan for the treatment I would need.


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

I know that you don't want the sutures to dissolve too quickly but on the other hand once open you want to start healing the area--- even good doctors can be somewhat inept in repair-- I have watched some pretty poor sewing from some pretty good doctors--- the thing with a plastic surgeon is often he is very use to dealing with putting tissue back together and getting good results-- his job depends on doing good closures as well and often they use very tiny sutures

if you are still in pain do the sitz baths now and I agree with you that you can table this until later
take care
PS I have seen all different lengths of perineums does everything come together when you kegel?


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

I did some kegels over a mirror and everything comes together. But it looks like my kegels are pretty weak. I'll start sitz baths. I think my perineum is about 1/4 in long. It's barely there at all.
What do you think of applying vit E to the are now?

Oops. Forgot to mention that some of the pain is in my leg. I have a strange hip joint and I think the nerve and muscles were stressed during the surgery. When I start to get the piercing type of pains somewhere inside, my hip also hurts. I don't know what's causing the pain. It sometimes feel like there's a poker shoved into my butt.


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## Yummymummy74 (Jun 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kavamamakava*
I did some kegels over a mirror and everything comes together. But it looks like my kegels are pretty weak. I'll start sitz baths. I think my perineum is about 1/4 in long. It's barely there at all.
What do you think of applying vit E to the are now?

Oops. Forgot to mention that some of the pain is in my leg. I have a strange hip joint and I think the nerve and muscles were stressed during the surgery. When I start to get the piercing type of pains somewhere inside, my hip also hurts. I don't know what's causing the pain. It sometimes feel like there's a poker shoved into my butt.

Ok the poker in your butt feeling :LOL thats sacroiliac pain something that I suffer from very badly right now and cannot walk some days.. chiro technically should help that but right now does nothing for me.


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## Jane (May 15, 2002)

kava - I'm so sorry, but I misremembered. The physio that someone was raving about was in Minnesota! D'oh. However, in trying to find that, I found that there were other women that found pelvic physios from a recommendation from a CNM or GYN.

One more thought - how's your blood work? Hb, platelets, etc? The process of healing is so dependant on the components of blood working in concert. If something's off, the process can continue in a disordered way.
I wonder if maybe you should stop supporting your immune system so well - at this point, granulation and bad scarring would be better than this uber-healing that you have going.


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## tinyshoes (Mar 6, 2002)

My gosh, kavamamakava, good luck to you in your pursuit for perineal happiness!

This thread reminds me that there are lots of surgical miracles that happen, , sex-changes, cosmetic, reconstructive, and the like...I applaud your efforts at finding the proper surgeon (if that's what you decide you want) to repair and fix what deserves to be fixed.

For the record, a rectocele is a bulging of the rectum into the vagina. (A cystocele is a bulging of the bladder into the vagina.)

A rectovainal fistula is a hole in the vaginal wall between the vagina and the rectum.


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

so for the pain poker in the butt pain how about a chiropractor? and I would use St John'swort oil topically on the entire butt and lower back-- I really love the stuff calms the nerves down---


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

Apricot: I could be low on iron. Should I start taking Floradix again?
mwherbs: I've never used St. John's oil before. I'm not sure when I'll get some, could I use arnica gel?


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## Jane (May 15, 2002)

Does Floradix bring up your iron well before? I have to just throw stuff at something that's not a known problem. Did they draw blood before they did your last repair? You might see if he/she can fax you a copy of that bloodwork.


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

No. No blood draw but I tend to go low on iron often.


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## Jane (May 15, 2002)

If you get low on iron occasionally, maybe floradix is a good idea for general post-partum care, but I don't think it's the answer on this.

I'll "talk" outloud so you can see where I'm going - this is my understanding:
During your daughter's birth, your perineum experienced some extreme stress, breaking down the functional connective tissue along an old scar line. Several days after the birth, the skin also split along the scar, leaving the tissues gaping apart.
In addition, some of your skin has broken down, leaving only a thin line of mucosa between your vagina and rectum in at least one area.

The area was stitched over again, but is now apart again. The muscles of the perineal area are able to bring the edges together with your exertion.

Since the scar dehesized with this birth, I hypothesize that it did not heal properly the first time. It is not uncommon for a subsequent birth to "repair" the perineum, for a woman to be cut with her first birth, heal but be uncomfortable, and have the scar stretch and revise after her second birth, releaving the discomfort and lack of function. It is uncommon to see a complete failure of the scar with healthy tissues in a well nourished woman. So I think: is she healthy? is she well nourished? does she have undiagnosed STD or infection causing tissue problems? Since you did have prenatal care and I "know" about your nutritional status from your posts, these don't seem likely, but you tell me...

Next thought: something is keeping your body from laying down the foundation strips of scar that lead to full repair. You didn't lay down the collegen and fibrous tissue after the first repair, leading to the failure of the scar with this birth. You didn't lay them down again, leading to the second failure after the stitches started to wash away. Having lots of scar tissue to the touch doesn't mean it's orderly and working, even. Think of a pile of yarn compared to a knitted blanket - one holds tension and one would not. The underlying network to heal a scar looks a lot like a badly crocheted afghan blanket with lumps and bumps and a basic network. Over time, this strong but disordered net revises to be a thinner, more uniform (more experienced crocheter) net.
So next line - how is your blood, specifically platelets and iron? Do you have have the raw materials to repair tissue? Iron is important for that, but not the #1 item. It would be something that is NOT just now because it affected your first birth, too. If you had a global platelet problem, your midwife would have seen it during prenatals for one, and my questions would have rung a bell like "oh, yeah, my bloodwork is always interesting".
So, next thought.
How do you heal in general? Do you have lots of scars? How about past surgeries if any? Do you have thin pale skin? Are you red headed? Sprains, breaks, etc?
And final thought - stop with the vitamin E and anti-scaring, good healing stuff perhaps - a lot of that is designed to make thin efficient scars and supple, elastic skin. It might be the wrong direction to go for right now.


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## Itlbokay (Dec 28, 2001)

You've already gotten great advice, so I just have this to give you -


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

Apricot: Thanks for all that information. I'm not sure where to go from here. I didn't start Vitamin E or anything like that until last week. I've only taken Vitamin E orally for the past 3 days and I've been taking Grapefruitseed Extract in pill form in case there was some sort of infection that was breaking down the tissue. I also felt yeasty so thought the GSE would cover both issues. My doc prescribed antibiotics but he's already had me go through two rounds and I hate how they make me feel yeasty so I didn't take them. I didn't tell him I wasn't taking them and feel a bit bad about it. I don't know how I'll bring that up to him. I should have discussed it first but Amelie was crying and I was in a hurry to get home. I was under the impression that he was prescribing them as a preventative.
My scar held up for the most part after birth #2 but it fell apart after birth #3.
I have tons of scars. I think I'm accident prone. I am missing two finger tips from an accident when I was 4 and have had 3 reconstructive surgeries on them. The last one was 14 years ago and I healed quickly. I also busted my face pretty bad in a car accident 15 years ago. I healed quickly from that and had reconstructive surgery the following year which healed nicely. Two years after that I ran into a door and split my eyebrow. That also healed quickly. But this is old news. I haven't had any major issues except for the tear in 2001 at my first child's birth. According to the surgeon, I healed well except for an extra bit of skin that he removed 2 weeks after the original surgery. The scar split a tiny bit after birth #2 but the stitch the midwife put in fell out and it healed together on its own.
I sliced my finger open with a knife during this last pregnancy and it healed quickly. I don't know of any strange bloodwork results except for low iron. All STD bloodwork came back negative.
My life is hectic lately and I could be deficient in something. I didn't really take prenatals this past pregnancy like I should have. They made me ill in the beginning and then I kept forgetting later on in the pregnancy. I have never taken one prenatal pill, but took vitamins separately to get what I assumed I needed. My midwife was aware of the vitamins I was taking even though I didn't take them on a daily basis. I do eat a vegetarian, mostly organic and whole grain diet and take a daily flax seed oil supplement.

I was thinking about this earlier tonight and wondering if I could do an experiment. I have a slightly herniated belly button. It popped out the very last day of my first pregnancy and hasn't gone back in. It doesn't hurt, but my OB/GYN and midwives have both said the only way to get it back in is to have it surgically put back. Would having that procedure done while I have my perineum repaired give some answers on the state of my body's ability to knit tissue together? What I'm asking is will I know more about my perineum if my belly button heals fine but my perineum doesn't?

And I have questions about perineums for anyone who wants to answer. Can I go through life with a 1/8th inch long perineum? Will it affect my ability to have more children? I don't think I want more at this point, I'm just curious.

Thanks for the hug, Itlbokay







Nice user name


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## Jane (May 15, 2002)

Kava, I "see" a lot of self-blame in your last post, about vitamins, antibiotics, vitamin E and GSE, etc. In response, I want to clear up a few things about my post. When I suggested infected tissues, I meant a raging case of bacterial vaginosis or long-standing clamydia, not yeast or a small infection after stitching. Poor nutritional status was meant to imply very poor nutrtion - anorexia or complications of crone's disease, not whether you take prenatals.

I think of this like trying to get something off the top shelf. There is nothing to be done about the fact that someone is 5'2" tall - there is only to supply a chair and try not to fall off. Suggesting that there is any blame for the condition is not helpful unless the person has recently taken a hacksaw to her ankles. The chance of you having caused this is about as likely as someone taking a hacksaw to your ankles recently.

The only complication I can think of with a very short perineum is your physical discomfort and a higher risk of cross-infection from the bowels to the vagina. If you ever wanted a bidet - this is the perfect excuse to get one.


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

I have a bidet! Now I just have to convince Dimitrius to pull it out of storage and install it. It's a toilet top one. It was lovely after births 1 and 2. Everyone should have one!
http://www.washlet.com/chloe.asp


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## Jane (May 15, 2002)

I'm jealous, you know. I _want_ a bidet.


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## tinyshoes (Mar 6, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Apricot*
Since the scar dehesized with this birth, I hypothesize that it did not heal properly the first time. It is not uncommon for a subsequent birth to "repair" the perineum, for a woman to be cut with her first birth, heal but be uncomfortable, and have the scar stretch and revise after her second birth, releaving the discomfort and lack of function.

Apricot, that is so interesting, and indeed was my own personal experience. I had a too-tight episiotomy repair, and then my homebirth w/ #2 resulted in a small tear....and that tear UNDID the too-tight repair, and rendered my perineum happy again, just like it was before my OB's sewing project. I just wanted to chime in, 'cause perineal happiness is a topic of great importance to me!


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## Jane (May 15, 2002)

That's awesome that it's back to goodness and happiness again.

"OB's sewing project" - snork!


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## JenniferH (Feb 24, 2005)

I haven't read through the whole thread, but I second (or third) the plastic surgeon. At this point you will probably have to have reconstructive surgery.

ETA:

Just read the whole thing. Glad it's ok!


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