Do I need to remove the stitches after a normal delivery?

Giving birth is an extremely difficult process for women, because when pregnant, women have to pay attention to their physical health, and even during the process of giving birth, women's bodies may feel intense pain. Although caesarean sections are becoming more and more popular, many women still choose to give birth naturally for their own health reasons. Some women need to have an episiotomy during childbirth to make the baby come out better. Do they need to remove the stitches after the episiotomy?

Do I need to remove the stitches after a normal delivery?

Whether the episiotomy during normal delivery needs to have its stitches removed depends on whether absorbable or non-absorbable sutures were used at the time.

During normal delivery, an episiotomy is sometimes necessary to protect the perineum, allowing the fetus to pass through the perineum smoothly and delivering normally. After episiotomy and fetal delivery, the wound should be sutured in time to stop bleeding and reduce inflammation. If it is an absorbable intradermal suture, there is no need to remove the suture. If it is a non-absorbable interrupted suture, the suture needs to be removed. The mother should communicate with the doctor who performed the suture to see if the suture needs to be removed. Or discuss your choice with your doctor before delivery. Therefore, whether the stitches need to be removed during a normal delivery episiotomy depends on the choice of the original suture.

Absorbable suture

The absorbable catgut used in surgery is a suture that can be absorbed by the tissue and therefore does not need to be removed.

Medical gut is divided into ordinary gut and chrome gut, both of which are absorbable. The time required for absorption depends on the thickness of the intestinal thread and the condition of its tissue. It usually takes 6 to 20 days to be completely absorbed. Currently, all catguts are packaged in disposable sterile packaging, which is convenient to use.

Non-absorbable suture

That is, the sutures cannot be absorbed by the tissue, so they need to be removed after suturing. The specific time for removing stitches varies depending on the suture site, wound and patient condition. When the wound heals well and there is no infection or other abnormal conditions, the stitches can be removed in 6 to 7 days.

What are the precautions after removing the stitches after a normal delivery?

Keep the wound clean

After the stitches are removed after a normal delivery, the mother's lochia is often not clear yet, so the mother should still insist on washing the vulva with warm water twice a day. The mother should continue to rinse the perineum with water after urinating or defecating, and wipe it with toilet paper, wiping from front to back to avoid bacterial infection.

Keep the wound dry

After a normal delivery and episiotomy with stitches removed, the mother should keep the perineum dry and use safe hygiene products. Change underwear and sanitary napkins in time to keep the vulva clean and dry. Avoid moisture, breeding of bacteria, etc.

Do not lift heavy objects

Do not lift heavy objects or do any strenuous housework or exercise within one month after delivery. Excessive physical activity too early may cause damage to the pelvic floor tissue and even cause uterine prolapse in old age.

Prevent wound dehiscence

Some women may experience episiotomy wound dehiscence after the stitches are removed. If they have been discharged from the hospital, they should go to the hospital immediately for examination and treatment. If the wound tissue is fresh and has been split for a short time, you can immediately perform a second suture after proper disinfection. The stitches can be removed after 5 days and the wound can mostly heal again. If the wound tissue is not fresh and there is secretion, you cannot suture it. You can take a potassium permanganate solution sitz bath and take antibiotics to prevent infection. Wait for a local scar to form before it heals.

Although the episiotomy is a very small operation, because the wound is located at the intersection of the urethra, vaginal opening and anus, and because of some special circumstances after delivery, it is very easy for the wound to not heal, so you must pay attention to daily care.

Avoid sex

A woman should not start having sex until at least 6 weeks after giving birth. Firstly, the vagina of the woman needs time to repair due to the squeezing damage during childbirth. Secondly, although the stitches of the episiotomy wound have been removed, it does not mean that the inner layer of tissue has completely healed. Therefore, sexual intercourse should be avoided to prevent further tearing and laceration.