The Doctors Bjorkman
OB/GYN's 10 Tips to Care for Perineal Lacerations After Giving Birth
This week, Dr. Sarah Bjorkman, a board-certified OB/GYN and new mom, shares her medical expertise and her own personal experience about the things you can do to help with healing, pain, and discomfort from perineal lacerations or other tears after childbirth. Stay tuned until the end to also hear a list of concerning complications that would make your OB/GYN want you to call them right away.
Looking for more?!
Coming in early 2026, we are launching TDB+. It’s a research-backed membership designed to give you support, connection, and resources for wherever you’re at on your parenting journey!
Imagine in-depth access to pregnancy, birth, and parenting content, while also getting behind the scenes interaction with us, our day-to-day real lives, and a community of other parents to support you.
Learn more about the membership and join the waitlist here! 👉 https://forms.gle/BxXToaDdKooWgfPr5
Affiliate links to all products mentioned in video here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/thedoctorsbjorkman
Be sure to subscribe for weekly videos about all things pregnancy, babies, trying to conceive, and more with episodes released on Wednesdays!
Also check out our video: Pediatrician Shares What You NEED to Know About Caring for a New Baby
Music: https://www.bensound.com
Intro Music: A WAY FOR ME – Nicolai Heidlas by Chem Ocampo
Keywords: pregnancy update, the doctors bjorkman, first trimester pregnancy, second trimester pregnancy, third trimester pregnancy, fourth trimester, pregnancy vlog obgyn, postpartum, postpartum depression
hi my name is dr sarah bjorkman
and i am a board-certified ob gyn and a first-time mom and a couple
weeks ago we did an episode all about how to hopefully prevent perineal
tears or lacerations when you're in labor um and so this week i want to talk to you about
how to take care of your bottom after delivery if you do end up with a tear um giving you some of
my medical expertise as well as my in real life knowledge having just gone through this myself
so we're going to get into it right after this so as we talked about in that episode all about
preventing perineal tears which is linked here um anywhere from 50 to about 80 percent of
women may experience some kind of tear when they are giving birth and there's different
degrees of tearing which we talked about um but the question is how do you take care of
that injury after birth so today i'm going to go through the products that will help you be
as comfortable as possible and heal as quickly as possible okay if you haven't subscribed to
our channel please do that we love um bringing you guys pregnancy postpartum parenting uh topics
um and we want you to stay with us so here we go you have had a baby or you're
about to and you want to know what to do to take care of your bottom postpartum
so the number one thing that you are going to want to have is a parry bottle so most hospitals have
something just looking about like this you are going to want to fill this up with water when you
go to the bathroom you are going to want to squirt this to clean off your vulva and vagina my pro
tip on this is if you have any labial lacerations you may even want to squirt water while you
are peeing because urine can really burn on an open cut so you use this so you don't
have to wipe aggressively and you can also use it to kind of distract you while you're
peeing so step one carry bottle um the next thing you're going to want to do is you can
gently pat your perineum and your vulva dry with a washcloth or some toilet paper after that
the next thing you're going to want to do is to take your dermaplast often you can ask for
this at the hospital and your doctor can prescribe it but this is basically just a
topical anesthetic so after you pee you use your peri bottle you are then going to spray
this on your labia your vagina your perineum and your bottom and it is a nice cooling anti-itch
kind of numbing medicine that really helps now if you are one of the lucky mamas who is also
dealing with some really painful hemorrhoids which you may be at that point you are going to want to
get yourself some witch hazel pads okay these are circular little white things that have witch
hazel on them you fold up a couple of these put them between your cheeks and that really helps
with that hemorrhoid pain um the next thing you're going to want to do is get yourself some jumbo
pads again the hospital will usually have these take as many home with you as you can but you
want a nice jumbo pad that you are then going to put on the inside of your disposable
undies okay these things are amazing they're so comfortable they're huge
they fit every body um and they're super comfortable so i was very into
the disposable mesh undies loved them so mesh undies pad on the inside some people
prefer depends but those are the key things to help your bottom heel and be
comfortable some other things um that i found were really really helpful were
um instant ice pads okay so freedom mom make some and i thought these were amazing the hospital
also has some of these but basically what you do um it's an absorbent pad and it has um like an ice
pad on the inside so you break it and it cracks and then the whole pad gets really cold my pro tip
for this is to sprinkle just a tiny little bit of water on the pad and it makes it so much colder
so you can sit on these for about 30 minutes at a time is what um i found before then they got
warm and then you just throw them away and so you can do this a few times a day to help decrease
swelling you know if you have a sports injury you're going to ice it it's the same thing if
you have an injury to your bottom here you want to ice it and it'll really help um the other
things you want to be thinking about are taking some kind of pain medication to help you feel
comfortable and those are going to be things like tylenol and motrin if you don't have any allergies
or contraindications you can take those every six hours kind of around the clock those first that
first week or so that you're home um that will really help with your pain another thing everybody
dreads that first postpartum poop especially if you have stitches um in your vagina in your
perineum so something i recommend is some kind of stool softener whatever your stool softener of
choice is cold lace miralax whatever works for you start taking that as soon as you get home so that
it's more of a everything falls out you do not want to be pushing anything out while your bottom
is still healing and you still have stitches um other things that you can think about um you
can take sits baths so you don't want to take um a 15-minute bath okay and your cervix is still
open there's a theoretical risk of increased infection so your doctor isn't going to recommend
a bath um you know for the first couple days um but you can take six baths you know sit in the tub
for 10 minutes splash some water to make sure your bottom is nice and clean some people love these
like some bath salts it's like an epsom salt soak and that's really wonderful and can be really
comforting on your bottom another thing if you aren't into the witch hazel pads you
can use this it's a witch hazel healing foam that you can also put on your perineum to kind
of help so you can use the dermaplast on your perineum it's a topical numbing and then
the witch hazel is kind of a an antiseptic that helps in terms of healing and anti-infection
and so you can also put this on your vagina and perineum things that you want to look out for when
you are postpartum is if you notice that you are having really exquisite pain that isn't getting
better you want to talk to your doctor right away if you notice that you are having kind of like
foul smelling discharge from your vagina that is purulent or green or and doesn't smell good those
are things that you want to talk to your doctor about um if you have a fever above 100.4 call your
doctor right away and so those are things those are just things you want to call your doctor about
other things to think about especially if you have had a third or fourth degree laceration again
is going back to make sure you're taking a stool softener religiously because with a third
or fourth degree tear there was a tear in your anal sphincter and so you want to make sure
that you aren't putting any stress on that at all of course if you have any questions talk to
your ob gyn but hopefully this helps all of you be able to take care of your parenting so having
lived through this and as an ob gyn something for you to think about that can be very helpful when
recovering from a tear or a perineal laceration is pelvic floor physical therapy and this is
something very often that your ob gyn can give you a referral for or put you in touch with your local
pelvic floor physical therapist and so if this has something is something you have access to i would
absolutely recommend you see them because they can help you regain the strength in your pelvic floor
make sure those muscles are working correctly show you how to do exercises and this can help down the
road in terms of helping prevent incontinence and pain and all sorts of things and so postpartum
after you give birth something i would absolutely look into talk to your ob about is seeing a pelvic
floor physical therapist because they are amazing and will really help you restore that
strength and function in your pelvic floor all right guys those are my favorite things
that will hopefully help you be comfortable and heal from any tears that you have from giving
birth everything is linked in our amazon store or in the description below if you have any
questions please leave them in the comments and if you all have anything that you loved that
really helped you recover postpartum please leave them here so the other mamas can see um thanks
for being here we will see you all next week we're doctors but not your doctors
anything we've said in this video is for education or entertainment
purposes only it is not medical advice any specific medical questions you
have should be directed to your provider
#OBGYNs #Tips #Care #Perineal #Lacerations #Giving #Birth
source
How often are you able to take stool softeners?
I know this video is 3 years old, but it has been a lifesaver! I delivered 3 days ago and am in the thick of healing. Thank you, Dr. Bjorkman!! 💕
Is it normal for my wife having lump near her anus? Looks like she had childbirth before?
I had a colpoperinealorrhy and my surgeon doesn't allow any of these for soothing the stitches. 😩
thank you i really needed this!! i just gave birth yesterday 10/16/2024, and i am in so much pain. i have a 2nd degree tear, so the middle of my vagina and butt hurt so bad i cant even sit. so glad i had gotten the postpartum stuff i needed bc it is a lifesaver for my vaginal pain
The ice pads are a nice cushion even after they are not cold anymore 😊
I live in Japan, it’s my first birth, and I’m expecting doctors will push me to get a episiotomy 😰 I’m stocking up on everything
I had a 2nd degree tear and a postpartum hemmorage so am not doing well during this postpartum period. About to take my first postpartum poop and absolutely dreading the discomfort with these stitches…and scared of popping them, honestly.
Those are the worst peri bottles, get one of the upside down ones. Worth your $12.
Skip the pad and mesh undies, adult diapers are the way get the unscented if you don’t wasn’t to smell like a grandma.
What if the stinging is still super intense even after all these tips? My daughter just had a baby and nothing is helping. She had grade 2 bilateral labia lacerations 😢
For anyone out there that has a 3rd degree tear that isn't healing after 2 months. My doctor put me on estradiol, he said to use a pea size amount in the morning and at night in the areas that needed healing. The cream is supposed to increase blood flow to the area to help it heal. I remember it was night and day after I started using the cream. I'd say talk to your doctor about estradiol (estrogen cream) if your lacerations aren't healing.
V
I wish I knew what « foul smell » was. I think I smelled bad from the get gi st the hospital. But is that just the blood from the inside that has a certain smell? I’ve no clue.
A frozen diaper wetted with water stays cold longer than the ice packs. 😉
Really helpful!!!!
1. Peri bottle
2. Pat dry
3. Dermaplast spray
4. Which Hazel pads
5. Jumbo pads
6. Mesh underwear
7. Ice pads
8. Pain medication
9. Stool softener
10. Sitz baths
11. Which Hazel foam
12. Exquisite pain – call dr
13. Foul smelling discharge – call dr
14. Fever over 100.4F/38C – call dr
15. Pelvic floor physical therapy
Don't let your Dr near you with scissors. Tip #1
Does warmer water help in the peri bottle? I was thinking warmer would be a little more soothing?
Thanks for this video 😊
I have a one month old. Had to have an episiotomy. Yes to all of this! Also would add a perineal balm. Just recently found it. Love it for when I’m feeling a bit dry and a tad sore now. Will use it for perineal massage during the third trimester next time.
Every single thing she mentions here is GOLD. Solid gold. Listen up!!!
They aren’t going to make a huge difference but I really like the heavy flow liners with MINT (& lavender/aloe) made by the HoneyPot Company (found at Target if you’re in the US). The mint gives the pads a nice cooling feeling. With a 3rd degree tear I will take all the pain relief I can get. I also take Mirilax daily. I find it hurts to get in and out of bed/chair and to sit for too long. I am tempted to buy one of those doughnut pillows. Has anyone had experience with it?
si tz bath 3x /day works wonder!!!!
I’m only 15 weeks but I cry about tearing at least every other day I’m so nervous for it 🥺😭 thank you for making all these videos!
Wow, I have a walk in shower, definitely just going to hop in it and turn the water on when I go #1 next time- duh! My first birth I had a 2nd degree tear, it was all good until I had to go #1 because it just stung so bad for the first couple days! So thank you! Your idea about using the peri bottle while you're actually going pee made me think- hey the walk in shower is right next to the toilet so why not? Also, I personally never bothered with the throw away undies- just too many steps involved. I chose the sexy depends all the way lol, because I didn't always need an ice pad and the depends are just ready to go. Also with those stool softeners, wearing the depends comes in handy if you can guess what I mean 🙂
I recommend to take urine alkaliniser to help with the stinging
I wish you would have mentioned how long a tear can take to fully heal. I was under the impression that healing would take about 6 weeks, but at 6 weeks I tried to be intimate with my partner and it literally felt like a knife. I am now almost 8 weeks and I still don't feel like its completely healed even though the stitches are gone. After discussions with other moms, it seems pretty common that healing can take months and that isn't really discussed.
pro tip – witch hazel pads really help with stitches too. Mine would always stick to my pad and be so painful but i'd carefully tuck a witch hazel pad right up against my stitches and it helped so much plus helped with healing
It is good to know that Dr. Odion herbal remedies are good for curing various diseases and can also make our body healthier and stronger than ever. I was able to get rid of my blocked Fallopian tubes with the help of herbal remedies that I got from Dr. Odion on YouTube. And also cured my husband of HPV. Thanks to Dr. Odion for the happiness he brought to our family.🙏
Ladies put your tuck pads in the fridge❄❄., makes a world of difference , so soothing. I wish l would of known of the dermaplast when l gave birth .
They don't give us ice packs at our hospital
Thanks for the shoutout to pelvic PT!
– a pelvic PT (& first time expecting mom!)
Can we please get a video on how to care for newborn and umbilical cord? Please
Meanwhile my doctor said ''just take tylenols if it hurts'' ….
Which brand would you suggest for newborn cream, shampoo and wash etc?
Would love to see a video on Birth Plans and what I should include on it. I’m 32 weeks and confused on what I should put.
Can you do a video on your babies growth spurts. My six week old is fighting sleep and so fussy.