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I had an episiotomy and a 3rd degree tear. The first and second week were rough. I started to really feel better around 4 weeks pp but I was still uncomfortable a lot. Turns out that I had some granulated tissue at the site of my tear that had to be cauterized and burned off at my 6 week pp appointment. Since then it has been much better. I used a ton of Tuck's pads and had to take it super easy in terms of walking and sitting.

It took a long time. However, my pain got ridiculously bad at about 3 days pp, and it turned out my stitches were infected. If you aren't feeling any improvement at all, or if it's getting worse, it might be worth getting checked out.
Hope you're feeling better soon!

Hang in there sweetheart! I had so much (third and second degree) tearing and a million stitches. Take it really really easy for as long as you need to. Unfortunately the healing for me was very slow.

Congrats on your little man

I can so relate to what you're going through right now. I had a 3rd, almost 4th degree tear when my son was born in May. I remember thinking I would never feel human again. Everyday tasks were so difficult and I was in so much pain. Around 2 weeks I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and was feeling much better by 4 weeks. At my 6 week checkup my dr said everything had healed up nicely. I thought I'd never feel normal again, but I did recover and now it's as if it never happened!
Some of the things that helped me were sitting on top of a pillow or Boppy anytime I had to sit on my bottom (I spent a lot of the first week laying on my couch), taking a lot of showers (that was the only way I could ever feel clean), spraying my bottom with Dermoplast regularly, lining my pads with Tucks pads, and walking as little as possible.
Healing from such a bad tear did put a bit of a cloud over the newborn days with my son. It wasn't at all what I had hoped for, but we made it through and now it is just a memory. Hang in there!!!

My tear was a second degree, but it was a weird shape so it was hard to stitch up. It hurt A LOT for a couple weeks, but even once the initial pain was gone, it was still really sore. At my 6 week PP appointment, my midwife said it was healed nicely, but it didn't feel like it...and even now, at 3.5 months PP, it still doesn't feel totally normal. But it is slowly getting better and better. I'd say I stopped noticing it all the time around 4 weeks PP, though.

No experience with this but just wanted to send good thoughts your way!

So painful!! Hope you start to feel better soon!
I had a 2nd degree tear, so not as severe as a 3rd… but I found that doing sitz baths every day for at least 10-15 minutes helped tremendously!!

@Mrs. Champagne: I had 2nd degree, but didn't heal quite correctly, so I can relate. I remember telling dh that if I could just move like a normal person I could take better care of lo. All I can say is it does get much better! Hang in there!

Feel better soon!

I didn't have a 3rd degree tear, but I was still sore a couple of weeks later! Give it time!

@Mrs. Champagne: So glad everything looked good! Hope you're on the mend soon.

I had a very severe 4th degree tear, it was awful and took a long time to heal. I had to see my midwife/OB every 2 weeks for months. The hardest part for me was feeling very alone, (HB didn't exist then!) I didn't know anyone who had experienced anything even close to what happened to me. I had friends who were running 10K races 6 weeks after giving birth, at that point I couldn't even drive and it still hurt to lift and carry my newborn. It was frustrating and I didn't receive very much support from family or friends because they didn't really understand what had happened.

My best advice is to take it easy and try not to get too upset about it. I know it's hard, I had an awesome birth and my newborn was doing so well yet I felt terrible every day. Try to concentrate on just taking care of yourself and your sweet baby, if anyone is available to help definitely take advantage of it, especially with any errands, grocery shopping, meals etc. I also agree with everything @LomaLinda said, I sat on a pillow for months, used the tucks pads and tried to shower every day.

I hope you feel better soon, it is terrible but you will get through it!

@Mrs. Champagne: I'm so glad you're feeling better!

@Mrs. Champagne: reviving an old thread. Hope I'm not bringing back bad memories!! Your last update was at 7 weeks and you were feeling much better. Did everything completely go back to normal? I'm worried about long term damage. I commute to work. Will I be able to sit for long periods again?!

I'm one week PP with a third degree episiotomy and some tearing. I'm so thankful for my beautiful little boy but holy hell the pain has been unreal! I can't sit unless I'm propped up by a billion pillows and even thinking about driving or going for a walk seems impossible. I'm doing sitz baths and use the bottom spray and padsicles and am trying to nurse lying down the majority of the time. Please tell me this gets better. My recovery with DD was a breeze compared to this.

@Mrs. Champagne: thank you so much for sharing everything with me. We found out at the last possible minute last Sunday that baby was breech. I was in the middle of my induction. We had to make a quick decision and our Doctor really pushed for vaginal breech delivery. I have been sobbing all week to my husband that I wish I had done a Section. He doesn't understand.
I'm so glad you ended up with a full recovery. It seems impossible to me right now but you give me hope. I am so fortunate to have this little baby and am grateful every day but I'm just not enjoying the early days in the ssme way I did with DD. Once I can get out and about with him, I know I will feel better. I have lots of help with my 3 year old. She is in daycare 3 days and our moms help out the other days. Thanks for all your suggestions to help in the healing process. I didn't think about letting myself air dry and that is a great idea.

Anyone else in the recovery phase right now?

@delight: I'm in the recovery phase as well. Second degree tear so probably not as painful as you but I had thought things were on the upswing and then started to feel super sore again on Saturday. I think I may have pushed it as I took DS to the park and was hoisting him up onto the monkey bars (bad choice! Damn mom guilt made me want to give him some special one on one time) and I've been pretty sore ever since. My sister delivered a 9.5 pound baby in August and assured me that she could barely walk but then at 2 weeks she felt immensely better. Hang in there, mama! In one week, we should both be on the path to normal-ish.

@Anagram: oh yes I take my pain mess around the clock. I set a reminder on my phone because once I went longer than 4 hours and was in agony! I am going to see the doctor this week to have him check things out and make sure it's healing. My BF also had an infection and she said it was awful.
@Shantuck: I hear you on the mom guilt. Last week I was saying to DD that as soon as baby comes I can get down on the floor and play with her again. It was tough to move at the end of pregnancy. But I'm no where near being able to 'play' with her. I feel useless with her. I hope you continue to heal. I know it's just a matter of time before we are both feeling better.
@mrsjd: thanks for sharing your story. I am hoping by the 3 week mark I'll be feeling much better. I can't even imagine intercourse right now. Did you have trouble going to the bathroom? I'm so hopped up on stool softeners and laxatives just so I can go without pain. I'm hoping I don't have to stay on them for too long. Feel free to not answer my questions about pooping

@rachiecakes: thanks for your kind words. I am feeling down because people want to come over and meet the baby and I keep saying that I'm not ready yet. I will take your advice and try not to do things too soon. I feel trapped inside though. I stand at the window nursing, looking at the beautiful fall day and long to be out pushing my baby in the stroller. I have been able to walk around the house wearing him in a wrap today so hopefully things are on the upswing. I hate that others have gone through this but it's nice to know I'm not alone.

@agold: thanks for checking in. I just hit 4 weeks PP and am doing soooooooo much better. I did start feeling better at the two week mark. As soon as I could drive and get our of my house I felt way less depressed. We went for a long walk yesterday and I felt almost normal. I am still tender down there but I can sit almost comfortably so things are way better. I am glad you are feeling better too. My 3rd degree was bad enough, I can't imagine a 4th!!!