Hi everybody! I'm one day post op. So far, little to no pain, pretty much just soreness...I'm fairly swollen and purple, but not as bad as some I've seen. I've been lying in bed all day and "icing", but I have a question about the icing. I've been using cold packs that are a combination of sanitary pad and cold pack (good because I'm still bleeding a little bit) but I'm worried they're not cold enough. Does anybody have experience with icing? Did you put ice in a ziploc bag and directly apply it to the area? I want it to be cold enough, but I don't want frostbite.

I was also told to keep a gauze pad in between my labia to prevent adhesion, and between that and the bactroban, the whole process is kinda messy and gross. I'm looking forward to looking/feeling better. Question number two: when does the swelling reach its peak? I'm worried that I only think I got off lightly, and that the worst is yet to come.

Thanks for any tips.

For me, the best way to ice was using a pantyliner instead of a pad, and using either icepacks or a bag full of ice wrapped in a thin dishtowel. I wore big sweatpants for the first few days and could put the icepack in my pants, and tuck the pants up into the creases of my legs (around the ice) so they didn't get cold! If you're in bed, you could also just wear underwear and a panty liner and put the icepack on top of a sheet.

What method did you have done? It seems the recovery is pretty different for both.

My swelling was the worst at day 2-4 and then it started going down. If I do too much, or wear pants that are too tight and rub (like jeans), I still get swollen and sore, and use ibuprofen and ice again, and i am at week 3 today.

The first week was the worst for me, and I never got the itching that so many are talking about, so it was a breeze after 5-6 days.

Happy healing and try to stay in bed as much as possible for the first 3-4 days! It made a huge difference for me and I hardly had any swelling compared to a lot of other people (and according to my doctor!)

Ditto on that, too. I used gel ice pack (rectangular hot/cold pack from Medline), in a light dishtowel, easier to maneuver and didn't sweat as much as ice in a plastic ziploc. I kept it in some pajama pants because the pants kind of keep it in place. I still ice a couple times a week and I am at almost 5 weeks (on Tuesday). My swelling was bad from day 2 until 2 weeks. At 3 weeks I noticed a huge difference. The itching for me came from the stitches I could feel on the outside. It still itches some but a blast of Dermoplast cuts it right away.

I don't get the gauze between the labia.. I didn't get that instruction but I had wedge method. What method did you have, Bonsto?

At almost 5 weeks the area where I had clitoral hood reduction still gets a little sore if wearing tight clothes or jeans. I didn't wear jeans till 2.5 weeks. I've had sex a couple times (after 4 weeks) and it was bruised-feeling afterward in that area as well. I think there are still stiches under the skin around the hood area. At day 3 my dr said I could start warm epsom salt baths but I still do have some stitches that need to dissolve. He said I could cut the edges of external stitches at 3 weeks but I felt to nervous to do that.

Overall I was amazed at how fast it healed an how minimal the pain really was. It sounds like you're doing well. But yes the swelling gets worse before it gets better.




http://www.makemeheal.com/pictures/vagi ... rd=nirvana

thanks for the tips. I had the trim method, which is kind of UGH because I'm always reading about people who love the wedge method, which apparently has faster recovery...haha. Just about done with my 3rd day post-op and although the bruising and pain is definitely better, the swelling is slightly worse. Going to the bathroom, which I used to dread, is a million times better. Wearing pants of any kind at this point is still unimaginable! I've been walking around with ice and baggy underwear.

Just hoping that by day six/seven I'll be feeling less sensitive. My mom says that post-childbirth pain is much worse. I don't know, but I think this is pretty bad...