Hi, The stitches can be painful post delivery, especially from 3-5 days as the healing response of the body is at its peak. The pain can come in way of passing stool, however it is important to do so in a regular way. Otherwise constipation can set in and cause hard stools which will result in unnecessary straining that can potentially harm the stitches. My advice to you with be to stake strong pain relief. I recommend taking both paracetamol 1 gm orally (6hrly with a maximum of 4 g) and Ibuprofen 400 mg 8 holy, unless you are asthmatic or intolerant to it. Both together can give good pain relief and anti-inflammatory action as well. Take plenty of oral fluids and fruit and fiber rich diet which will support regular bowel movement. You can use lactulose (10-15 ml orally, three times a day), or Movicol (1-2 sachet twice a day) to help with stool softening. These are not passed onto the baby. If severely constipated, Dulcolax (bisacodyl) 5-10 mg can be taken orally once daily in the morning. The above mentioned are okay when breastfeeding. Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Sabina Hussain, OBGYN, Gynecologic Oncology