and is there a 1st degree tear too??

it was all internal 2nd degree tear for me and stitches

thanks as im just curious

I think it must means how much in and how far down it tears iyswim

www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=x20050606103654356350

OWW!

ive just read it now

thanks

A 2nd degree is a tear which can be internal and external but does not tear through all of the layers of the vagina and the rectum to make one large hole. This is a 3rd degree tear and are normally repaired in theatre. I think a 1st degree is a mild split that doesn't require stitching.

The midwife told me that 1st degree is just tearing to the skin, 2nd is torn muscle and third is where it tears all the way down to your anus. There is 4 th degree (have seen it discussed on MN) but not sure what that entails.

I was told 2nd degree is a tear that requires stitches, 3rd degree is tear that requires surgury to repair.

i had a 3rd degree tear - i believe it was 3rd degree because it went through the muscle. it didn't tear all the way down to the bumhole - but nearly. i think that's a 4th degree tear.

ouch!

hope youve recovered ok?

more or less...still hurts when i poo

1st degree - skin only
2nd degree - skin and muscle of vagina/perineum
3rd degree - skin, muscle of the vagina/perineum that extends down to the outer margins of the anus
4th degree - all of the above but the tear goes deeper into the rectum itself

3rd and 4th degree tears will always need suturing by a doctor, usually in theatre. Most first degree tears won't need suturing, and some second degree may not, depending on the individual tear. Midwives can suture most first and second degree tears.

Hello

I had a 3rd degree tear and it was all of above as snaf listed but I was told that your spincter muscle has like 3 rings to it and I tore through all of them too

Oh it was just smashing

I thought 1st was skin, 2nd was muscle, 3rd was anus, 4th anus and urethra?

Anyone with 3rd degree tear ok in the toileting department? I had one 3 weeks ago and am terrified that I will be incontiment one way or another....?!?!?

I had 3rd degree back in 2005. I'm not incontinent, but it was a close call for the first 2 months. Don't worry, once you're recovered do your exercises and you should be OK. Have to say it still hurts to poo, though and often bleeds

I had 2nd degree along with a big cut, was told cut was stitched but tear wasn't.
I had troubles going to the toilet for months! But was also on iron tablets, so that might have had something to do with it too.
I'd recommend you buy a big tub of vasaline and put loads on a close as you can and I used a sanitary pad to hold everything in at the front for a while as felt like the whole world would fall out. Sorry TMI

I think I'm having a CS for DC1 then, OMG, I don't know how you ladies deal with this

Nobody gets to hear about this side of things much

You probably won't even feel a tear, if you do get on and I've heard it is very rare to get 3rd degree and above.
You don't want a CS, you'll have to stay in hospital and have you seen how they perform them? Ever watched one on telly?
No thanx!!!

I know, it's not the pain of the tear I mind. It's the potential of months of recovery and discomfort afterwards and toilet problems.

I don't think a CS is a walk in the park but I do think you ladies who struggle to recover for months afterwards and feel "back to normal" are the unsung sufferers as it were, and it's a side effect of birth that not many are happy to speak about in RL.

I had episiotomy first time 'round and 2nd degree tear second time 'round, neither of which I felt at the time although took much longer to recover from episiotomy as stitches got infected. Ok, so going to the loo was a bit nerve wracking for a couple of weeks but its amazing how quickly you heal up. All back to normal and much better than when I was pg to be honest - piles and incontinence no more thank god.

no incontinence, but bleeding when i poo. it was 12 weeks ago - i'm at the woman who had one in 05 - still bleeding? fuck.

kat is it possible that you have piles and are bursting the veins when you go? I had it for ages and used fibresure in my drinks 3 times a day and anusole cream through the day. Did help and now there's no blood and only in pain because heavily pregnant again.
Some of us never learn

i don't think so - i think it's a fissure inside. the doc at the hospital couldn't see anything wrong at 6 weeks....

Oh. Are you gonna go back to doctors about it?

chaufleur It's a shame this kind of thing isn't spoken about in RL, no one ever told me about the piles, the constipation, the bleeding, the stitches, the smells, the leaking pee-pee or any of the other things, but it can't all be that bad or else no one would ever have more than 1 child.
I had a bad time having ds (to me anyway, he was 1st so have nothing to compare it to) but I would much rather do it all again than have a cs.

I don't think so - not much they can do...

kat - there was a support thread for women with fissures after childbirth in the General Health section. Might be worth searching for it, as I'm sure that those women were having treatment.

thanks!

Littleboyblue, I guess there's no easy way for them to come out hey! May I ask, what do you see as happening in a CS that is worse than the worst VB symptoms long-term incontinence (double), etc? (I only ask as I am trying to decide what to do for the best at the moment, it's very hard!) TIA.