Another stats thread: Did you tear or have been cut?

[Rochwen]

Something I didn't know before I got pregant (dd1 now 2 years old) was just how common it is for women to tear during childbirth. The ante-natal classes never really mentioned it apart from the need for an episiotomy for forceps deliveries. Now, talking to friends and fellow ante-natal group mums it seems as if almost everyone tears somehow.

What is your experience? Did you tear and/or were cut or did you manage to give birth and still have an intact perenium?

[inkstigmata]

No tear three times in a row. Very lucky.

[Albsmum]

Was cut - had been in labour forever (6 days from first contraction to birth!!) so they had plenty of time to evaluate whether I was likely to tear. Consensus was that I would, therefore they cut. Had a natural delivery -but ALOT of stitches !!!

[NomDePlumeCantFindTheCatch]

I had a graze.

I wouldn't have any problems but DD's labour/birth was very fast and furious, the med bods said that was most likely why I grazed (perineum didn't get change to stretch slowly and gently).

[Charlee]

Baby 1 - 4th degree tear
Baby 2 - notihng

[chopster]

1 - tear with stitches
2 - slight graze, no stitches

I remember I found that out after giving birth too. I was quite shocked!

[LadyOfTheFlowers]

Ds1 - 2nd degree tear and graze - stitches
Ds2 - Small 'nick' and a graze - no stitches

Quite happy with that tbh.
The thought of being cut was more worrying than actual labour to me.

[TigerFeet]

Just a graze - no stitches.

Same as NdP, fairly quick delivery meant no stretching time.

[doggiesayswoof]

Tear. Stitches. Was ok, not a bad one. worst part was having the stitches as it took ages.

[LaCerbiatta]

I was cut. MW said I would have torn badly and it would have taken a long time for baby to come out. Felt a bit of a failure, specially because didn't do the rubbing with oil that was told to. But healed really quickly and don't seem to have any after effects.
I don't think it's a big deal to be cut. In Portugal for example all women are.

[barbamama]

small tear, no need for stitches, healed fine. Quite surprising really as baby got badly stuck though I suppose he was stuck behind the pelvis, not at fanny level. Did force dp to do the old perineal massage few weeks before so wonder if that helped?

[MrsFish]

DS1 - Full episiotomy and forceps, one and a half hours to be sewn up. Took a couple of weeks to recover.

DS2 - due in 5 weeks, just been told today he is breech, dreading that I might have to have a cs.

[MotherofZ]

Epsiotomy and vontous (is that how you spell it??). Baby's heart rate was dropping and they needed to get her out fast.

[harleyd]

ds1 - tore, stitches
dd1 - slight graze, no stitches
the other 2 - no tears

[Tigana]

cut...to make way for the Consultant holding the forceps!
urgh the memory has just made me cross my legs! Epidural so no pain from the cut...but you still feel it happen iykwim, although at the time it didn't bother me one bit (bigger fish to fry !)

[clayre]

dd - cut, the memory will never leave me

ds - small tear and a 2 or 3 stitches never even felt them

[thomcat]

DD1 (7lb 7oz)- no tears or cuts
DD2 (8lb 4oz) - no tears or cuts

DC3 - hoping for no tears or cuts

Think it was down to good midwives who made sure that after the head was out I didn't do anything else at all, other than pant out.

[RGPargy]

DS1 - Cut and stitches. Stitches were more painful than the birth!

DD2 - We shall have to wait til end of November to find out, but am keeping everything crossed!!

[bananabump]

I had a second degree tear because the pushing stage was pretty fast, he was out in 5 or 6 pushes. Didn't feel it tear specifically, I spose the pain just blended in with all the other pain, which was dulled by the gas and air. Stitches stung a bit. Wasn't too bad afterwards, got a bit sore when the stitches were coming out after about a week. 3 weeks on it feels healed and not even tender, although the "landscape" down there feels a bit different to touch. Yay for tmi!

[3madboys]

ds1 had an episiotomy, it was horrendous, but i had been pushing for three hours, the worst bit was i had heard about needing to be cut, but silly me and dp thought they would use a scalpel type thing, not a pair of great big stainless steel kitchen type scissors i really didnt need to see those.... anyway lots of stiches.

ds2 a tear, i refused to be cut, they were 'too busy' to stich me up tho, so by the time they did, a good four or five hours later i was all swollend and bruised, making it VERY painful, much more painful than giving birth.

the tear healed much better than the epsiotomy did tho.

ds3 a small tear that didnt need stiches, i could have hugged the midwife when she told me that, i was dreading having them after ds2.

dc4, hoping for a home water birth and no stiches again

[RGPargy]

lol @ landscape!!

[Lizzzombie]

I was cut.
Vonteuse delivery.
LO had hand on his head.
I'd spent a ton on perenium massage oils too! Grr.

[kittylouise]

Slight graze, no stitches needed. Still bloody hurt, though, for ages.

So I class 'slight graze' in the same category of undersold phrases used by medical professionals, such as 'small scratch' when they are about to push a ruddy great needle in your hand.

But I am a complete wimp, so this may just be me!

[MKG]

Tore with ds1 because he came out with his arm over his head (2nd degree). Tore with ds2 but ob/gyn believe it was just the scar reopening. No big deal.

[Tutter]

ds1: episiotomy
ds2: 2nd degree tear

[chipkid]

ds episiotomy and then a third degree tear

dd c.section as a result of the above