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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Is there anyone out there who DIDN'T tear with first delivery?

51 replies

LeviStubbsTears · 08/12/2010 22:13

It seems almost inevitable that one has some sort of tear after delivery of first child (and often second or third-degree...). Is there anyone who avoided this (and had a vaginal birth!), and if so, any tips on how you thought you managed it? I know it's not the end of the world, but any tips for staying relatively in one piece would be gratefully received!

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needtogetalife · 08/12/2010 22:16

I didnt tear, all I can say is listen to your midwife, follow what she says because thats all I did. I never went to anti-natal classes or had the internet to read all kinds of things. Follow your body and listen to midwife (as I said before)

good luck x

CheckeredFlag · 08/12/2010 22:19

I don't think a tear is inevitable, I didn't tear with either of mine. One waterbirth, one very quick non-water birth.

toomuchmonthatendofthemoney · 08/12/2010 22:19

Me, i didn't tear at all. Very long labour though!

I think a midwife made a comment that i had had lots of time to "stretch" so that was why i didn't tear. It took a good few contractions to get ds' head fully out, not in one big rush, so that may have helped. I guess it is just down to luck really, don't know if there is much you can do. I certainly wasn't caring by then, they could have cut me in half with a magician's saw if it meant getting ds out - after so long in pain i wasn't really on this planet!!

LeonardNimoy · 08/12/2010 22:23

I didn't tear, although I had a cut from DS fingrnail, which was very sore like a papercut! I had a fast delivery, was 9cm by the time we got to hospital and he was born 20 mins later, so please don't scare youtself by thinking it's inevitable :)

countless · 08/12/2010 22:26

I also didn't tear at all, not a scratch and had a relatively short 1st labour (5hrs. I second listen to your midwife. In the midst of all the crying and screaming the midwife said 'listen carefully and do exactly as i say or you may tear' my ears pricked up and i became very alert! basically i then only pushed when told to and phew we were fine.

ChasingSquirrels · 08/12/2010 22:31

I didn't tear with my first, but tbh I don't think it was anything but luck - certainly it wasn't anything I did before hand, and I don't think it was anything I did during - don't think I listened a flying fuck to the midwife.

I had a slight grazing with my second, but I think that was due to the speed of the delivery, and maybe also the lack of a midwife (due to the speed).

jennifersofia · 08/12/2010 22:32

I didn't tear for mine. I think it was partially luck and partially due to having a homebirth (quite relaxed) (well, as much as you can be!)

treedelivery · 08/12/2010 22:33

No tear . That was an 18-ish hour flogging, epidural, syntocinon, active pushing sat in bed with legs up...the whole thing. I think I have..er...plenty of room . I do have really crappy skin, thin, white, papery and it heals slowly and always scars.

I was pretty resigned to my bottom falling off, so was delighted to remain intact.

Tore with dd2, but that was much quicker [2-4 hours ish] and with no painrelief, so she shot out as I was totally unable to control myself. It was only a small tear and only stung for a about 5 days I think. I was on my side for her. I found pushing sitting with my legs up much easier and also easier to control. I'd do that again if I went for dc3.

Congratulations!

JumpJockey · 08/12/2010 22:35

Nope, no tears or grazes at all. Had dd in water, and the only input from MW was to let things come gently as she was crowning. I think it was the water that made the real difference. Plus there was plenty of the baby-nearly-out baby-going-back-in with the final few pushes, which was pretty disheartening (I did at one point say "Is the baby ever going to come out?" ) but this really helped let everything stretch gently at the last minute.

NormalityBites · 08/12/2010 22:38

No tear here. And no long labour either. In fact I had a 2 hour labour, planned home birth and a less than 6 minute second stage so by rights I should have exploded down there. Didn't though.

I attribute it to listening only to myself. Being as how I was generally the only person there

abenstille · 08/12/2010 22:46

me - though v long labour (26 hours) natural birth but ended up in a bed with stirrups. I had 'grazes' but no tears. You'll be fine

KellyBronze · 09/12/2010 01:30

I didn't tear with first. Horrendous induction with ventouse delivery too. I grazed and was horribly bruised though. I put it down to ignoring the midwife who was shouting me to hold my breath and push. I exhaled as I pushed. I had read in the Active Birth book by Janet Balaskas that you should never breath hold and push unlike what they all seem to do in the movies and TV.

DD2 was a very fast home water birth - under 2 hrs. I didn't even push once and she was out in 3 contractions. No midwife was there and just let my body do what it can do.

MrsRhettButler · 09/12/2010 01:33

i didn't tear either..

i olive oiled my lady bits for months before birth though, apparently this makes it more stretchy and supple

MrsRhettButler · 09/12/2010 01:33

dd was 8 11 btw

colditz · 09/12/2010 01:36

0.5 cm. they offered me a stitch or breakfast - I took breakfast.

hillee · 09/12/2010 02:42

I didn't tear with my first - and I had the whole shebang - prostin, ARM, syntocin and a giant epidural. I agree with toomuch, it's the timing. It took me an hour to very slowly push DD's head out. And then one final push on the rest and she was out.

Listen to the Obs/midwife, and only push in contractions. That being said, that is easier to say if you can't feel the pain. So I'm not too helpful on this front if you intend not to have drugs etc.

highschoolmum · 09/12/2010 07:38

I second absolutely everything needtogetalife said, listen to your midwife, I had a 9lb 8oz first baby, no tear or stitches, followed a year later by a 9lb 12oz baby in 4 hours, no tear or stitches.

I was also lucky to have the same midwife, she had said to me that she could count on one hand the number of cuts she had done or had to stitch. She was only young too, but very very good at her job.

pud1 · 09/12/2010 07:47

i didnt tear. i followed the midwifes instuctions. this is after my friend had more stitches than they could count. she said that she did not listen to the midwife. so i followed her advise to do as i am told

goingroundthebend4 · 09/12/2010 07:53

did not tear with ds1.8.3 or with ds2 at 10.4 and was only about 2 hrs with him

though dd at 4.10lb made up for it with csection

marriednotmulled · 09/12/2010 08:02

No tear here either- one of the slow ones with a good midwife so a tiny graze.

Was only one of 8 on our ward walking straight- the other 7 were fighting over a couple of rubber rings

AmandaCooper · 09/12/2010 08:28

Oooh it's getting close now! Hope you're doing well x

SpotSplatterSplash · 09/12/2010 08:57

No tears with any of mine.

DD1, I think was luck (and she was 6.5lb, so not too big).

With DS (10.75lb) and DD2 (7.13lb) I had the same midwife and she was fabulous.

Of course I could just have a stretchy fanjo

midori1999 · 09/12/2010 09:57

I didn't tear and DS1 was 9lb. Didn't tear with 10lb DS2 either, not sure what that says about me though...

GetOrfMoiLand · 09/12/2010 09:59

Tearing is not inevitable.

I had a very qucik labour with my dd (first and only) - about an hour from start to finish. I didn't tear - had what they said a slight scratch internally, but it wasn't painful.

TheUnmentioned · 09/12/2010 10:06

i did tear but only a teeny tiny wee cut, ds was 8lb 11 with a head on the 100+ centile.

i worried so much about tearing but seriously, there is no point i dont think, you either will or not and tbh at the time i couldnt have cared less!

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