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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

What things contribute to who TEARS? Is there any rhyme or reason?

30 replies

Leilababyno1 · 02/02/2011 16:11

I am curious to know what things determine which women will tear and which women won't during childbirth??

Does babies weight make a difference or is it based purely on head size?

For example will a 9lbs baby make a tear more likely than a 6lbs baby being delivered vaginally?

Which ladies on MumsNet have torn and to what degree versus women who haven't? Does it make a difference if you are more petite compared to a taller lady?

What are the stats? And can a tear be avoided?

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CrawlingInMySkin · 02/02/2011 16:20

Hi I am a size 8 5ft womn with size 3 feet.

I didn't tear my first was born back to back with his arm by his head. He was 7lbs 2 but n the 98percentille for height and head circumference. He was delivered with me on my back with my legs flopped but the back of the bed raised 30 minute pushing stage.

DD 8lbs 2oz but not as tall. 2 minute pushing stage, same delivery position no tears. I did nothing while pg and did not birth in water. I think I was just lucky.

asdx2 · 02/02/2011 16:22

I tore with each of my vaginal deliveries (4) although not seriously. My babies were average sized (7 to 7.5lb). I am only 5 foot tall, size 4 shoe so petite and thought it was that. However my dsis is just 4cm taller with the same build and has had big babies (between 9 and 10lb) and has never torn

CrawlingInMySkin · 02/02/2011 16:26

I also had loads of stretchmarhs so do not have overall good elasticity.

preghead · 02/02/2011 16:29

I reckon it is to so with head size due to my non scientific study of my own 3 vaginal births. Ds1, medium to large head, got stuck, badly, small second degree tear no stitches. Ds2, relative pin head, no getting stuck, out in one push, no tears. Ds3 largest head circ of the lot, got stuck, second degree tear, couple of stitches.

Not sure what help this is as don't think there ismuch you can do about it.

preghead · 02/02/2011 16:30

I am also petite size 3 feet

marriednotdead · 02/02/2011 16:30

I've often wondered (with no statistical evidence to backup) if it has anything to do with your skin's general ability to stretch.

DC#1 was born slowly without stitches (6lb 9oz).

I have no stretchmarks either.

No doubt others will disprove my theory immediately

allmyfavouritethings · 02/02/2011 16:31

I'm also a little person lol, 5'0'' and size five feet. Fist DC was 61b 5oz, I had an epidural and fairly long pushing stage and had a 'graze' . No stitches but I have since noticed a fairly large 'scar' between aginal opening and labia (sorry if tmi) and I believe I could have done with a few stitches as it took months to be pain free.

Dc 2 was 61b 12, very quick pushing phase (about 3/4 pushes!!!) again a 'graze' but honestly i couldnt even feel it, everything felt back to normal down below after a few weeks.

Personally I believe it might be something to do with elasticty of skin in general, I have no stretch marks and neither has my mum, still getting asked for ID to buy wine at 37 lol!!

littleomar · 02/02/2011 16:32

you can try perineal massage. i did it both times so i can't say whether it worked. but the contortions required help keep you supple, if nothing else.

i had a first degree tear with my first; he was 7 and a half pounds. i had an epidural and delivered lying on my side after an hour of pushing.

my second was 8 pounds and popped out after four pushes without a scratch. i didn't have an epidural the second time and gave birth kneeling up.

i've been lucky with stretchmarks - only on my boobs.

fatsatsuma · 02/02/2011 16:32

I'm not a midwife or medic and am prepared to be told I'm wrong but I think tearing and its severity is more about the speed of delivery than the size of the baby.

I think I tore slightly with all of my babies, but only needed stitches with DC1. There was a sudden need to get him out quickly as his heart rate wasn't picking up after each contraction, so I just pushed as hard as I could and out he came - the third stage only lasted a minute or two.

With DC2 and 3, the midwives helped me push the babies out more slowly. The urge to push is almost uncontrollable, but I think a midwife is able to tell you when NOT to push so that the head emerges more gently. I think I had what they call a graze with DC2 and 3, but nothing serious.

People I know who've had very fast labours have tended to tear more - I think the body has less time to open up etc.

gobbledegoop · 02/02/2011 16:42

You are absolutley right about the speed thing. I didn't tear with my first as i didn't really know what i was doing and the midwife left the room so the pushing stage lasted about half an hour or so. Second time round, 2 pushes and she was out which caused second/third degree tears (cant remember) and lots of stiches!

I'm small and both smallish babies with normal heads!

tattycoram · 02/02/2011 16:45

I was told by the consultant midwife at my hospital that studies have shown that perinneal massage does make a difference - don't have the reference tho

togarama · 02/02/2011 16:46

I've seen studies indicating that certain things do appear to reduce the risk of tearing: labouring in water, not giving birth on your back, not having an epidural, 1:1 midwife care, not pushing at crowning, perineal massage (beneficial in some studies).

I had all of these in place for DD's birth except the perineal massage (which I wasn't really convinced by and didn't fancy) and had no tearing.

Interesting question re overall elasticity and tearing. I had no stretchmarks from pregnancy either.

I'm 5'3, average build and DD was just under 7lb.

CuppaTeaJanice · 02/02/2011 16:49

I did a (completely unscientific) survey thread on MN a couple of years ago.

IIRC, people who got stretchmarks didn't tear, and people who didn't get stretchmarks did tear.

So basically you've either got a stretchy tummy or a stretchy fanjo, but not both!!

Ripeberry · 02/02/2011 16:52

I had a 3rd degree tear, had to have an operation and still have problems. But that was because DD2 (last) came out with her fists under her chin [shock)
And I'm a tall lady 5.9ft and size 8 feet.
But they did say that I had a small perrineum

asdx2 · 02/02/2011 17:26

Not sure that I'd agree with the quick births Mine were all notoriously slow and I tore each time needing stitches. My sisters who have had births so fast that they have had babies at the side of the road and in the corridor on the way to the labour suite have never torn.

mum295 · 02/02/2011 17:37

Well, my DD was 5lbs 13oz. Large heads run in DH's family so we had a scan late in pregnancy to check her head size and it was nothing out-of-the-ordinary.

I am small at 5ft 3, but have what one could politely call "child-bearing" hips.

I did perineal massage pre-birth, not every day but often enough that it should have helped.

I laboured well, IMO, and quite quickly.

In the end, 'twas all for nothing. DD wrapped her arms and hands around her head, I pushed for 3 hours but she was stuck until I had an episiotomy, then popped out. I still had a fair bit of internal tearing afterwards. But I dread to think what the tearing would have been like without the epi.

So: small baby, large hips, perineal massage...still tore!

MoonFaceMamaaaaargh · 02/02/2011 18:19

Iirc there is a lot in Ina May's guide to childbirth about perineal massage.

suiledonne · 02/02/2011 18:26

Wouldn't agree with the speed thing either.

I had two fast labours and no tears.

DD1 was only 6lb 3 so maybe understandable but dd2 was 8lb. Entire labour on dd2 was only 2 hours and she was out in a couple of pushes.

I am 5'2 size 5 feet.

PrincessScrumpy · 02/02/2011 19:52

I am 5'4"

I had dd with 10 mins of gas and air only and was on my knees to give birth. I did everything I read but still tore internally (down the sides not my perineum) needing 37 stiches.

DD came very quickly, 2 hours if that.

I personally think it was my mw fault for failing to accept I was far into labour, telling me I had at least 12 hours and "the pain was going to get a lot lot worse" and it was too early for pain relief. DH asked for a second opinion or at least someone to discuss an epidural so mw got the registrar who came 5 mins after mw said all this. He discovered I was in fact 10cm.

Although my body was ready to push, I really don't think I was as I was completly confused. Going from being told it would be hours to being wheeled down a corridor to delivery while being handed gas and air was all a bit of a shock.

dd came out in one go - mw said one more push and we'll have a head, dd flopped onto the bed and wasn't even caught!

Next birth will be a cs.

Flisspaps · 02/02/2011 19:55

If you have forceps make sure the registrar tells you when to stop pushing

FreudianSlippery · 02/02/2011 20:01

I was terrified of tearing with my second because my book said you're more likely to tear with a baby over 9lbs. But the dr reassured me that as I'd had a tear-free birth with my first, it was less likely.

In the end DS was nearly 12lbs, and no proper tearing - as with DD I had some superficial grazes. Although when the MW stitched them, I flinched. And THEN I got a tear as the needle slipped

greenbeanie · 02/02/2011 20:18

I think you are less likely to tear with 2nd and subsequent children, or at least in my experience.

My 1st was 9lb15 and I had an episiotomy, my 2nd was 10lb7 and I had a small tear that didn't need suturing and my 3rd was 11lb11 and there were no tears at all!! So size didn't seem to make any difference for me.

Metalhead · 02/02/2011 20:18

Well, I think it's just down to luck. My baby was average weight, average head, I didn't have stretch marks, gave birth kneeling on the bed and pushed for 2 hours, so not a quick delivery, listened to what the midwive said and I tore quite badly in three places!

I've read the odds are 50:50 for first and second degree tears in first time mums. So good luck!

ellangirl · 03/02/2011 09:14

I had lots of internal tearing thanks to my DS having his elbow up by his head, also labial tears not much on the perineum though. He was 8lb 6oz, with head on 98th centile. Had it not been for his arm I would have been a lot better off- midwife reckons I could have got away with hardly anything! Crowning was very controlled- I really listened to what I was being told and it helped a lot. That's why the perineum didn't tear much I think. I was petrified of tearing before labour as I was always on the small side down there (way tmi!). I'm 5'9" and have lots of stretchmarks. Boo!

Backinthebox · 03/02/2011 13:29

9lb baby with his hand up by his head + first vaginal birth (VBAC) + super fast labour and birth = 2nd and 3rd degree tear. Horse-riding strong pelvic floor muscles helped the speed of delivery and also the tearing. I never pushed at any stage.

Fwiw, I had a good doctor repair me, and it all healed really well. I was back riding again within 5 weeks. I didn't feel the tearing, it was a complete surprise to me when the MW told me, and it was uncomfortable but not painful at any point.

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