Does having an episiotomy in one labour mean you're more likely to need one in subsequent labours?

[YesIveNameChanged]

Had an episiotomy with ds1 (not my choice, didn't consent, didn't know it was being done to me, literally asked the doctor after ds was out if i had torn and she said "i had to cut you")

now pregnant with DC2 and worried about having another epi. Mainly because my mum told me she had one with me and when she was in labour with my younger sister they told her she needed another was as the scar would be under too much pressure if they didn't cut her. (this was 21 years ago so i know my info may be a bit outdated)

really don't want another epi, recovery was really sore and painful and the scar still aches sometimes after sex etc (sorry tmi) just wondered if anyone had any knowledge on this.

bollocks to implied consent - when I was in labour, i was told time and time again that they don't imply consent - that they ask you, and if you say no, then so be it.

I even had the MW panicking that I wouldn't agree to having the injection for the placenta, because I'd stated I didn't want it, but that the episiotomy (consent sought and gained) after the 2 hours pushing and subsequent PPH, she was panicking that I would end up haemorraging so badly I'd need a transfusion. But I calmly went "I think I will have the injection for the placenta, I feel very tired and I can't be bothered to do all that again" (cue lots of sighs of relief from the team, because they really didn't want to have to insist that I agreed)

That's what i thought about implied consent nickel, and when my midwife said it to me i was completely as i'd literally had no idea what the doctor was upto down there.

As far as i knew she was trying to get a blood sample from DS which i had consented to, first i knew she was using ventouse was when it came off and she got a faceful of blood. Then had forceps and again didn't know about it.

My concern with complaining though is that it will be my smacked off my tits on g&a word against whats on my notes, and i know that the way things are worded on the notes a crap. e.g. on the postnatal ward a MW asked me if i wanted to be shown how to bf lay down, i declined as it was going well sat up and i was worried about how weak and tired i was and rolling on him. notes said "mother has refused help with breast feeding" and in my current pregnancy notes my mw has put "feels consent wasn't given"

I cant remember them asking me, your so out of it a lot of the time. Thats an interesting one, I signed for the epidural but not the chop.

My notes were bad, I had about three fake ones saying they had checked the cut.

Our ward is so busy, the staff are basically fighting fire with the Emergency C Sections and running around all over the place, I could see why they did it, still.

i had an episiotomy for ds1, then with ds2 i tore and needed stitches, with ds3 i tore a tiny bit, not stitches and ds4 and then dd no tearing at all, despite ds4 being 10lb 13oz! i think having him in the pool helped with that :)

so no, one cut does not mean you will need another :)

besides which, if you're so out of it you can't consent, then your next of kin should - your DH (or your Mum if you're not married - unless you've signed something beforehand to say that you give your DP consent to consent on your behalf)

you definitely sound like you didn't consent - you must stick to your guns on that.

I was never out of it enough not to know what was happening.

and the thing about "refused help with BFing" - again they're talking bollocks.

you definitely need to get hold of your notes and write a rebuttal for each point they made.
(my only cause for complaint is that the MW wrote down 12:02 as DD's birth time, when it was exactly midnight - I know she did it in case some people didn't know 12am is the next day, but it pissed me off)

No not married, but have a long term dp who was my birth partner. I have asked him whether or not he remembers them asking me or even telling us anything about what was going on. He doesn't but there was so much going on (induced labour, absolute epitomy of "cascade of intervention") he's not sure if he was in too much of a daze/ too stressed and didn't register what was being said. Seems very suspect to me though that 2 full grown adults both have the same gaps in their knowledge.........................

exactly! one of you should have known - and if they didn't know, then they shouldn't have done it.
that's not implied consent, that no consent.
(they have to write everything down, so should have written down "Namechanged/namchanged's DP consented to episiotomy")

I had epi with dd1, mw said it didn't mean I would with next. Would depend on position, size of next baby etc. also said that after first things stretch easier