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Childbirth

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

If you had a 2nd degree tear - was it stitched & how long to heal?

45 replies

OnlyWantsOne · 26/08/2012 10:23

That's it really. Did you have a 2nd degree tear & was it stitched? Left to heal?

OP posts:
MrsApplepants · 26/08/2012 19:30

3rd degree tear and was taken into theatre for sticking by consultant. Never given me a days bother, so he must have done a good job!

MrsApplepants · 26/08/2012 19:30

Stitching, not sticking!!

Babyrabbits · 26/08/2012 19:33

I also used lavender and tea tree, healed well.

Also had incontinence and needed physio. Big baby!

Zoomania · 26/08/2012 21:31

I had deep 2 nd deg tears that were all internal 3 running up deep inside the vagina with an intact perineum. The midwife called the registrar in who said I didn't need to go to theatre but the midwife could suture it. She sutured for over an hour and said she didn't count stitches as one continuous thread but that there were at least 15.

I lost about 4 units of blood from the tears although this was not picked up in, when I kept fainting at hone I was found that my blood count had dropped a lot.

When I checked when I got home the next day there were three very visible gaping deep tears. I assume the stitches must have been higher up in the vagina or that they had come undone. I asked the midwives time and time again to check and said I was concerned but they just looked at the outside and said I looked perfect ......not one looked properly.

I mentioned it at my 6 week check when the tears were still gaping and was just told it would heal and was not examined. they healed finally at 8w so not raw but were still gaping if that makes sense as if lining had covered the edges but they hadn't come together.

At 6m I still had visible troughs for want of a better description and it all feels scarred, tight during Intercourse and painful. The wall in the troughs feels very thin and like there are gaps in the muscle in the back wall of my vagina. I am terrified that I will tear worse in future pregnancies and that I will end up with damaged pelvic floor.

I am still doing pelvic floor exercises and my bladder seems ok. At 7m sex is no longer as painful.

So sorry for the long winded post but I wish wish wish I had seen someone right at the beginning who checked me properly and restitched me. Speak out if you are concerned.

On the other hand I looked down below and thought I would have a grapefruit size gaping mess forever and it has returned to how it used to look on the outside at least!!! Don't panic too much about how it looks now!

Congrats on your baby! X

MrsHuxtable · 28/08/2012 17:44

I had a 2nd degree tear and didn't get stitches. The midwife wanted to as it was protocol but I didn't feel up to it. I had no pain relief in labour and was glad to be done, I didn't want any needles near me.

As far as I can tell and the GP could see, I healed fine. Took a good few weeks though, I would guess.

sissyh12345 · 27/08/2013 21:41

hi i had a second degree tear when i gave birth 5 MONTHS ago. it still really hurts when i have sex and it duznt seem to be healing i dont no what to do as the doctors keep telling me everything looks fine down there but it feals really tight and sore any advise would be appreciated?

stargirl1701 · 27/08/2013 21:50

Yes, it was stitched by a MW. The local ran out though and I felt most of the stitches. I found the whole experience highly traumatic and far worse than labour or birth. I was in pain for months afterwards too.

I had to have the stitching redone 4 months later by a surgeon. I felt back to normal after 48 hours.

SuffolkNWhat · 27/08/2013 22:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CheeseFondueRocks · 28/08/2013 22:02

Second degree tear. Not stitched. I never looked. Not sure how long it took to heal but it was certainly healed at my 6 week check-up. I didn't have any pain associated with it so I really don't know.

SimLondon · 28/08/2013 22:50

I had a second degree epis - and consultant took a long time putting in the stitches afterwords. Midwives/doctors didn't want to check for infection. Sex was very painful for a long time afterwards and i was referred to gynae who told me that it was just the scar tissue that was causing it but that it wasnt bad enough for fentons.

But.. i happened to be a 'subject' at a final exam of osteopath students - when the students work on you they take a full history, the examiner somehow picked up on the fact that my pelvis was crushed and very gently relaxed it back into place - no more problems.

fffinsake · 28/08/2013 23:02

Second degree, no stitches (to be fair I kicked the midwife when she was trying to look so I think she just decided to leave me to it). The community midwife was shocked that it had been left to heal naturallybecause it was quite bad, but although it took ages it was fine in the end.

skyzer · 24/03/2014 02:36

hi is it normal to feel all the pain while getting stitched?

Cariad007 · 25/03/2014 15:56

No, they usually give you a local anaesthetic. Stings a bit but after the pain of childbirth it's really nothing.

Bigolmess40 · 27/03/2014 03:47

Vaginally delivered 3 children. First child the doctor used forceps and gave me a big episiotomy. I healed fine after he stitched me up. Second and third child I got 2nd degree tears that my midwife let heal on their own. They healed alright, but now I have a gaping vagina that is completely maimed. My gyne said he can fit four fingers round. I also have a cystocele (bladder pushing into vagina) and a rectocele (rectum pushing into vagina), so two big bulges that can be seen at the gaping vaginal opening. My bf and I cannot feel each other during intercourse and he often cannot orgasm. So upsetting. I have reconstructive surgery scheduled next Friday. Gyne is going to repair the rectocele/cystocele and make my vaginal opening smaller (2.5 fingers wide). I won't be like I was before kids, but I am hoping I will look and feel better.

I am so upset that the midwives didn't stitch me up. Basically, the gyne will now have to do the work they should've done and repair the tear. I thought i was doing the right thing just letting my self tear and heal on its own. Um...no. Had I known I would've been this deformed and loose, I would of implored they stitch me up.

I just hope I don't have painful scar tissue after the surgery that will affect intercourse.

Cariad007 · 27/03/2014 09:41

That's dreadful, I hope your surgery is a success. I had a second degree tear too but it was stitched and 5 weeks on I feel fine. I guess I was lucky to have a very conscientious midwife who took her time stitching me up.

Fingers crossed for you.

magicalmrmistoffelees · 27/03/2014 10:08

Mine was stitched. Not sure how long it took to heal, I felt too sensitive to let the mw check at home visits and am too scared to look myself! DD is 19 weeks now. It feels fine!

Cariad007 · 27/03/2014 11:20

I'm too scared to look too but today I had a bit of a feel and everything seems normal when I um, clench - if you know what I mean! Guess pelvic floor exercises do pay off.

OrangeMochaFrappucino · 27/03/2014 11:44

2nd degree tear, no idea how bad but it took ages to stitch. I was so impatient lying on the bed waiting to hold my baby again! I was way too squeamish and to ask anything about it and I certainly never looked - said baby is now 3.5 and I've still not looked!

I know she gave me a local anaesthetic when stitching so I didn't feel it. For the next week or so the whole area felt swollen and tender and I took lots of baths with lavender oil. No one ever looked at it - my GP surgery doesn't do six-week checks and the mw never asked to see it. So I don't really know when it healed. If it had been really painful, I would have gone to the doctor but I guess it must have healed ok on it's own fairly quickly.

Am now 36weeks and a bit apprehensive about tearing again - ds1 was a tiny baby but born very quickly with his head up hence the tear so I know it can happen very easily. Although it wasn't a bad experience last time, I do feel worried about it being worse the second time around.

If you're worried, OP, could you see your doctor?

mowmylawn · 03/04/2014 20:08

Mine was stitched, I was shocked when MW said I had a 2nd degree tear as I'd not had any pain relief so would have thought I'd have felt a tear for sure but must have been too many other things going on down there. She stitched me up (didn't seem to take very long) while I was on gas and air and everything healed beautifully and quite quickly.

PeacefulP26 · 22/05/2018 22:22

I’m going on two weeks post partum this Wednesday. This is my first baby. I had a vaginal birth & had a 2nd degree tear. I was looking “down there” yesterday to put anti-itch cream because I believe I’m setting up a yeast infection. There is a piece of pink tissue that is hanging in front of my vaginal opening. I believe the dr didn’t stitch me up right. Or I have moved a certain way & it has come undone in that spot. Has any other ladies went through this? Should I try to get an appointment sooner than my 6 week appointment? I’m panicking. It just doesn’t look the way it did before which I understand it’s not going to look the same. But wouldn’t that piece of tissue get in the way of having sex & a tampon? I called the dr yesterday but they told me the nurse will call me back. I haven’t heard anything.

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