Did you tear during childbirth?

[Sparrowlegs248]

And what size baby, quick or slow labour? Episiotomy? How did you recover?

Two hour Pushing stage included in the five hours btw

No episiotomy.
2nd, almost 3rd degree tear, lots of "branches".
2 hours stitching but used gas and air and baby cuddles for pain relief as local anaesthetic doesn't work on me.
Baby was 7lb 3oz.

Honestly it was fine. Stung a bit for a while but I'd been terrified about tearing, and in the grand scheme of things it was nothing. Healed pretty well!

Officially, labour was something like 12 hours (though start of contractions and loss of plug to delivery was 25 hours approx).
Last minute episiotomy, fourth degree tear (externally I can tell the tear was not in same place as the epi but God knows what happened inside. Had an awful recovery.

Sorry I haven't read your posts re if you have torn before. Risk of repeat tear and recovery issues are more to do with whether you had a third or fourth degree before.

DS1: induced, forceps and episiotomy as cord was around his neck. 7lb baby. Took about a month to recover fully

DS2: Natural birth, 4 hour labour. 7lb 12 baby and just a small tear. Couldn't feel the tear during childbirth.

Thoroughly recommend hypnobirthing in helping to relax during the final push. Go with your natural instinct and you'll be fine 😀

Forgot to say, was up walking a few hours after ds2 so not all natural births are bad

Sorry, forgot to say that Ds1 was 4hours from first contraction and waters breaking, to baby.

DS2 was 7 hours from start to finish but I'm sure because of the epidural I was able to push him out more efficiently.

It's an exciting time OP, I loved both my labors and births equally - yes it's messy, and massively undignified frankly, but both were the greatest days of my life and I wish I could have the chance to experience it again. Wouldn't have changed either birth!

Episiotomy. 7lb 9oz baby who got stuck (brow presentation). Healed fine, no complications.

Labour was 5 hours, 2 hours of which was pushing. Internal tearing which I didn't feel at the time or afterwards. Episiotomy which didn't heal - after 4 days stitches split externally & internally. This resulted in 13 weeks of hell. I healed open like I wasn't stitched but it does not cause any pain at all so I chose not to have a revision. Baby weighed 7lbs 12 with a very large head - which is what does the damage. My first labour resulted in a c-section with an uncomplicated recovery in approx 4 weeks - baby weighed 8lbs, labour 24 hours.

Slow labour
3rd degree tear, despite episiotomy

7pound 7ounce baby

Still recovering half a year on and having hospital visits and physio - wish they'd listened when I'd asked for c section! My friends who had one recovered SO much quicker than me!!!

DD1 second degree tear - 4hr labour, 8lb 10oz
DD2 second degree tear - 4hr labour, 10lb

Was actually pleased about the second tear, felt I'd be stitched up wrongly after DD1 and so was glad they redid it after DD2. It felt much better after that.

Tore with my smallest baby, and with my shortest labour/delivery. Baby was 7lb 14oz. No episiotomy, not a serious tear. 10 hour labour. Baby had their hand by their face, however, which is likely why I tore.

Didn't tear with the others: 8lb 8oz and 8lb 12oz, respectively. Those labours/deliveries were 16 hours, and 23 hours, respectively.

Two births with epidurals. First had an episiotomy, second had a 2nd degree tear and episiotomy. I only know from reading my notes - v careful slow stitching meant I healed very fast in both cases (a small painful area during sex for some months).

Average babies, slow labours with ventouses.

No tears (although grazing like when you've skinned your knee)
8lb baby and big head
No pain relief and midwife "held" the skin as the head crowned
Perineal massage for weeks before

I read somewhere that there is a correlation between stretch marks and tearing so if you get one, you're likely to get the other. Saying that, I got a couple of SMs but had a third degree tear. I was stitched up in theatre and never had any pain or problems thereafter. When I first went for a walk on day 4, it did feel like my insides were going to fall out though

If I were you, I'd go for ELCS. I'm not one to gamble and from friends who've been in the same scenario, an ELCS is miles better than an EMCS as you're not exhausted going into it.

Sorry - average baby and quick labour.

Slow-ish labour, baby got stuck, forceps, episiotomy, buttonhole tear (through upper vaginal wall right into bowel) so I had to be cut right open - artificial 4th degree tear - countless stitches. Baby 8lb 8oz.

With DD1 (7lbs4oz) i tore and needed stitches, healed quickly.

With DD2 (8lb9oz) i didnt tear at all.

The difference was the first time i pushed when the midwives told me to. The second time i listened to my body and pushed when i needed to, once i felt the burning sensation of the head crowning i completely stopped pushing until the area went numb, then i pushed slowly.

DC1 - long labour, episiotomy, quite a few stitches (not sure how many)
DC2 - short labour, small tear (3 stitches)
DC3 - short labour, no stitches

All babies well over 8lb. Recovery not too bad in all three.

Had a baby last night. :) He was 9lbs 11oz, only had a couple of small "grazes". Nothing worth stitching up and doesn't case any discomfort when washing or using the toilet. The midwives and dh coached me through the pushing to breathe and give little pushes vs one big one, which helped a lot. I was also upright on a ball with knees apart which opened up my pelvis so the birth position can make a big difference.

SerialReJoiner

Congratulations

DC1 was 10lb 4oz, started with induction and ended up is an emergency CS

DC2, 5 years later. VBAC, labour lasted 3hrs and 11 mins, it was quite intense and I had a 2nd degree tear which was so jagged that they had to call a doctor to sew me up. Quite tender for a few days but recovered way quicker than the CS. DC2 was 8lb 7oz.
It does feel a bit tighter down there though so it might have been sewn a bit too tight. I have been thinking of going back to the doctors to check it out but haven't yet and it's nearly 2 years now.
I will choose the VBAC again if I have to make that decision again.

DS1, 7lb 11oz (or 10oz, can't be sure now), labour 2 hours 30 mins (second stage 1 hour 10 mins), no real tearing, bit of a 'graze', lots of bruised soreness though.

DS2, 7lb 6oz, labour 2 hours 45 minutes (second stage 4 minutes), no tearing, told there was a bit of a graze but never felt it myself- genuinely felt like I could have ridden a bike the next day, easiest birth and post birth period EVER.

DS3, 7lb 3oz, labour 2 hours 20 minutes (second stage approx 15 minutes), baby born with both hands on head, internal tearing, hurt rather a lot for weeks- I had sex 3 weeks after ds1 and 10 days after ds2, ds3 was 6 weeks old before I was ready to even try.

DS3 is 2 now and I have steadily worsening coccydynia. My vagina is fine. My coccyx is not.

1st baby, induction, epidural, no tears, 6 pounds
2nd baby homebirth, over 8 pounds no tears.
3rd baby induction, epidural, gave birth on my back, over 8 pounds, no tears.

I was told that some of us have stretchy tissues. All of mine were with midwives who knew I wanted to tear as opposed to being cut.