If you tore badly with your first baby

[CharlieB93]

Did you tear with your second?
(Third degree tear first time round 😩)

No I didn't didn't. I had a bad tear and then an episiotomy with my first baby. I had an operation to repair the damage afterwards.
Second time around was ok, a very slight tear at the scar tissue but really was tiny and only a couple of stitches which healed very quickly.

I had an episiotomy first time, to prevent tearing
Didn't tear 2/3/4 but was standing up which made a big difference. I was flat on my back for dc1

A graze the second time (whatever that means?!) it didn't require stitching.

I had a second degree tear (plus episiotomy) with dc1, took almost 2 years to heal.
Dc2 a third degree tear that seemed to heal in two weeks

Though it could have been the episiotomy that took long to heal and not the tear...

I had a bad 2nd degree tear with DC1. Only needed a couple of stitches with DC2 🙌

I tore fairly badly with my first (can't remember what degree but I remember the midwife said I might have to go to theatre to be stitched, but in the end that didn't happen).

No 2 wasn't so bad, even though the baby was bigger! Still tore and needed a few stiches, but it was much more straightforward and the recovery was quicker. DC2 was a water birth which I think helped with the tearing.

So it can be better the second time

3rd degree tear and episiotomy with dc1
2nd degree tears with dc2,3 & 4 (healed quickly no pain)
Graze with dc5 even though she had her hand up like superman. Obvs a path well travelled by that point 😂

DC1 : 3rd degree tear, needed surgery to repair but healed fine.
DC2 : graze
DC3 : 1st degree tear, 2 stitches.

I tore again with DC2 but not as badly and healed beautifully quickly.

4th degree tear with DD.
ELCS with DS 👍

I had quite a big episiotomy the first time. The postnatal midwife was quite shocked by the extent of it and it took a long time to heal properly (can still feel a scar).

Second time I did tear naturally as ds2 was coming extremely quickly, but it was like night and day. Clearly much more superficial and healed quickly with no issues.

I had an episiotomy with my first and tear with my second. Weirdly, the tear was less painful and easier to recover from than the episiotomy.

First birth: horrific tear and cut.
Second birth: a walk in the park, not a stitch in sight! Joyous afterwards.

Two episiotomies with 1 and 2. Bloody agony, in fact it took the second episiotomy to repair the damage left from stitching up the first.
With dc3 I begged them to let me tear, until transition when I begged them just to cut her out.
I got away with a bit of swelling with her.

Hmm it’s so hard to decide what to do!!
First baby - 3rd degree tear, repair in surgery, couldn’t walk for 6 weeks, walking like John Wayne for 12 weeks +. Felt like it really ruined the first couple of weeks. Also had pelvic floor issues for about 9 months (still have some remaining issues that I can live with)
I don’t fancy a c section either though!!

Lots of damage with first (forceps, then infection in stitches) which was actually repaired whilst under planned episiotomy following birth of second baby. Recovery after repair was a walk in the park compared to recovery after first baby, as was the birth.

@IHateCoronavirus Jesus!! Why did they need episiotomies?! I didn’t even get offered one!

@MyFloorIsLava

4th degree tear with DD. ELCS with DS 👍

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

@MyFloorIsLava what made you decide c section? Did you find the recovery better/worse than your tear?

Tore with 1st. Poor stitch job meant was re-stitched when she was 6 months old.

18 months later had dc2. Small tear. Stitched and healed well, fine after about 7 days.

3 years later had dc3. A “graze” according to midwife (but sufficient to have a couple of stitches) 😳 But healed super fast and no issues at all.

Grade 3-4 tear with my first, i was lucky that it healed OK. My second left me with a 'graze'

Can I also ask - if you had pelvic floor issues after your first, what affect did the subsequent pregnancies have on it?

I had emergency caesarean with number three and the recovery (and hospital stay post birth) was shorter and easier than the tear. However I would also say that when I gave birth to number two my body seemed to know what to do and it was altogether a completely different experience to number one.

Why won't you consider a CS? I had an EMCS (after being refused an ELCS!), no pain, no discomfort, maybe I was just lucky but no way would I consider a VB ... actually I never considered having a second baby full stop but that was nothing to do with the birth experience!

[quote CharlieB93]@IHateCoronavirus Jesus!! Why did they need episiotomies?! I didn’t even get offered one![/quote]
Both my boys have their father’s big head