Is it possible to tear after baby number 2?

[babymamanumber2xx]

Hi ladies, I’m wondering If someone can help. Bit of an odd one.

I gave birth for the first time back in 2018 where I had a episiotomy and stitches . I gave birth the second time September 2020 no stitches and the midwife didn’t mention anything about me tearing down there.

I’ve recently noticed that it looks completely different to how it did the first time around ( don’t really look down there) it looks as if I’ve teared open the same place where my stitches previously was. Is this possible?

Freaking out I don’t know what to do

Thank you x

I had a 2nd degree tear with my first and second. I only had stitches with my 1st and the 2nd was left to heal by itself

Your midwife will have checked your perineum for trauma and if required suturing would have been done. If you’re worried see your GP

When I had my tear with my 2nd child it was decided that as it wasn't bleeding it could heal itself. I imagine it was the scar tissue from the 1st birth that tore rather than normal skin

Yes, it’s possible and if that occurred the assessment at the time would have been for it to heal naturally rather than suture if you don’t have any. If you believe it’s not healing then go get it looked at.

I had an episiotomy with my first and with all subsequent my ob did a quick snip as he said it was preferable to tearing of the scar tissue, then a few stitches. But that was my case and my fanny and circumstance was different to the next no doubt, there are not blanket rules with this stuff.

I had an episiotomy with my first, and then had a second degree tear with my second which required fairly extensive stitching and two midwives with headtorches having the discussion of "now where do you think this bit goes?" which was a fairly alarming thing to hear . There's no way they could have left it without stitching though.
Could you request your notes or a debrief to find out, if it's something you're worried about?

Same. I had an episiotomy and ventuse with my first and then a couple of quick stitches. With my second I pushed him out on my own but practically tore myself a new one in the process which required a good hour of being stitched up.

Oh my god @Splendo 🙈 that's bloody awful. I had 2nd degree internal tear, there was at one point 4 midwives all having a look at my midwifes handy work when she finished stitching me up, but her handywork at went to waste anyway as I came away with a rectocele prolapse anyway so my fanjo looks like it's been hit by a train. 😆

@Splendo maybe it was a midwife being supervised suturing?

I had stitches with all 3 deliveries. All in the same place, plus an extra special side rip too with dc3!!

You could give birth any number of times, not tear and then tear on your last. There's no rule tbh. Depends on so many other factors - baby's position, head circumference, how tucked their chin is, how fast the pushing stage, your own position, your medication, your midwives.... the list is nearly endless! So yes, in short, you can tear at birth # anything. Likewise, you may not tear at birth # anything.

Given you are a year postpartum, i'd say go to your GP if you've a good one and see what they say. If they brush it off snd you're still unhappy, insist on a referral. It is telling though that you seem to have felt fine if you didnt know till you looked after a year. Thats important tbh, your functionality is there - not always the case. If sex feels ok and everything works you may just not have as pretty a foof as before. The decision to do anything will lie with the experts i suppose as they'll see what we cant. That and your degree of insistance.

I tore with both my births. The first was worse but I needed stitches both times.
I agree with the above though. If it’s not causing you any physical pain and everything still ‘works’ I’d leave it alone.