Tearing in second birth vs first?

[MyBigFatGreekSalad]

Aware this is a very personal question but it's causing me to worry a lot now my due date is approaching!

If you've had more than one vaginal birth did you tear worse or less second time around?

I was pretty lucky with my first and only had a 2nd degree tear which healed pretty fast and didn't cause too much pain but I'm starting to worry that because that "area" is already comprised it will tear worse this time around if that makes sense?

Tore less second time, I didn't panic push like the first time

3rd degree tear with episiotomy followed by 3 x second degree tears for 2-4.
5th allegedly I had a graze but actually later realised I should have had stitches.

Less, I didn't even need stitches the 2nd time - just had what they called a graze.

I think mine were about the same… one of them had to be looked at as could’ve been 3rd degree but can’t remember which one! Either way both healed well. Good luck, OP!

Ok these are the replies I was hoping for😂 Thankyou!🤞🏻

i 'grazed' the first time with a 9lb baby (no comments please)... second baby was 6lb... nothing!

i do think, with your second you are more prepared for whats going on, which make life easier

Less. I'm sure that was helped by the fact that second birth was in water.

1st 4th degree tear
2nd 2nd degree tear

Midwife after the second baby said how brave I was to opt for a vaginal birth. Didn't know I had "opted".

I had a second degree tear both times. But the babies were massive and the births were very speedy!

Healed well both times and it certainly wasn’t worse the second time. Pregnant now with DC3 and hoping I can get away unscathed this time 🤞🏻

First time I had an episiotomy and still tore, so needed lots of stitches. Biggest rush to get baby out as the cord was round her neck.

Much less tearing second time around, as DD2 pretty much fell out with no pushing. Midwife happened to lift the sheet to check progress and caught her before she fell.

I'm planning on having a water birth if all goes to plan! I've heard so many positive stories.

I tore both times but very different- one ventouse and episiotomy which turned into a second degree tear. One very quick birth with no intervention. I’m not sure having torn previously makes a difference- luck of the draw.

Episiotomy 1st time round with 9lb5 DD which was so painful for about 10 days. 2nd time with 10lb1 DS I had a 2nd degree tear but was up and about after a few hours with no real discomfort.

Over three hours of stitching , involving a midwife and two consultants for the first , and a four day stay afterwards .

A slight tear that was passed off on the second.

You'll be fine.

I had a birth options appointment with a consultant midwife last week and raised this very question. She told me that second births often don't have tears as bad as the first because the skin has already stretched once and returned as part of the healing process. I've still a few weeks to go so havent been able to test her theory yet 😅

I had 2 x 3rd degree tears. The consultant told me before I had my second (when he signed me off for midwife led care/water birth again) that the chance of reoccurring was around 10%.

i think mine were caused by both babies having very large heads (on 99.4th centile) and me having pushed hell for leather both times in the water, because I don’t think I could have done anything else!

Healed fine, no complications.

Apparently tearing is easier healing than an episiotomy… anyway episiotomy 1st time after 28 hours and fine the second after around 4 hours labour…

Oh so much better with the 2nd. First was an episiotomy with about 6/8 stitches.

2nd didn’t even tear I don’t think, only 16 months between so not even that long for everything to heal really.

I did tear the second time, but I'd had an episiotomy the first time and that was what tore. It wasn't too bad, obviously not ideal but could've been worse. Second birth was very very quick in comparison to the first, however!

Good luck OP

First- 2nd degree tear and basically my bowel hanging out
Second- one stitch and a minor graze, bowel in tact

lets see what the third brings 🙃

I’m the odd one out here, tore so much worse second time round. Only needed a few stitches with my first but had a nasty third degree tear with my second.

I had an episiotomy and forceps the first time round, so didn't have a particularly bad tear but obviously had stitches for the episiotomy.

Second time round the birth itself was more straightforward but it happened really fast and as a result I ended up with a 3rd degree tear which had to be repaired in theatre. So I am also the opposite way round to most of the others.

Less second time - 2x first degree first time and tiny graze second time.

3rd degree tear first time and a single stitch with baby number two - caught me with a shoulder on the way out having managed an intact perineum with the head.

Second degree tear first time.

Very minor graze second and third times. First time was painful afterwards, the other two were absolutely fine!