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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

If you had an episiotomy with first birth, what happened second time?

134 replies

CoteDAzur · 06/02/2009 17:12

Please tell.

Obstetrician said that there is a 50% (!!!) chance I will need/have an episiotomy this time because I had one last time. Something about the scar tissue not stretching.

I'm freaking out like you would not believe

OP posts:

IdrisTheDragon · 06/02/2009 17:14

I had an episiostomy with DS - had a forceps delivery.

DD born 22 months later, no episiostomy and no tearing at all

psychomum5 · 06/02/2009 17:16

I tore second time round.....the birth was so quick they really didn;t have tome to cut.

and it was a nasty tear too!!

HOWEVER

3rd, 4th and 5th births......grazes only.

which leads to to wonder how big my fanjo is now

having said that...DD2 was ever-so-slightly bigger than DD1, and then each of them got smaller after her so that might have helped.

please don;t fret tho......there is also a 50% chance that you won;t need to be cut

TheProvincialLady · 06/02/2009 17:20

I had a brutal episiotomy with DS1 that later got infected. With DS2 I had a tiny tear that caused me no problems and didn't even need stitching. He was born in water, don't know if that made any difference.

pointydog · 06/02/2009 17:21

no episiotomy with dd2 but I did tear. Not too badly, though, wasn't aware of it.

Do you live in a country which has a more interventionist approach to childbrith? Are you in France, cote?

ladyjuliafish · 06/02/2009 17:26

Had an episiotomy with ds plus forceps. 18 months later, dd just slithered out.

Original poster

CoteDAzur · 06/02/2009 17:35

Yes, I'm in France. Very interventionists. Doctors rule the birth. Mine is the best obstetrician and the only human being in the hospital, claims he only does episiotomy and is proud of his 20% episiotomy rate

OP posts:

paolosgirl · 06/02/2009 17:40

I had an episiotomy for my first as I had a ventouse. 2nd and 3rd labours needed nothing - I didn't even tear, and both were out in a couple of pushes. Bliss! I laboured in water with all 3 of them.

Original poster

CoteDAzur · 06/02/2009 17:42

Those of you who didn't have episiotomies last time - was the birth weight of second baby lower than that of first baby?

I put on 17 kgs with DD, and she was over 4 kg at birth. This time I am very careful, eating sensibly and not much, and put on 5 kgs so far (in 25th week). Just had 5 month scan and it turns out this baby is bigger than DD was at this stage

Thank you for telling me your experiences. I want to go into my next doctor's appointment armed with an idea of how UK compares to this guy's scary 50% number.

OP posts:

LilianGish · 06/02/2009 17:42

Had my babies in France. Episiotomy with first (cord round neck), but not with second.

SobranieCocktail · 06/02/2009 17:46

I had an episiotomy with DC1 (8lb 9oz) and a 2nd degree tear with DC2 (10lb 9oz). He came out very very quickly though.

TheFallenMadonna · 06/02/2009 17:50

Episiotomy for forceps with ds (9lb 7oz). Infected (yuck) and lots of scarring. DD, 9lb10oz, 2nd degree tear and stitches but really so much easier to deal with. I hardly noticed it TBH, and healed very quickly. A completely different experience.

SJisontheway · 06/02/2009 17:52

DD1 6lb 7 oz, episiotomy and loads of stitches. DD2 8lb 7 oz, slid right out and a teeny little tear.

fuzzywuzzy · 06/02/2009 17:54

First time huuuge episiotomy, second time teeny tear, which they left to heal on its own, and I was walking normally afterwards incomparison to the first time when I waddle/shuffled to get anywhere. I dont know if the fact I was taking arnica helped.

Good Luck Cote

Original poster

CoteDAzur · 06/02/2009 18:08

Those who had 2nd degree tears - Did you have any problems re incontinence afterwards?

That is what doctor is scaring me with.

OP posts:

IdrisTheDragon · 06/02/2009 18:14

DS was 6lb 1oz (the one with forceps etc). Had a second degree tear but think it was internal?

DD was 7lb 11oz so a bit bigger and no tearing at all.

keels26 · 06/02/2009 18:15

Had episiotomy when I had DS and he was only 6 1b 9 oz, but had to have it because he was distressed and they were trying to get him out quick. Second time with DD had Emergency cs so not sure what would of happened, but was told by midwifes before labour that I had as much chance of having one as somebody who had never had one! If you see what I mean, took me a while to figure out what that meant!

Northernlurker · 06/02/2009 18:20

dd1 - episiotomy and tear - healed fine
dd2 - episiotomy and tear (because scar not stretching - sorry)
dd3 - episiotomy and no tear - hurrah!

I've always healed well and went in to my third labour expecting to be cut. Talked about with the delivering midwife who was very upset and said she would try not to - but then she had to. It's obviously just something about me but I'm fine with that. Have had three lovely babies and no problems with infected wounds, painful sex or continence. More than one episiotomy is NOT the end of the world.

kingprawntikka · 06/02/2009 18:31

Episiotomy with first birth, took a long time to heal , no episiotomy with second. Both about the same weight. I was told that massaging almond oil into the perineum during pregnancy makes the skin there more supple and better able to stretch, and so that is what I did most days for pregnancy two. Don't know if that is what made a difference or not but its worth a try.

pointydog · 06/02/2009 19:12

When I had a tear (and I don't know what degree it was - I never ask these things nor pay attention to them), I had no incontinence problems at all afterwards.

dd2 was 12lb heavier than dd1. dd1 was average weight

SobranieCocktail · 06/02/2009 19:13

No problems re: incontinence after my 2nd degree tear (and actually it was very very close to being a 3rd degree tear. Right on the line so to speak.

I'm also anxious about birth number three, as I've been scarred (I assume...haven't actually looked) on both sides of my fanny. Wonder if this means that the third one will rip me a new one.

Original poster

CoteDAzur · 06/02/2009 19:15

I guess it depends on the episiotomy. Mine was (kind of) "the end of the world". Absolute agony. Could think of nothing else for the first three weeks. First time I changed DD's diaper or helped bathe her was when she was three weeks old

OP posts:

ComeOVeneer · 06/02/2009 19:16

Had an episiotomy with dd (7lb 6oz) as she had the cord wrapped around her neck twice so had to be delivered by ventouse. Had another episiotomy with ds (10lb 1 oz) as I was in surgery prepped for a CS because he wouldn't come out and I had meconium in my waters when they broke and he was also ventouse (he wasn't coming out because his head was on the 100th centile - I still wince at the thought).

muppetgirl · 06/02/2009 19:17

ds 1 - episiotomy after he became distressed ( I was induced 27 hrs, yucky time)
episiotomy, he was 9lb 1oz

ds 2 - spontaneous labour, got stuck, no episiotomy but forceps 3rd degree tear, 9lb 15 1/2 oz

Am prgt with dc 3 at the mo!

Northernlurker · 06/02/2009 19:20

Oh Cote that sounds awful - but that isn't a typical experience (at least I don't think it is) Chances are even if you do have to be cut again it won't be like that. Have you had any sort of debriefing on why it was so painful?

Original poster

CoteDAzur · 06/02/2009 19:21

muppetgirl - Which was worse for you re recovery: first or second birth?

OP posts:

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