Will episiotomy scar tear with second baby?

[Innat]

This may be a stupid question and I know there's not really anything I can do about it either way, but I feel I need to know!

I had an episiotomy with dd1 (now 21mo) - due to ventouse birth, as far as I know it healed well, but I'm wondering if the scar is more likely to tear during the next childbirth (I'm 38 weeks pg now). Or are the risks just the same as if you never had one?

Does anyone know or have any previous experience of this?

Thanks

Mine didn't, but that may mean nothing.

Don't know what the risks are. I had an episiotomy and a tear with DD2 (ventouse), and the scar tissue did tear a bit with DD3 but nothing like as badly as for DD2.

Mine was Ok second time, and nearly 'no stitches' with the third. Good luck!

I had episiotomy with ds1 and didn't tear or need episiotmy with ds2 (18months later) I did perineal massage and had warm bath during laour to help soften everything up as I'd read that helps, I also planned a water birth as I'd read about that helping but once I was in laour I couldn't think of anything worse than being confined to water not sure if any of the above helped, the scar is less elastic so tears are likely to happen around previous scar if they happen but it isn't a given

ah thanks, that's good to know that it's not a "given" and i might get off more lightly this time!

I also had an episiotomy due to a ventouse delivery with my first dc but I didn't tear at all with my second and it was lovely not having to have stitches!

mine tore (badly), but then my second birth was extraordinarily fast (5 mins from 5cms to actually giving birth, and she literally rushed out in two pushes).

I didn;t even need stitches tho with babies 3, 4 and 5 (altho what that says about my fanjo).

at people who didn't have to have stitches. I had a 3rd degree tear which has healed 'a bit weird' (HV words) and still can't poo properly, and don't even get me started on farting

Innat, I had an episiotomy with my oldest. No stitches at all with second or third birth. During my first pregnancy, I used olive oil on the area supposedly to make it more flexible. As it didn't work, I did nothing with the other 2 pregnancies, but as I say, no tearing occurred.

Oh Southmum poor you, that sounds horrible. I hope it gets better with time.

Thansk everyone for your positive stories. I do feel a lot better knowing it's not inevitable and will just depend on the individual birth. Fingers crossed eek!

Just to give another side to this - my scar did start to tear with dd2 and I had an episiotomy and a tear, then with dd3 I had another episiotomy (having told the midwife I preferred that rather than risk really bad tearing of two lots of scar tissue) and no tear. It has all healed perfectly well every time and I've never had any problems. Just wanted you to know that repeat episotomy is not the end of the world!

Mine did with dd2. To be honest it didn't hurt and although I then had stitches I didn't have half as many as I had at the first birth when they did the episiotomy. It also healed a lot quicker.