will tight stitches make a second vaginal birth a nightmare?

[Nellykats]

I'm not pregnant but I gave birth 13 months ago and will probably start trying again in a few months... My first labour was induced and with second degree tears - that then got very tightly stitched! For a good few months sex was impossible, and even a year later I still feel like I'm really tight - much more than before burth. I think the midwife made me shrink a bit!
I long for a natural second birth, but do I now have greater chances of tearing? I hate the idea of an episiotomy, but a great big natural tear seems scary and inevitable... Anybody has relative experience?

I had a bad second degree tear with DD1 as she came out with her hand by her face, loads of stitches but they healed well.

DD2 was born 18 months later and was 3lbs heavier than her sister and I didn't even have a graze, I had a HB so knew my MWs and had told them I was scared of tearing again and they instructed me really well at the pushing stage and calmed everything down.

Had a tear with DD3 as she came flying out in 2 contractions but it was nowhere near as bad as with DD1.

I would see your GP who can refer you to a specialist (don't know the words sorry) you may have been stitched too tightly and need repairing, someone else who knows more will be along soon.

I had very tight stitching from a consultant folowing a 2nd degree tear with dd1, who was a ventouse (with no episiototmy) 9lb12oz OP baby!

Ds was 9lb3oz (10 days early, thank goodness!) and a SVD, I had a small tear wich had 3 stitches in it - along the line I tore on with dd1.

Funny enough, dd2, who was 3 weeks early and "only" 7lb15 caused a 3rd degree stitched in theatre under lots of local and gas&air because of the speed of delivery.

I'm still glad that I never was cut, though delaing with tears isn't nice either!

Thank you sweetkitty and weegiemum, just the thought of somebody prodding me again makes me wince a bit, but I really need to get this sorted... the very idea of perineal massage though is absolutely icky. Tried it before my son was born and it was awkward, uncomfortable and only made me feel self conscious. Oh dear!

Hi Nelly, no personal experience, but my friend was stitched very tight after her 1st birth, and was very uncomfortable for months, she too was worried when she was pregnant again about tearing. On her second birth, she had no tears and she said it had stretched her out, so she feels back to normal, as in before she had children!

thanks mrswill, that sounds like a happy ending