Embarrassing question - septate hymen

[FredFlintstonesSister]

I am truly mortified even typing this but I have a septate hymen and was wondering if anyone knows if this will affect labour. When I was younger it was fully septate, ie a line of tissue running vertically along my vaginal opening. During sex, as a teen, it essentially snapped, leaving me with two stringlike pieces of tissue which hand down slightly. I have never spoken to a doctor about this and despite having regular smear tests, and also fertility treatment, no one has ever mentioned it to me! I'm not comfortable bringing it up with the midwife but wondered if anyone else here had?

I had a friend who has a problem, I'm not exactly sure what it was called but basically extra tissue in her cervix that stopped her cervix from opening fully in labour. She was in labour a long time with DC1 before they realised. In the end it was Emergency C section time. With her DC2 they just did a C-Section I think. Perhaps it would be best to mention to MW. there really is nothing to be embarrassed about! Midwives are not embarrassed by anything! Especially if its on topic an relevant which this clearly is! Good luck!

If it's snapped then I don't think it would be an issue.

Clearly Moo that doesn't sound like the same thing as the op is talking about at all.

Oh ok. Still talking to the midwife would be a good idea wouldn't it?

Don't know the answer but I don't think it's anything to be embarrassed about & definitely worth discussing with your midwife - I'm sure they've seen/heard most things and it might be relevant to your health and your baby's health.

It's a good idea to talk to the midwife about it as they will help you over come your "is it a problem" fear. The midwife should be able to talk about your birthing options. I've had a quick Google and you can get treatment on the NHS there are even leaflets so it must be reasonably common which is maybe why none of your HCP have mentioned it.

If you are too embarrassed to say out loud that you are worried that there might be birthing implications with you hymen what about printing the opening post and and handing it to the midwife. Any decent HCP will understand that you are both worried and embarrassed and work with you to acknowledge and work through those feelings.

You have been brave enough to post here. You can brave enough to talk with someone who job it is to help you.

Appreciate this is an old thread but just wondering how the OP got on or whether anyone has any more experience of this? I have this issue and MW is currently looking into it for me.

If it's already broken like the original poster's it shouldn't be a problem. If the septate hymen is still intact it would be worth asking the midwife or GP about getting it cut as it will undoubtedly go during birth. I don't know how that would work as mine was substantial enough to prevent intercourse, so I had surgery as a teen.