What are your ongoing health issues due to a vaginal birth?

[Cinderella25]

My sister and I were talking about how a section is more painful but you seem to get less life long health issues.

So what are your going issues due to having a vaginal birth?

It would be interesting to have a parallel thread for sections. I wonder if the spectrum of ongoing difficulties is less extreme with sections (IME sections seem to lead to more niggly issues like numb or itchy scars as opposed to life-altering ones like severe incontinence).

None from my vaginal deliveries
Piles from pregnancies
Little bit of numbness around c-section scar

Well, first and only birth, emergency forceps delivery, because I was left to labour for 52 hrs with a stuck baby until he started to crash, which led to mild prolapse of the bladder and bowel, internal nerve damage (which has thankfully resolved) and an episiotomy that became infected, failed and left me with only about 1cm of "perineum" which is actually just scar tissue. Not to mention mental health issues from the trauma of it all.

As an aside, anyone experiencing prolapse, who would like some support, there is a great (private) Facebook group called Association of Pelvic Organ Prolapse Supoort.

Stress incontinence, I used to be a runner but unlikely I'll be able to return to that, my pelvic floor won't take it.

I have bladder, bowel and uterine prolapse

I still have problems with tight and painful scar tissue from a tear. I'm fairly certain I wasn't sewn back properly. It wasn't even done with anaesthetic as it didn't work and the midwife refused to believe me.

Sections (incidentally recovery was not painful at all)

I have some tummy numbness (which is pretty insignificant really - I mean who cares?) and I have an overhang which can get a bit sweaty sometimes which can make it a bit sore.

Stretch marks aren’t caused by vaginal births. Piles can be from pregnancy rather than birth as well.
People with ongoing issues should get referrals to women’s physiotherapist services as far too many women accept incontinence etc when they really shouldn’t.
I have had four births- 3 instrumental and one over 10 lbs. Yes I’ve got episiotomy scars but no permanent damage or affects.

Three vaginal births and no problems at all.

I haven't had natural births but since my 2 c sections I do get slight incontinence, itching on my scar and complete numbness on my lower stomach. Also I get awful lower back pains which I put down to my last epidural. I slept upright for 4 weeks after Dc2! I developed a severe kidney infection days after my last c section which was awful (was hospitalised for an extra week) and still have issues with infections now (can't blame that on birth I guess)

People with ongoing issues should get referrals to women’s physiotherapist services as far too many women accept incontinence etc when they really shouldn’t

I’m all for people going for physio but it really doesn’t cure all issues.

Many years on, due to hyper mobility, prolapses of rectum, urethra, bladder and uterus.
All of these were 'fixed' (including a hysterectomy), except for urethra (I was told I wouldn't be able to pass urine if they tried a repair).
Sadly the rectocele repair has broken down eight years on, but I'm living with it because it doesn't cause me pain - it's just very inconvenient.
I laboured with a back to back baby in my first pregnancy for over 36 hours, and pushed for over two hours.
I had no idea of the consequences it would bring for me.

Some pelvic floor issues that I'm waiting for physio on (forceps delivery) but otherwise it's all tickety-boo.

When doctor checked my episiotomy stitches at my 8 week check she said that if she didn't know, she would not have been able to tell I'd had them!

Interesting thread. I had a section and the pain after really wasn't too bad. Hardly any scar two years on although there is still still some numbness around my tummy.
Weirdly though, and like Nokia said, my vagina has not felt the same since, and sex has never been as good as before. Also seem to be more susceptible to dryness and soreness down there. Also weak bladder since but may be unrelated. If I were to have another I'd want a section definitely.

Perhaps every would be midwife should have to spend a year or three on women's gynae surgical first!

Had both section and 2 vaginal births

Continence issues as a result of 3 pregnancies

Long term on going issues from section, which I wouldn't class as 'niggling'

Piles, mild incontinence and a painful episiotomy scar that means our only sexual position is missionary. Anything else tugs at the scarring and is painful.

Three vaginal births, no ongoing issues. Sounds like I was very fortunate.

The people saying they have no ongoing issues - how long ago were your births? Not trying to scare anyone but the stats on prolapse later in life are available online and if you've had a vaginal birth you're far more likely to have prolapse later on life and this is even more so if you have had multiple vaginal births. So a lot of the people on this thread claiming to have no ill effect will statistically be saying something very different say 20, 30, 40 years later unfortunately.

I had 2 i haven't got any long going health conditions. My DS who had sections has on going conditions causes by the sections though.

Prolapses (plural)- basically always feels like everything is falling out, so many symptoms I won’t go into detail
Third degree tear and subsequent weakness (urgency)
Can no longer run or do high impact exercise which I loved
Pretty much no sensation during sex
Piles (not during pregnancy)
And I do believe there will be more to come as I age unfortunately

I just wish I could to back in time and have a section . Had one with my second and yes it was more painful in the days post op but all I have is a scar, some numbness and itchiness - a breeze compared to the list above.

The people saying they have no ongoing issues - how long ago were your births?

I had my children 30 plus years ago. Both vaginal deliveries and no ongoing issues. My mother had 7 vaginal deliveries and had no issues either.

Stress incontinence, I had a slipped stitch so doesn't look or feel the same and not as "tight", piles.

I was also traumatised after the birth.

Plus was in a lot of pain afterwards for weeks due to the slipping stitch causing an infection. Felt very ill and couldn't sit down.

Stress incontinence and lower back pain.