After hearing several women at work talk about how awful their tearing was during birth, I needed to soothe the neurotic side of me and find out how common this really is. Did you tear during childbirth? How badly?
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I had a ventouse delivery that required an episiotomy and recovery was a breeze!
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Mmm I honestly don't know to what degree officially but I would call the first tear as a second degree - about six stitches but it wasn't terrible at all. Then this last time - four weeks ago tomorrow - they spent about fifteen or twenty minute stitching. I would probably call that third degree. Only discomfort I had this time was stitches pulling and not sitting right right before they finished dissolving. Still not awful even though there was more pain and stitches at the time.
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My doctor never actually told me a degree. She said it wasn't bad so I selected 2nd on your poll because I did need some stitches. Everything healed pretty quickly. The fact of the matter is most first time moms tear a little... But you'll be fine!
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I didn't. The weeks leading up to delivery I told myself "I'm going to get huuuuuge" until I wholeheartedly believed it (in reference to my hooha opening), I delivered on my side (not the lithotomy position which closes the pelvic opening & creates an obstacle of the pubic bone), & I pushed 100% of my own accord when I felt I needed, after bearing down through a number of pushing contractions.
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2nd degree tear with my 1st even though I had a perineal massage done, and I didn't tear at all with my 2nd (no massage).
I heard taking evening primrose oil could prevent tearing, and that might've been the reason why I didn't tear the 2nd time around. Both my babies were the same size at birth!
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@Mrs. High Heels: Funny. I tore worse the second time around and she was smaller by more than a pound than my son. I chalk the bad tear up to the fact that she was born so quickly.
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I didn't tear. The dr said I had what was more like scratches, which didn't need any stitches. My baby was small though - 5 lbs 2 oz at birth.
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I didn't tear and had a good recovery. My LO weighed 5lbs 13oz.
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I had a second degree tear. Also a small episiotomy, I think she said she had to cut me a cm.
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I didn't and had a really easy recovery! (I like to think that it was the reward for my relatively complicated/stressful last week of pregnancy.) My baby was 7lbs 13 oz.
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With DS I tore just a little and required 2 stitches. I had an EPI and was coached threw pushes.
With DD I did not tear at all. I had a natural birth with her and pushed when on my own with no coaching.
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My baby was kind of small, 6lb9oz, and my dr did tons of perineal massage when I was pushing, and I ended up with just minor internal scratches. My baby was practically jumping out of me and I only pushed a few times, so maybe that helped?
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Baby was 6lbs 7 oz, had a 2nd degree tear. Didn't feel anything during because my epi was great. Had to take pain meds for over a week after, otherwise it hurt a lot just to stand up. Everything is 100% back to normal now though.
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@Mrs. High Heels: Oh interesting! I was ODing on EPO (vaginally) in the weeks before I gave birth!
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Second degree and tore in a Y shape.
ETA: LO was 9.2 and I pushed for about an hr and a half. My nurse massaged me
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I only had a 6 14 baby but my water broke at 11 pm and DS was born at 154a. Soooo...no time to stretch and I couldn't stop pushing--nearly had an emergency c--I ended up tearing to my rectum and needed about 30 stitches (3rd) even with an episiotomy.
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I tore but I voted other because my tear was peri urethral. It required about 4 stitches because my OB said that those tears aren't labeled by degrees. It didn't feel like anything and I think my discomfort for a couple weeks was more mental than painful. I also had a couple "skid marks" but no stitches for those.
ETA: DD was 7.5 lbs and was born after 45 minutes of pushing. She was crowning for a while and the OB was supporting my perineum so it helped a lot!
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I tore second degree but in several places and directions... So more than a few stitches.
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2nd degree and I'm not sure how many stitches but recovery took awhile. It's still not something I will worry about the next time around. Stay hydrated though!
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Not sure what degree but I only needed one stitch. Very minor tear. Only uncomfortable for a few days after delivery.
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Thanks for sharing, ladies! I guess I needed to hear that the super-intense, split-in-half tearing really doesn't happen that often!
Honestly, I think I'm more scared about post-natal recovery than I am about childbirth itself. -
I had a second degree tear, some stitches, they dissolved within a few weeks and it was no big deal.
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I didn't tear at all! I think I was just lucky because I didn't do any massage or take evening primrose. My LO was 7 lb 10oz, and was born after 6 minutes of pushing and 15 hours after my water broke.
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@redsmarties: I am so worried about the post-natal recovery. I've pretty much come to terms with the actual delivery and pain of delivery but I am really curious about/not looking forward to the actual recovery.
I often wonder if what position you use during labour/are in while giving birth makes a difference?
Like, if you delivered on your back did you tear? If you delivered squatting did you tear? These are things I think about because I want to do whichever one gives me less of a chance to tear! HAHA.
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@redsmarties: FWIW , even though I had a strange tear, I felt pretty normal less than a week after delivery. No pain or anything. The bleeding really wasnt bad after leaving the hospital either. The first couple of days are the worst but you will be at the hospital then anyway !
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I had a second degree tear but it wasn't a big deal. I had an epidural and was doing skin to skin with my LO whilst being stitched up so I didn't feel a thing. It also wasn't that painful of a recovery - it was a bit sore when I laughed or sneezed, but I never needed any painkillers, nor did I use tucks pads, peri bottles, witch hazel or any other healing/relief method. I had psyched myself up for much worse but it truly was no big deal!
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@.twist.: I was on my back with DH and the nurse each holding a leg, fwiw
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I selected 1st degree on your poll because that is what my doctor classified it as, however I did have 2 small stitches which he debated about even doing because he said the tear was so minor.
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No tears either time, I barely had any skid marks the second time. #1 was 7 lb. 9 oz. and #2 was 7 lb. 4 oz. Both births were unmedicated, pushed #1 out in 8 minutes in a semi-reclining position on the bed, #2 came out in less than 60 seconds as I pushed standing up beside the bed.
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I didn't tear. Only pushed for 20 mins but I think she was crowning most of the time (awesome) so it helped stretch things out. Pushed on my side and DD was 7lbs 13 oz
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2nd degree tear and some internal minor ones that didn't require stitches.. My baby was 7 lbs 7 oz
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No tearing here. DS was 8lbs 12oz. In labor for 12 hours, pushing for 2 1/2. Born at home with no medication. I was up and out of the house the next day, albeit a little wobbly.
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I had a 2nd degree tear and even though I had an EPI I swear I felt it when it happened (though at that point I didn't even care because LO was out!) DS was 8 lbs 2 oz and was ALL head!
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Two tiny first degree tears with one stitch. Irritating as hell, but no big deal. Pushed for 2 hours, 90th percentile head too.
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I had a 2nd degree tear that was pretty painful, actually. I think maybe about 8 stitches? I was in labor for 34 hours and pushed for 1 hr. She was 8 lbs 11oz, 22" and 95th percentile head circ. OH... and how did I almost forget this, but my LO had her HAND on her head when she came out... as if her head wasn't big enough on it's own, lol! I also think maybe I should have slowed down when she was crowning, but it hurt like hell and I was worried about all her HR decels, so I just kept pushing even after the contraction had stopped because I wanted her OUT. Her first apgar was only a 4. Yikes!
It was all totally worth it though! I'm sure you will be fine!
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@78h2o: my husband said I had a lot of stitches from my 2nd degree too...
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Thankfully I didn't tear but I did get a labial graze. The doctor said they usually don't put stitches in for them but because of a bleeding disorder with a high possibility of bleeding they put 1 or 2 stitches in.
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@.twist.: I'm DEATHLY afraid of the delivery process, especially the tearing and post-natal care also. Even though I squirm and cross my legs when I read posts like this, I HAVE to read up on others experiences to figure out what minimized tearing also!
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@Alivoo01: Honestly, it can depend a lot on different skin types and genetics, some people just tear. However, there are several things proven to reduce and minimize tearing:
-upright pushing positions (lithotomy= bad)
-unmedicated birth, or having your epi turned way, way down or off for pushing
-episiotomies turn into bigger tears, not the other way around
-perineal massage/hot compresses while crowning
-uncoached, mother-directed pushing, you listen to when your body tells you to push and if you're not numb, it will tell you. You'll know when to push hard and when it hurts too much, when to go easy, even if that means shrieking as a pressure relief valve during crowning, lol. Or maybe that's just me. Also, unless baby is in distress, there's no hurry to push him out. It's better to give your tissues a chance to stretch, ie, long crowning phases. Lol, says the woman who's pushed her babies out in record times, albeit it WAS just what my body was telling me to do. Anyways, my two cents, some things to keep in mind.
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