# Tearing after birth... Will things ever be normal down there?



## candytzu2012

I had my baby the 17th. I guess i tore pretty good. a 2nd degree tear and a first degree libia tear. Ive been to sore to really feel down there to see how bad it was till today. I have a rip all the way up to my clit and its a pretty wide opening and im ripped all the way to my anus. I tried to feel my hole and i just feel a giant gap. I got stitches to the anus but they didnt stitch anything else and im worried about it healing and things going back to normal or if this is going to be left grossly disfigured. I couldnt find any info online and my doctors appointment isnt for a few more days. Any idea?


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## Tjkitty

I had baby on the 6th. Had 2nd degree on perineal and bilateral labia tears. So similar to you. The 1 st week was awful, I feel a bit bruised now, but stitches have gone and things look normal down there again! I also had terrible hemmaroids, so couldn't sit properly. Much better after getting suppositories! Take paracetamol and ibuprofen in-between and get some Badidas bath soak for your stitches!


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## 2016

I had the same with DS and it all looks the same down there now! DH who isn't prone to sparing feelings says it still looks and feels as nice and tight as it always did. :blush:
I can see a slight scar line on my perenium as I also tore to my anus but it's hardly noticeable.


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## lovelylaura

i had a 2nd degree tear too and its all back to normal dont worry just give your body time to heal xx


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## candytzu2012

Thanks.. just is kinda scary feeling how messed up i am down there


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## Warby

I had a fourth degree (right through anus) with my second. It hurt at first and took time to heal (this tear was pretty severe), and I wasn't ready for sex again with OH for over six months.

BUT things healed right up again. Sex life is good (am "tight" again), have no issues with bowel movements, etc. I was able to deliver my third child vaginally and had an episiotomy to avoid tearing again, and it worked.

I am now expecting my fourth, and the plan is to have a vaginal delivery with episiotomy if necessary to avoid tearing.

It is early days for you yet, but I imagine you will heal up just fine. This sounds gross, but it helped me to pee in the shower- no stinging sensation.


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## 2016

Warby said:


> I had a fourth degree (right through anus) with my second. It hurt at first and took time to heal (this tear was pretty severe), and I wasn't ready for sex again with OH for over six months.
> 
> BUT things healed right up again. Sex life is good (am "tight" again), have no issues with bowel movements, etc. I was able to deliver my third child vaginally and had an episiotomy to avoid tearing again, and it worked.
> 
> I am now expecting my fourth, and the plan is to have a vaginal delivery with episiotomy if necessary to avoid tearing.
> 
> It is early days for you yet, but I imagine you will heal up just fine. This sounds gross, but it helped me to pee in the shower- no stinging sensation.

Wow I'm impressed! That's hope for a lot of women right there! :)


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## .rollinn.

Yes things will be normal depends on how fast your body heals. I had 2nd degree tearing and i couldn't walk,sit,pee right for 2 weeks. Oh and sex lol i cried the first time we dtd at 3months pp it hurt sooo bad and made me spot!!


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## .rollinn.

Warby said:


> This sounds gross, but it helped me to pee in the shower- no stinging sensation.

Yep this helped me alot too,and witch hazel wipes.


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## XJessicaX

With my first she was stuck back to back so I needed a manual turning (which didn't work) and the midwives hand up me caused a 2nd degree tear (ouch). I then needed an emergency assisted delivery so I had a huge 3rd degree cut that virtually travelled down to my anus. All the top stitches fell out 24 hours after they were put in and I was left to heal naturally. Took about 14 weeks until I was 100% healed. 
After all of that....my vagina is exactly the same (maybe even tighter!) than it was before. Bar one of my labia being cut through at the bottom and a slight ridge where my cut was it looks the same too!


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## wamommy

I had a second degree both times with my girls, and yes...it sucks! But it does go back to normal. What helped me a TON with pain was to have a squirt bottle by the toilet filled with warmish water, and squirt it "down there" while I went pee. That way the urine didn't burn like heck! It also kept the area pretty clean to help with healing. Another thing that helped me, as much as I didn't want to, was to walk every day to increase blood flow. I hope it feels better soon! :hugs:


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## Larkspur

Well, I am in pretty early days, but just wanted to add to this thread for anyone who might be scared of tearing.

I had a third degree tear with the birth of my first-born just five days ago. He was a bit bigger than average, 8 pounds 1, with a solid 36cm head, but the reason I really tore was that for some reason he decided to do a 360 spin as he came out rather quickly, and that caused the tear. If he hadn't done it, I probably would have been fine. It was a drug-free birth, no induction, 12 hours labour and I am 36 years old.

Just five days later, I feel a LOT better than I would have expected to. I can sit and walk easily, I am not having any major issues with bowel function and I am not in any pain at all, or even discomfort. The physio who came to see me two days after the birth was surprised that I was sitting cross-legged on the bed without any apparent discomfort. I am sure that I will have no long-term issues, and my midwife already said that at this stage, she can't see any reason I wouldn't be able to have another natural delivery. I was hoping to get pregnant again very soon (NTNP from six weeks post-birth was the plan), but I guess I will probably give it an extra three or so months to give my body some more recovery time before we start trying again now.


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