# Tearing/being cut when giving birth!?



## Cazza89

I think it's called an episotomy!? Or something similar...

Anyway, last time I had an epi and was cut. This time I'm hoping to not have an epi, BUT I really don't want to tear so can I ask to be cut does anyone know!? And will they numb it first!? :shrug:


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## moomin_troll

they wont cut u unless they need to or in my mws case she just wasnt doing her job correctly and cut me without any need.

in most hospitals u get a injections to numb the area before ur cut (didnt work for me so i felt it but it didnt hurt)

im scared of tearing but ive been told u dont feel it happening if it does. u can try perinum massage to help the area stretch during birth


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## Samantha675

I would rather be left to tear. There is no guarantee you will tear, not so with being cut. Plus if I do tear it may not be as deep or big as the cut. If you birth in a different position, hands and knees or squatting, you are less likely to tear than when on your back.


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## ladyjayne

You heal better with a tear than a cut. Your bodys able to fix it eaiser if its a natural tear rather than a knife blade straight edge. although they cut you with a section they only do it big enough to fit there hands in and then let you tear the rest of the way to allow your body to heal better. 
Hope that helps :D


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## Rebaby

I tore.

I felt like i was tearing, and i told the midwives but was 'reassured' by them that i was just experiencing the feeling of "all my muscles stretching" :nope:

Mine was a 2nd degree tear which i had sutured. It was a good while between giving birth and being sutured, as there was a shift change, and then when the midwife tried to begin the repair she decided i was too swollen down there (due to hours of being immobile on the bed) for her to do it, so she had to bleep a doctor, who then took her time arriving etc...

So eventually i got stitched and it took a long time and was incredibly uncomfortable and a bit traumatic, far worse than actually giving birth had been. It healed ok though, although it did take some time.

I have no experience of having an episiotomy but i think it's probably better to take the chance that you won't tear iykwim? There are lots of ways to minimise your risk of tearing, like perineal massage prior to the birth, and adopting different positions during the 2nd stage and/or using water for the birth. It's just unfortunate that in my case i was strapped to a bed!

(I had an epidural too btw)


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## Rachel_C

They do numb the area first. You can ask your midwife to use her experience if you're not sure one way or the other. You could say that if she thinks you are likely to tear badly you want her to cut but if she thinks it will only be a small tear or you won't tear at all that you don't want her to. There's no guarantees whatever you do unfortunately. I was cut but I still tore in a different place!


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## Loo

They don't numb the area, as it would take a couple of minutes for the anaesthetic to work and an episiotomy is done just at the last moment if its needed. And you don't feel it, as the tissue is so stretched and its painful already!!

I had an episiotomy and tore aswell with my first. Despite the episiotomy stitches bursting it healed really well - better than the tear in fact. They advised me to have twice daily baths with nothing in the water and I avoided any infection etc

Everyone is different and every wound is different.


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## Charlie189

I was cut and i really wouldn't ask for it to happen again.

My midwife told me its much better to tear because when they cut they cut through all your layers, whereas a tear might not be so deep.


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## LouLou78

First of all, an episiotomy is required to aid in an instrumental delivery and to expedite delivery for fetal distress. You still have some old school midwives performing an episiotomy because they think you are going to tear, yet you can't see the damage that you really want to avoid i.e. a third degree until after the baby is born. Obviously there is a low threshold for an episiotomy for those having a known large baby though. 

With regard to aneasthetic, often if the decision is made to perform an episiotomy when the perineum is already stretched and thinned at the point of crowning, lidnocaine is difficult to admisiter at this point. However, anaesthetic at my unit in particular, will be given for an episiotomy normally. When it comes to episiotomies, my motto is leave perineum well alone unless absolutely necessary. :)


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## Loo

Loo said:


> They don't numb the area, as it would take a couple of minutes for the anaesthetic to work and an episiotomy is done just at the last moment if its needed. And you don't feel it, as the tissue is so stretched and its painful already!!
> 
> I had an episiotomy and tore aswell with my first. Despite the episiotomy stitches bursting it healed really well - better than the tear in fact. They advised me to have twice daily baths with nothing in the water and I avoided any infection etc
> 
> Everyone is different and every wound is different.

Actually stand corrected by everyone else, as have just read my own hand held notes and in the old days you never got anaesthetic (except to stitch up) but it seems you do now. Apologies if I panicked anyone!!


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## moomin_troll

loo in some hospitals ive heard they dont use anaesthetic still so ur not wrong.


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## Cazza89

I had a big baby at 9lb 1 for a size 8 woman! The midwives couldn't believe he was mine. I was cut quite a while before I gave birth. 
I was strapped to the bed, on my back and put in stirrups! :( This time I want to be going with gravity rather than against it! X


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## lynnikins

i was cut with ds1 a ventouse delivery, i tore worse than the cut with ds2, but healing time was about the same from both TBH neither was particually comfortable afterwards and i dont remember feeling either happen although i defo felt the stiches caus the numbing stuff they use to stitch you doesnt work on me lol,


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## ciarhwyfar

When I had my first baby 22 years ago, it was still standard for them to do a cut. I don't remember them asking or anything though it was a long time ago. They didn't use anything to numb it and couldn't really feel it much due to all of the stretching. My second one didn't have a cut or any tears and was a very fast birth.


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## lizi

2nd degree tear during a completley natural birth - didnt hurt a bit! had lost of gas and air during stictches but only cuz i'd missed out during active labour cuz i arrived at hospital too late! healing was great hardly noticed it at all - i worried the whole way through and wish i hadnt xx


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## MissGx

I had a 2nd degree cut - I would never want it again - I would hate to tear aswell.

I didn't feel them cut (I think I went into shock after they broke my waters, LOs heart rate dropped and I was so scared - couldn't even feel my contractions or feel baby come out!), but I felt them stitch up! OUCH! Don't think the anthaestic worked (but it never does on me, not even if they use it at the dentist - I must be immune lol)..

But afterwards, you will feel fine, in no pain at all when your resting - but try to walk down the road and its agony. At least it gives you a reason to relax!


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## Kess

I tore, 2nd degree. I'd been terrified of tearing or being cut, and did perineal massage religiously, had a waterbirth and birthed in a good position, but when you're 5'2" and 8stone and your baby is over 9lb 5oz with a big head... these things happen! Honestly, I didn't feel it happen at all, and me and MW were trying to figure out exactly when it happened as she was watching during crowning and is sure it wasn't then - we think it was when he did a weird little shimmy with his shoulders as they were emerging, but since I didn't feel it we can't be sure! I didn't feel the stitching at all, MW used a little local anaesthetic and the area was totally numb. She didn't stitch straight away, either, apparently it's better to wait an hour so everything settles slightly. It's all healing very quickly too, apparently.


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## moomin_troll

its so common for anthaestic to not work on people its unreal! it doesnt work on me at the dentist either so thats partly why im so bloody scared of the place hahaha

while having my stitches, i could feel them being done but it didnt hurt. i was just staring at zane in his cot and talking crap about his dads webbed feet and the mw had to check zane hahaha


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## lynnikins

moomin_troll said:


> its so common for anthaestic to not work on people its unreal! it doesnt work on me at the dentist either so thats partly why im so bloody scared of the place hahaha
> 
> while having my stitches, i could feel them being done but it didnt hurt. i was just staring at zane in his cot and talking crap about his dads webbed feet and the mw had to check zane hahaha

ditto, after this baby is born im gonna hve to do a mamoth expressing session and go to the hospital dentist and get put under GA to have the work i need doing done as ive been delaying it for the last 3 years :dohh: caus im so scared of the place


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## moomin_troll

lynnikins said:


> moomin_troll said:
> 
> 
> its so common for anthaestic to not work on people its unreal! it doesnt work on me at the dentist either so thats partly why im so bloody scared of the place hahaha
> 
> while having my stitches, i could feel them being done but it didnt hurt. i was just staring at zane in his cot and talking crap about his dads webbed feet and the mw had to check zane hahaha
> 
> ditto, after this baby is born im gonna hve to do a mamoth expressing session and go to the hospital dentist and get put under GA to have the work i need doing done as ive been delaying it for the last 3 years :dohh: caus im so scared of the placeClick to expand...

ive been putting the dentist off for 3 yrs lol the last nhs dentist i went to messup up my tooth and it really needs to be pulled out now so im going private and getting doped up soon as i can express lol


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## sammiwry

I was cut, nothing beforehand and didn't feel it, but I felt every stitch despite 2 lots of local! Had I not of needed a hand getting Madden out I would of torn, I'm normally a size 8 5'2 with a 9lb 6 first baby.


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## xxEMZxx

I didn't have a cut, but I had a 1st degree tear, Liam was 9lb7 so I dunno what to expect with this baby lol but I think second time round you are less likely to tear?


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## Gemmylou86

Not had my baby yet but am v worried about this so i've done a lot of reading. From what I can tell being cut isn't the answer. They often cut deeper/through more layers of tissue than you would neef. There also seens to be research to support the theory that cuts take longer to heal than tears.

Tbh from what people say you probs wouldn't feel either at the time, so my advice is to just go with it and if you tear you tear. Personally i'd much rather tear than be cut and I will be speaking to the obs, docs and m/ws on my labour ward tour about it. I'd like to see what their epi rates are and if theyre likely to do it at the drop of a hat lol


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## Weeplin

I tore with both my last 2. 2nd Degree with Aimee but not so bad with Jason. I would prefer to tear again than get cut. I never felt the tearing nor did I feel the stitching up really, maybe a teeny bit but I was given gas and air to suck on.


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## teal

I had both - I had an episiotomy and I had a seperate third degree tear (so two separate scars). The tear took longer to heal but possibly because I tore into my bowel. The doctor who delivered LO (it was an emergency forceps delivery) even commented it was unusual to tear separately from the episiotomy - normally they expect the episiotomy just to extend. Just shows an episiotomy doesn't always prevent a tear xx


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## Tulip

I had a 3a tear BUT it was because DS presented with hand over face, so his elbow caused a fair bit of damage (the 'advantage' of a third degree tear means I didn't feel the repair - because I had to go to theatre and have a spinal for it :dohh:). I do remember the midwife having to explain to the doc why she hadn't performed an episiotomy, but it was a rather speedy delivery - he was crowning in the sac, she broke my waters and there he was. She did her best by applying perineal pressure but sadly it wasn't enough. Not quite sure what it means for my next delivery :-/


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## sugarcube84

i tore which i didnt feel at the time, it happened when the student midwife delivered him she pulled him up instead of down (or the other way round) when his shoulders were delivered. The other midwife said i probably wouldnt have torn if it wasnt for this.

The stitches, the injection was stingy and when they prodded me to test that the injection had worked i couldnt feel the bit they prodded but it made everything stretch and that was stingy as well, i think i lasted 2 stiches and then said i felt such a wuss but it was hurting, the midwife turned to me and said ' dear you have just given birth using just gas and air all your natural pain relief has gone your are certainly not a wuss, use the gas and air!! ' so i did and after that it was great!!

Healing was fine just dont drink too much fruit juice as it makes your wee stronger and sting more and about a week after my stitched went really itchy so i had a look as you do and pulled and some came out (it was healed!!) and i ended up pullin out a couple plus a really long one that went from the top to the bottom of the tear, it was much better after that. Keep them clean and a shower head sprayed at them is lovely!!


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## Cazza89

I wanted to tear naturally 1st time round but had to be cut coz Ryley was stuck and I had ventouse delivery, he was a big baby! My cut didn't take that long to heal, I bathed in salt water and lavender everyday. Sometimes twice a day! Worked for me. I had an epi but I only had the one dose before giving birth and I felt him come out. She numbed me and dosed me up on the epi again as I was about to be stitched up. Think I felt it a bit but not too sure as I was exhausted and a bit out of it from gas and air! 

I don't know why I'm so worried about tearing naturally as it seems to be best anyway!? 

Thanks for all your replies though ladies. X


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## moomin_troll

i think its just the unknown thats so scary and no one likes the thought of themselves tearing lol i no i dont want to....im terryfied of it, even tho i got thru a epis and stitches once so i no i can do it again.

but im having a home water birth this time so ive been told theres less chance of me tearing which is good


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## ljo1984

i was cut for forceps last time and had had an epidural so didnt feel it. im dreading the thought of tearing so much more this time around, ive put in my birth plan that i onle want to be cut if absoloutly necessary, and would like local anasthetic before doing so (if ive not had epi). urhg it all makes me cringe (cuts and tears) i just try to block it out lol. i did massage for a good few weeks before with special gel from mothercare, but obviously i dont know if it works cause i never got to push my baby out grrrrr.


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## jackiea85

My first son was born by ventouse so I had an episiotomy. It was very sore for weeks, I got an infection, I could barely sit down, and I had the odd pain from it for a long time.

With my second son I had a second degree tear. In comparison, I barely felt it, it healed fine and so far I haven't had any soreness from it x


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## ljo1984

yeh they say tears heal so much better, and that why they only cut as a last resort!!


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## Natsku

I was offered an epistomy (probably cos the midwife realised Maria was going to be big - nearly 9lbs with a big head) but I thought I was having a small baby so couldn't decide whether it was better to risk the tear or not. I took so long to decide that I tore anyway, 2nd degree, but I barely felt it happen. Felt every stitch though.


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## LouLou78

I would rather a 2nd degree than an episiotomy in my opinion. Having sutured many 2nd degree tears myself which are quite common. Who knows, that episiotomy could have extended to a 3rd. :)


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## Natsku

Thats true. I would imagine it would make it easier to tear if its already been cut like a piece of paper tears easily if you cut into it first.


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