2nd birth, chances of episiotomy?

[BrollyDolly]

Hi ladies,
With my first (21 months ago) I had to be cut, this then didn't heal fantastically as one of my stitches dropped out and even now the 'scar' is still quite painful and also very very soft(???), anyways, I am just wondering how many of you also had to be cut for your second? The midwife told me that chances of needing to be cut again were a lot lower the second time around as "everything is still quite stretched down there" haha had to laugh at that.
Also, do you think I should be worried about my scar being soft? I though scar tissue was supposed to go hard?!
Thanks muchly xx

 

[ClairAye]

I had an episiotomy with my first and got away with a 1st degree tear that only needed one stitch with my second.

 

[victoria1987]

You could always insist that they not cut you and allow you to tear naturally. My midwives have only a 0.5% episiotomy rate and definitely would have been cut with an OB as I had a 2.5hr pushing stage. I had a second degree tear but it healed just fine and 8 months on I have no pain or tenderness there.

It's your body and your choice, ask them not to perform the episiotomy unless absolutely necessary (ie. forceps). The vast majority are not needed and the woman would have been better off tearing.

 

[Perplexed]

I was cut both times. first time I had epidural and didn't really know what was going on down there. second time I think being cut helped helped as I was really scared of pushing and felt relief when I felt the cut.

I don't know about the scar feeling soft...i couldn't even feel my first episiotomy by the time I fell pregnant again and I can hardly feel my second one right now.

 

[LockandKey]

Usually midwives will not cut unless they find it utterly necessary.

I had an episiotomy with my first, bad healing and the scar is still tender as well. Glad I went with a midwife with my second, and she was brilliant, she basically prevented me from tearing at all. She poured a warm water bottle over my "area" right when I first started pushing, and then massaged and stretched me out down there between pushes before my son came through. I didn't tear at all, just a tiny upper graze that barely hurt

 

[jlw617]

Had an episiotomy with my first, nothing with my second!

 

[BunnyN]

My mum was cut with her first and not with me or my sister. I had home births and wasnt cut either time. The first time i had 4 stitches. The second time i didnt have even a graze despite him being almost 11lbs. I do think the MW helped a lot because she knew it was a big baby she made sure i took it slow during pushing. From having spoken to lots of women who have had natural tears and/ or episiotomy i would always refuse an epi unless it was to speed up the birth for emergency reasons. Most women heal much better with natural tears than from being cut.

 

[tinkerbelle93]

I'm interested in this as I had a horrible episiotomy with my first.

It seems quite common for mothers to tear and need stitches 1st time round then be fine with no stitches or tears the second time but I've not spoken to anyone who's had an episiotomy the first time round so I don't know whether it makes it more likely or not.

I remember reading a birth story of somebody's 2nd birth and they mentioned that they tore along the line of the episiotomy from their 1st birth, and needed stitches.. so it does make me wonder whether you're more at risk from tearing. xx