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!?

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[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"

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)

 

[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!

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

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!!

 

[moomin_troll]

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

 

[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

 

[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,

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[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!

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[lynnikins]

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 caus im so scared of the place

 

[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

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 caus im so scared of the place

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