4th degree tear?

[bdubs419]

Anyone experience a 4th degree (or close to) tear with their first?  Just wondering how things went if you had more children?  How did your experience compare the 2nd/3rd time? Did anyone opt to do things differently to avoid a similar situation?

With my first I had a 4th degree tear (ughhh ) that according to the doctors healed well.  Although I honestly didn't feel right down there for almost a year and (ironically) that's when I got pregnant with my 2nd!  Anyways, number 2 is due soon and is also measuring large just like his brother.  My doctors have recommended an induction at 39 weeks which I have currently agreed to.  Although DS1 came at 39 weeks on his own and I still ended up with a 4th degree tear.   Not sure what I am looking for here, just hoping for maybe some positive experiences of things going better the 2nd time around.

[mrsGreeko]

I had a third degree tear with my first (hospital birth, pushing laying down with knees pulled back, doc broke water to get her out, probably causing the tear). I also had a lot of internal tearing. Recovery was not fun. Baby was only 6lbs11oz.

With my second (birth center birth, delivered kneeling in a birth tub, water was allowed to break on it's own) I had a skid mark that they didn't even have to stitch up. Baby was 7lbs4.5oz. Recovery was a breeze.

With my third (birth center birth, delivered squatting on a birth stool because baby started to go into distress and they wanted him out fast, delivered sunny side up, water allowed to break on it's own). Second degree tear. Apparently using a birth stool gets babies out faster, but causes more tearing. Midwife apologized for that, but said it was more important to get him out fast than allow me to continue to labor in the tub to not tear. I agree. Baby was 7lbs2oz. Recovery was okay initially, but there was a small spot that was too raw to stitch that took a lot longer to heal.

It is so dependent on so many things if you tear, speed, your position, baby's position, the care providers actions, etc.

[spk926]

No advice but I'm watching these replies as I also had a 4th degree tear and couldn't walk or sit right for weeks. Going to the bathroom was a huge ordeal for a long while. Supposedly I healed okay but I will admit I'm terrified of having it happen again. I think it happened because there was shoulder distocia and the Dr. had to reach his whole torso up in me to get her out. The vacuum also probably didn't help. She didn't come fast either so it's not like I can blame that. I labored for 23 hours and pushed for 3 of those. She was 7lbs. 12oz so totally normal weight. 

[Deleted]

I had a third degree with my first and multiple tears with the second (the worst was another third degree). It had nothing to do with the size of my babies; it was poor positioning with DS and speed of delivery with DD.

The only thing I did differently was some Webster chiropractic work the second time around. It worked - DD was in a better position. Didn't save my vagina, though. I did get a PT referral the second time around, and my vagina is entirely functional at this point.

[badtzmaru22]

My tears were only 2nd degree both times, but I had a MUCH easier time healing with the 2nd. The first time, they almost had to cut me again and redo it a few months later, and I seriously thought I was going to lose my mind over it. Don't google granulation.

The second time, I tore in the exact same spot, but I think I was stitched up better to begin with, and it healed easily. My 2nd baby was giant (9lb 12oz) although both of them had 99th percentile heads.

Anyway, chances are it'll be smoother sailing the second time around. I don't really know of there's anything that can be done to prevent it though. My dr said he could totally tell when I was about to tear, because he could tell where I had before. With #1 I had an epidural and 15 min of pushing. #2 no epi, same push time, so both were coming pretty fast and furious.

[gibbinator]

I think baby #1 typically does more damage than #2+. I had an episiotomy that tore with ds1 requiring 4 (or 5?) stitches and with ds2 my tear just barely needed 1 stitch (the ob actually hemmed and hawed a bit before deciding on putting in a stitch) . The kids were the same size.

[Deleted]

I will say I didn't have a really bad time healing either time, and I had more stitches than I can count. The second time was definitely more damage than the first, but it actually healed faster and better.

[redpenmama]

I only had a 2nd degree tear with DD. I had the same tear with DS, but recovery was much, much easier. My OB initially said "yay! you didn't tear" and then said "oh wait, same tear as last time." So, I don't know if it was just not as bad, but it was still 2nd degree. With DD, I really felt uncomfortable for like 6 weeks pp. I never experienced that level of discomfort the second time around, and I was feeling back to normal after about a week, maybe two.

So, not 4th degree but definitely a better experience with baby #2.

Good luck!

[bdubs419]

These stories are definitely reassuring. I realize that there are so many different factors that can cause tearing, many of which are impossible to control. I am just trying to calm myself. It's different going into labor knowing how bad things can really get. If only I could be as blissfully ignorant to these things as I was before having my 1st!

[Deleted]

This thread is now the top of my list for "Threads I wish I'd Never Opened".

Signed,
35w pregnant and terrified.

[dcn]

These stories are reassuring! I had a third degree tear, three hours of pushing ending with a vac, ds was only 6.15 so not big, and am worried it will happen again next time. Im not even pg yet but i think about it a lot.

[robot]

First baby: I had a 3rd degree tear, well over 4 hrs pushing, sunny side up baby. Second baby was a whole pound bigger, but she was facing the correct direction. I had only a small tear (I think 3-4 stitches) and they said that only happened b/c scar tissue doesn't stretch super well; otherwise I might have had no tearing. Recovery was a breeze compared to the first. I was so relieved!