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third degree tear now pregnant again
Hi I am 26 weeks and due to have baby in August.
I had 3rd degree tear 4 years ago and I am concerned about the birth natural or c-section?.
I had 3rd degree tear 4 years ago and I am concerned about the birth natural or c-section?.
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I had a 3rd degree tear almost 17 months ago with my daughter, i was stitched in theatre but had so many problems that i just had it all re done (fentons procedure + removal of scar tissue lump + cosmetic tidy) 5 weeks ago. I still have internal stitches so we cant ttc yet, but will be asap.
I have always been keen to have a natural birth next time as despite the tear i felt i had a great birth, and ive made this clear to consultant, but obviously im still petrified that it could all tear again and leave me incontient, which thank goodness i havent been.
If you want to talk my email is scooby_dav@yahoo,com if its easier. x
Ive also heard that there is no extra risk of tearing, yet scar tissue isnt stretchy so im not sure if this is really true. But i certainly hope it is, and think im still keen to have a natural birth. I really hope you can let us know how you get on after baby is born x
I had a third degree tear with my first. My consultant said there was no need to have a section next time. I fell pregnant again quite quickly and also opted for a homebirth which went really well and a much more positive experience than my hospital birth.
Howwever i did end up with a second degree tear second time around which was stitched at home by the midwife and was absolutely nothing compared to the third degree tear i had with my first. However neither actually healed paticularly well (although no problems internally it's all external) and I have a hospital appointment on Monday to see whether I need a further repair.
Next time (am I mad) I may opt for a c-section purely because my poor bits have probably had enough now, but if not I will be at home again.
The reasons for this were it was much more controlled and relaxed at home. I was more mobile, the midwife got me in a good position to push (first time round in stirrups and screamed at too push, The midwife even said we may need to do a cut but didn't actual do the episiotomy - although I don't know which would have been better). The midwife (who was fantastic) second time round, controlled my pushing telling me when to hold back and also tried to keep me together to prevent the tear being any worse. We both knew I would tear again because the original one had not healed correctly so she did everything possible to prevent it and reduce the tearing.
Im feeling much better after my repair, and am so pleased ive had it done as sex was unbearable before but its not until its comfortable again that you realise how bad something was!
i have just been to my consultant i am now waiting for my appointment for the Fentons Op. Can you tell me how long it took you to heal after?? He has told me two weeks. Also di you have to stay in overnight or was it just as a day patient - I forgot to ask?
Some parts of mine have overhealed and some hasn't healed and I also have a 'pocket' internally which needs to be corrected.
I had more done than the standard fentons as they repaired the internal wall too, but I was still allowed home the same day, but i was first on the list. All being well i think its just a day case.
Honestly, I cant recommend it highly enough. Im so glad i had it done.
When is your op?
Im actually pregnant again and am def planning on a vaginal birth. Spoke to my consultant post op and he said as long as im careful with my diet, and baby doesnt end up huge it should be fine. That said, my dd was only 7lb 1oz. I swear it was the syntocin drip that caused my tear, and thinking back i can remember saying to the midwife that it felt "dry" and burning. I think now this was me tearing internally. But thats ok, i will just try and avoid synoticin next time, but obv ultimatly even a 4th degree tear is fine so long as baby is happy and healthy.
I am glad the op has made things better for you.
I don't have a date yet for mine I am still waiting to find out just want to get it done now so will chase them on Monday. They have a time limit of 18 weeks which takes me upto October so it should be done by then.
For my second birth my midwife told me to eat plenty of oily fish, drink plenty of water and to massage the scar tissue with oil in the run up to the birth in the hope it would stretch ok.
I only had small babies - my first 6lb 11oz and second 6lb 9oz. i think there are lots of things that contribute to a tear other than baby's weight.
Thanks for the advise re fish, water and massage....what a combination hey! The things we do!
1 m/w told me that if he had been born in hospital then a m/w would have been able to prevent tears but other m/ws and hv's have scoffed at this and said the speed he was going there was no chance!!
the hospital i was taken after have special studies on all of this and i had a long op to reconstruct everything after the birth so i am quite lucky that i feel i have no long term damage.
they did insist that i do pelvic floors though as many women even in their 50's who have gone through this now suffer incontinence.. sorry if tmi.
My consultant was very concerned as to whether I'd had any bowel incontinence and since I haven't (its only my bladder
The consultant I saw post the first birth reckoned that I shouldn't have problems for a second birth since the first was a forceps and so the "head" was so much larger than it would be normally. But unless he has a crystal ball I can't see how he can know how it will be!
I'm far more scared about labour this time round than I was the first! I think perhaps ignorance is bliss!
I had a meeting with my consultant a couple of weeks ago who gave me the straight forward facts which are: 3rd degree tear = weakened pelvic floor. Even though I haven't had any problems this time round another vaginal birth will further weaken the pelvic floor which could result in further tearing and therefore further complications. He offered me an elective c-section.
All great and very logical but you can't really bring logic into childbirth from the woman's point of view. I don't want a c-section, I want things to happen naturally, to have the surprise of when it's going to turn up, to even go through all that pain again. I want to be able to pick dd1 up and drive within 6 weeks. I don't want to have another spinal!
Unfortunately dh is seeing it from the more logical point of view and doesn't think a natural birth is worth risking a lifetime of complications. I can see his point but I just feel the odds are in my favour.
I've spoken to the midwife briefly about it and I've decided that, although I'd like a waterbirth like last time, the midwife can help control things better if I'm out of the water. (I tore last time because dd came out in a whoosh in the water and lifted her elbow as she came). I'm also planning to try the perineum massage even though I failed miserably last time. I've also seen another thread about epi-no and someone due in the next month or so is trying this product so I'm going to try and find her and see how she thinks it works. I've got another midwife appointment next week and I'm taking dh along so I can discuss all this with her again and he can ask questions and hopefully put his mind at rest.
Sorry for the long post! Maybe we should try and find summ3r again and see how her birth went in August. If you're getting post notifications Summ3r, please come back and tell us how it all went!
MM
15+4
I dont see my consultant until 24 weeks. As you have read i was dead set on vaginal birth this time as I enjoyed it so much last time, but now im in the situation of having to decide Im wondering if im being selfish by not having the c.sec. I also dont want the lack of lifting, driving ect. I also think its fear of the unknown. I wonder though if 6 weeks of (i was going to say a pain in the arse but that would be the natural birth!) having serious inconvinience would be easier, not to mention more dignified, than a life time of incontinence.
Its such a hard decission and i totally understand everything you ladies are saying.
I wonder if the consultant would let me have a scan futher in the pregnancy to see how big the baby is and perhaps make a decission from that. Do you know if this is possible?
I second the above, would love to hear how Summ3r got on!
Sarah+1
21+6
I was about to post on here and then saw this thread so have read through and think I will just add to this instead as my situation is similar...
Firstly I completely admire all of you that have had or are planning to go natural after a third degree. My lo is 18 mths old and I had a bad thrid degree tear (apparently it was close to a 4th with 70% muscle damamge)... the reasons for it are a mixture of things, horrible mw who made me lay on my back in stirrups to push, I'd had peth which I hated and wish I hadn't as felt everything but was too out of it to fight my corner, then had ventouse and lo came out with arm up, he was also 8lb 2 and I'm only 5ft 3 so was big for me!
Anyway, 18mths on I'm still suffering, sex is painful, even using tampons is uncomfortable and when having a no 2 I get very little warning, and struggle to keep in wind. Sorry if tmi!!! I've seen gaenocolgists (sp?), physio's and a colorectal surgeons and all three have advised me to have a c section next time, especially the surgeon, he was lovely but in no uncertain terms he told me in 10 - 15 years I would be incontinent and if i tore again, which he thought I would as he said scar tissue is likely to split and its likely I'll have a bigger baby next time, he wouldn't be able to help me....
I've given it alot of thought but the risk is just too much. I will feel I'm missing out on the natural thing but the past 18mths has been hell.
Sex is slowely getting better but I don't think it will ever be without some discomfort (luckily I have a very understanding and supportive husband!)...
We are not planning to ttc until Jan 2011 but I am hoping I dont have a battle for a c sec, especially considering how many 'experts' have told me I should! The physio (although off the record) said she would def not risk another natural if it were her! Also the surgeon said any prob's in getting one he will back me up and personally recommend it!
When do they tend to do planned c sec's, I'd be worried about baby coming early before c sec booked in for!?
Amy x
I am now 31 weeks with baby no 2 and have seen a consultant who is happy for me to have vaginal delivery this time. i said my only concern was being incontinent in the future, and he doesnt think i will be. It does worry me hearing that all your healthcare advisers have suggested a c sec though. Its such a hard decission, and to be honest im petrified of tearing so badly again and more than that, like i have said, being incontinent... but im just as scared of a c sec and its recovery time.
I know this baby is bigger than my first was too which doesnt help!
I think they do c secs at 39 weeks and would imagine that if you went into labour before they would just c sec you asap.
Is there anyone out there who have good labours after 3rd degrees?
Sarah x
I went into labour naturally rather than having the syntocin drip like last time. It started at 5:30am with very mild contractions and I had Harry at 23:47.
When i got to 9cm I felt the urge to push, just like last time, but i held off as long as possible to allow Harry to move very slowly down and help me stretch better.
This time i had a 2nd degree tear with some grazing to the top part of my vaginal wall. It feels bliss compared to the 3rd degree last time!
Im over the moon that i gambled with the vaginal delivery as i feel great, was stitched there and then so could bf right away, and shouldnt be incontinent with a lot of help from elvic floor exercises!
So i would def recommend it to anyone who asks me in the future. Its the best thing ive done. And despite my feeling this time that perhaps i couldnt go through that pain again... after 24 hours i have totally forgotten how it hurt and a week later I think perhaps we may be crazy enough to do it all again!
Good luck to anyone in the future.
Sarah x