Tearing

[kellz93]

I'm 31 weeks and this is my first pregnancy . I'm due July 19th and having a baby girl . Although I am super excited to meet her I am terrified of labor , i have heard so many horror stories and one is tearing.  Are there ways to prevent it? If it happens what does it feel like? How is the healing process after, will u go back to normal?

[MissouriMommaofthree]

They make a pad that when activated will turn cold to help with the pain and swelling.   Someone on here was talking about making up a bunch of homeade witch hazel frozen maxi pads which sound very soothing for when you come home. For my second baby, the hospital gave me a bottle to use when I peed to squirt on my peri area as I peed.  I would just fill it with warm water and then squeeze it while peeing. That was nice. Tucks pads help too.  Witch hazel is what is in the tucks pads and it is so soothing.  You might also need a hemorrhoid pillow to sit on for a while until the tenderness goes away.  Pooping is probably the biggest hurdle.   Make sure you are eating a high fiber diet.  And I learned the hard way that Tylenol 3 makes me constipated. So try to stick with just ice down there and the squirt bottle and witch hazel for pain relief. I hope you don't tear very much.

[jennynew]

I tore on both my kids. I don't feel it and u heal quick Wit salt baths. I'm gonna try evening promise oil capsule from 37 weeks to prevent it this time. But usually if u do what the midwife says u won't tear. I personally kept pushing when I was told to stop

[damiensmama]

I tore too but I didn't notice anything until the doctor told me what happened. I was sore for maybe a week (2 weeks at most) then things got awtlot easier. More than anything, I was scared to poo for the first time after cuz I ripped pretty far back but they gave me stool softener which helped alot. And yes you will go back to normal. Good luck to ya

[clynnpet]

I definitely have an opinion on this as I've had a number of babies and my first one didn't turn out at all like planned. My midwife was out of town and a physician's filled in and insisted she needed to cut me because I was so small down there. I ended up having a very small baby and the healing process hurt for a long time. With my next baby my midwife warned me after a cut you're more likely to tear the next time because of how the tissues heal and dont interlock like they would if it was a natural tear. I tore a little with my second but it was no big deal healing up afterwards. From then on we always did perineal massage using wheat germ oil which is high in vitamin E and can be found in the health food store and its always made a big difference since then with rarely any tearing.

[jen0221]

You can look up perineal massage. I have heard it really helps get the skin down there ready for birth, at least for ftm. After that I've heard it won't do much. I tore with both of my first 2 and honestly, it's not the tearing that I'm afraid of (even though I've had 2 unmedicated births) it's peeing afterwards! My tears weren't bad enough to even stitch, but it still stung for a few days. Also if it is possible request to be in an upright position rather than laying on your back. Laying on your back causes your pelvis to not be fully open, which can, and often times does, make things worse. Ask your doctor for a few positions that you can birth in with an epidural, if you plan on having one. If you don't, there is a whole list of possible birthing positions. I haven't done it, but I heard that squatting can open your pelvis up to 40% wider than laying on your back! Just some suggestions.

[lilmissriss]

Oh and kegels are some of the best things for you. Plus a steady labor. Once my water was broke my daughter came out too fast so I didn't have time to stretch right.

[lilmissriss]

The worst thing about it is the the iodine baths they make you sit in for a couple weeks after. Those are just annoying.

[lilmissriss]

Honestly there is so much going on down there, you won't even notice. I tore with my daughter and I didn't even know until my husband told me they were stitching me up.