To cut or tear...that is the question...

[sweetangel7]

For those of you ladies who have given birth...did you take the cut (episiotomy) or not...did you tear?  Did you make the decision or does the doctor make the decision for you?  At what point is the decision made?

Thanks in advance for sharing!

[Avanaar]

Personally, I do not want an episiotomy unless there is a complication with getting the baby out and his stats start dropping or something.  Otherwise, I want to tear naturally, whether it's a small tear or a big, bad tear.  ; ;

One of the books I borrowed from the library gave this analogy for episiotomies.  Imagine you have a piece of cloth.  Try tearing the piece of cloth ... it's hard to tear it, right?  Now, take some scissors and put a small cut in the cloth.  Now tear it.  It tears a lot easier, doesn't it?  

I'm really hoping that I don't tear, but I'm not too concerned if I do.  As long as my little man is delivered safely and he is healthy, I'm not too worried about some stitches in my nether regions.

[nikko*ttc]

I had an episiotomy with my DD. It wasn't too bad. It hurt to pee and poo for the first few times, but then it just felt normal. I used witch hazel pads and sitz baths to help with the pain, swelling, and soreness all of which occur with a tear or cut. I do remember that when the doc said it was okay to have sex again that it hurt like the dickens so it was at least another 3-4 weeks before I was ready to. If I remember correctly, it was at my 6 week check-up that he gave the thumbs up for sex, but it was closer to two months before it didn't hurt to have sex. I would take a tear or cut anyday over a c-section. As it is, I have partial placenta previa and am told that there is a possibility that if the placenta still hasn't moved at my next ultrasound (this wednesday, I'm 34 weeks pg right now) that I may have to have a c-section.

[justice6920]

I was cut..... From what i remember the doc really didnt give me a choice LOL just told me that was what he was doing.... and I assume at the time he felt it was necessary.... I didnt feel it at all and Healed up pretty quick.... all i remember was a little burning when i went pee but other than that it seemed to heal quick with minimal pain

[neasyc]

i have never had an episiotomy so i cant compair
but just wanted to say that hopefully you wont have to worry about ether with my first  2(8lb 14 oz and 10lb who was face up) i tore but my third i did not she was 11lb
so you dont necessarly have to worry about tearing and even if you do in my experiance so far you dont really feel it i have never had an epirural and there was not much differace between tearing ad not tearing during the birth ( i mean in pain ) also i have heen very lucky with the healing fter my tears
but as i said hopefull you wont have to worry about eather good luck

[LittleMissBeatz]

I'm going to let mine tear I DO NOT want them to cut they say it causes problems later on because you don't heal correctly when they cut you verses when you tear naturally.  So I'll be tearing if I tear LOL..

[sadiesmommy]

I did tear but only enough to require one stitch and with everything I felt from a non working epidural I never even felt anything from that, he even put the stich in without numbing things up. It burned for a few weeks when I went pee but other than that i have had no other ill effects or even memories of it. BTW my son was 7lbs. 14oz. and since they are pretty sure the twins will be smaller than him this time I should be able to avoid it all provided I can go naturally!

[Kelly87]

About 2 weeks before I had my son we were doing a perineal massage to kinda strech the skin that tears. I didnt tear or need an episi..

[AnitaRFrith]

I'm 21 weeks an I have not thought to much about that... eeeeee.  I had my legs crossed reading all of the comments.  LOL.  Mother-in-law told me that he dr. cut her from her vag to her rectum.  Then her uterus fell out an had to be put back in.  She had tons of stiches.  I'm going to have bad dreams about this tonight lol.  Anita

[sweetangel7]

Thanks Candice...my husband feels the same way too!  He always tells me that a vagina is made for a baby to come out of and your body is never meant to be sliced open and muscles cut etc.  He is virtually 100% against a c-section UNLESS medically necessary.  It just seems so easy!  Cut and baby is out!  I guess I don't think of all the horrid healing your body has to go through...And jessyboy007 just had a bad c-section experience that kind of scared me too!

We trust and like our doctor a lot, so bottom line is, I guess we'll take his guidance but I wanted to know a little of other people's experiences so I'd know what could or couldn't happen...

[babyscience]

My Dr was very good and lubed me up with mineral oil, everytime I pushed she would stretch...pretty crazy.  I only tore a little bit, didnt hurt and the stitches didnt hurt either.

[cminamyer]

Bottom line, your vaginal area is made to streach and if it tears or is cut can heal way better then your stomach muscles which were never ment to be sliced open.  DH told me to put this.

[cminamyer]

I tore and I said it took about 10 weeks to heal, that means to completely heal and have sex comfortably it started to feel better after about 1 week to a week and 1/2.  Wheather you tear or have an episiotomy it is way better then having a c section.  Your body is made to have a baby and your tissues heal better and go back to normal better after you give birth vaginaly.  

I have not had a c-section, but I did have a tubal pregnacy that ruptured and they had to cut me open like a c-section, and that pain and scar are FAR worse than a tear or episiotomy.  You feel like **** afterwards are on pain meds that don't make you feel so hot and everything hurts, sitting up, standing up, coughing, sneezing, picking up your baby.  You don't really realize how much you use those lower abdominal muscles.  Plus they didn't even cut through my uterus or streach my scar out as much as they would if a baby was coming out.  It took a whole six weeks to start feeling better from that surgery and it has been 8 months since this surgery and I still get pain around the scar at times.  Also, it is really not pretty to have this huge scar across your lower abdomin.  DH says he doesn't mind it, but it kinda changes the view if you get what I mean.

Now I'm not saying I 100% against a c-section, if it's the best thing for the baby then yes get one, but don't choose to have one.  You heal better after a vaginaly birth wheater you tear or get cut way better then you do from a c-section.

[NicMom]

Take the cut!!! WIth my son I didn't want them to cut so I tore. Woah big mistake. I gave birth to charlie brown! His head was huge. I had to have surgery after to repair the damage. I had 3 4th degree tears. Next time I plan to cut away.

[leighanne143]

i am pregnant with my first right now and i am cringing as i read this.  i am so scared now.  please someone reassure me that the healing process is quick or something to calm me down.

[jdamico]

well me personally  i have doneboth i had episiotomy with my daughter and it hurt  for a  good  ten weeks with my son  i  ended up tearing down the  original  scar line and then more some i ended  up with about 56 stiches altogether the  doc  told me when  she was  done sewingthings up  granted it didnt hurt as  bad due tot he  fact by lucki tore down  scar tissue   but  the  rest of the tear  hurt to the heavens either way i think it is uncomfortable either  way cause man that is  place stitches  dont need to be :)
but either way  i think  at the  time the the doctor will make the  right  choice  at the  time when needed and  also  respect ur decisions if  the have the chance to

[ashiepooh]

Sweetangel7- .

I will tell you a good story about the episiotomy.  My friend had one, and is healed within 2 weeks, and she hasn't had pain from it what so ever.  Didn't even have pain when she got home.  It was just uncomfortable for a few days, and when she went pee it stung a bit, and when she had a bm is hurt a little, but they give you stool softeners for after baby.

Of course I have heard people say they would rather be torn, because most of the time you don't feel it.  

I think if you tell your doctor how you feel about it, and then tell him what you feel about the c-section he'll accomedate you to make you happy and make you feel comfortable!  

[sweetangel7]

I have felt the same way about a c-section my entire life...I've had doctors who thought they were fine electively and I have had doctors who think it is a major surgery and a last resort.  DH is strongly against c-section and so isn't my new ob (unless it is needed) I have always been afraid of labor even before we started ttc!

[Lissyloo]

omg :( i wish i didnt see this board i have watery eyes and now i am more scared about labour then i was before lol i hope i dont tear :( id rather a c section!

[motherofan18month]

i started tearing, but wouldn't tear anymore so doc cut me....omg it's been 2 1/2 years since i was cut and sometimes it still hurts!

[sam75]

ive had both and id prefer to tear, the time i was cut it was painful to have intercourse right up until my next son that i tore with.

[GRose]

I did kegels everyday and it wasn't enough, Noah wasn't that big, 7lbs 7 ounces. He just wouldn't come out.

K1990- I don't think I would ever opt for a c-section, only in emergency or if I am pushing for 3 hours. Since my labor lasted so long and my contractions stopped I probably should have had a c-section with Noah but I am glad I didn't. Nothing could beat the amazing feeling I felt when he finally came out after all that work.

[K1990]

For those of you who were cut... next time around would you rather be cut again or would you opt for a c-section?

[ashiepooh]

I didn't tear and didn't need to be cut.  But my doctor had told me to start to kegels around 3 months pregnant.  Makes your muscles down there stronger so you don't need to be cut and don't tear.

[Whitneylauren]

The reason doctors like to cut before you tear is because it is easier to sew you up afterwards. It is a clean cut.... not zig zagged messy edges. My doctor told me that he would not perform the episiotomy unless he had no other choice.
With my son I tore really badly as I had a 45 minutes labor- total. He came out so quickly that my doctor only made it in the room as he was crowning. I had a class 4 tear- I tore upwards through the canal in circles and all the way to my bum. Boy did that hurt! I could feel every bit of his head tearing my skin as he came out.... It took a while to heal.