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!

[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.