4th degree tears

[Friendlee]

Anyone else?

Well, I had a big baby (8 lbs 9 oz) and my doc said I just barely had a 4th degree tear. I am so worried that I won't ever go back to the way I was! Will I? Did you? Is there anything I should be doing to be sure I get back to normal? I had the hospital crotchsicles and they said that now I should use warmth for healing. We don't have a bath tub, so all I can do is use the hand held shower wand.

Any advice? ...or commiseration?

[lifeguard]

There is a thread about severe tears & lots of good info there. I had a 3rd degree tear almost a year ago. At first it was pretty terrible but honestly now everything feels pretty darn good.

[Serenyd]

I had a second degree tear with my last one, and this time I'm going to be prepared. I ordered a sitz bath pan for my toilet and some herbs from www.inhishands.com. We have a bathtub but last year my son got a staph infection in his foot and I was REaLLY nervous about sharing a tub with him, and it was hard enough to find time to put down my newborn to soak, much less bleach out the tub. I ended up nursing the baby in the tub while I soaked a few times. I just used epsom's salts last time but I'm hoping using the herbal sitz baths with help me heal faster and feel better. I also bought arnica tablets to help with the swelling, have never used them before so the jury is still out on those as well. Hope you heal quickly and feel better soon!

Soothing After Birth Herbal Bath (I ordered this)
Sitz Bath, plastic tub (I bought one here because it was only $5, but I think they are available at most pharmacies for a little more)

how to use a sitz bath a link you may find helpful

[MamaAcorn]

I had a full on fourth degree tear with my first. The midwife called in the back-up doctor to stitch me up and it took forever. I didn't do anything special for it that I didn't do after my other births. I sat in a hot bathtub a few times to serve as a sitz bath and tried to rest. I was sore and swollen, but everything healed just fine. I had absolutely no complications. I did tear with my other two births, but not nearly as bad, just first/second-degree.

[boobs4milk]

i didn't have time to sitz bath this time (nicu) but i did use the peri bottle a great deal and then used witch hazel pads and dermoplast for the pain/swelling. my second child resulted in a 4th degree episiotomy and it healed fine but it hurt to go potty and sex wasn't fun for the first few months. this time i tore (no time to cut me) and i feel like i healed better and quicker even though i was running aroung like a crazy person!!!

oh, and this tear was into the urethra...so i'm still having pee issues. it took the dr about an hour to fix me up this time, too. i had fewer stitches this time than with dd2.