How to know if you tear & what to do?

[maciascl]

I had a 2nd degree tear (with DS2 I believe she said it was about 4 stitches long) with both births. I am sort of concidering a UC birth, but now I am concerned about this. Please point me to any info you can. Thanks!

[chase_mommy]

Not an expert on this by any means but I had a pretty nasty tear with my first birth and didn't have one with my second. My second birth, was a much better birth, I was in more control and stood my ground better. I think that when you have control over your body and do what feels right you are less likely to tear than listening/following orders of "Push 1-2-3-breath".

I have read that some people have gone to the hospital or had a midwife stitch them up after a UC, if the tear is sever enough. I have also read about people taking care of it them selfs by super gluing (ouch) or just keeping clean and covered with honey.

I'm sorry I don't have the links to back this up. They were all saved on my other laptop and unfortunately its not with us any longer. Hope someone else has some interesting links/info to share.

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articl...tPerineum1.asp

[cathicog]

If you tear, usually it will sting. Depending on the size of it, anything first or second degree (1/2 to one inch), you can keep your legs together for the first few days,and it will heal fine(don't sit crosslegged!). If it's third degree, you would need stitches. Moms who birth as they feel rarely tear that bad, if at all. And being upright helps avoid tearing. So does waterbirth.Warm compresses can help stretch tissues, and it helps with circulation after the birth, for healing. Some midwives use a certain seaweed (Nori?) on the mom's bottom and that helps tremendously..

[Serenyd]

This may sound weird, but I tore both times and the second time I put neosporin on it and the edges came together within a day ... maybe a coincidence and also it was a small tear, but I'd do it again.

[UCmamaToMany]

I've UC'd 5 times. My first UC I had 2 trained friends (neither a MW) but I apparently tore enough that my one friend said I needed stitches so she called her MW friend to stitch me up. Worst recovery ever!

After that Dh says I only tore slightly at my perinium with babies #4 & #5 and I didn't do anything to them other than sit with legs together. #6 was my largest baby at 10lbs 9oz and didn't tear with her, and I didn't tear with baby #7 either.

I prefer to just heal naturally.