[librarian]

I wanted a UC for my very first baby, but settled for a hospital birth with a midwife. For my second, I settled for a home birth with a naturopath. Neither was satisfying because, well, someone was always pestering me, telling me what to do, and doing whatever they wanted to me and my baby!!

Now I'm re-married, and man, is he cool! He wants UC, too!! My only concern is that I will need stitches, as I got some pretty good tears birthing my first two watermelonheads. So, what do you experienced UC mamas think about glue, no repair, etc.? For #2 I used comfrey gel and healed really fast (but with stitches).

I don't think it's enough of a hesitation to make me not go through with it, because naturally having strangers in my house makes me much more anxious than healing some tears, but it keeps crossing my mind.

TIA!

 

[Rockies5]

Hi Librarian. Oh I don't like the idea of stitching. We never did any "repairs" but never seems to need to either. I was a bit tramatized after #4, but I guess that was swelling due to an extremely quick birth.

I never even bothered to check for tearing. I guess I'm just not that concerned about it.
I guess I feel it's like "midwifing yourself"

I don't know of any UCers theat have had tearing, no stories I can recall.

 

[alegna]

FWIW I had a few tears and chose not to get stitches- great decision, would do it again.

-Angela

 

[lorijds]

Maybe preventing tears is what you could concentrate on.

Laboring or birthing in warm water, applying warm compresses to your perineum while pushing, and most importantly, putting your hand on your baby's head as it emerges. You will be able to feel exactly how much to push, and it really does seem to help mamas not tear. Ina May says to laugh or smile your baby out, that a relaxed chin means a relaxed bottom. Also positive visualizations and reinforcements help. Telling yourself as you are pushing that your skin is stretching nicely, that there is plenty of room; envisioning your skin stretching intact over your baby's head; this can help you keep your vaginal skin soft, stretchy, and intact.

If you do tear enough that something needs to be done about it, here are a couple of ideas:

Midwifery Today magazine recommended seaweed several years ago in an issue about tears and perineal healing. Get some seaweed from the store (like the stuff you would wrap sushi in; it usually comes in the form of dried sheets), soak it briefly in warm water, and apply it directly to the area. A couple of lay midwives I know use this, and they say it works wonders.

Some people recommend soaking in a comfrey bath a couple of times a day. Get some dried comfrey, put it in a cotton sock, tie a knot, and put it in the tub with you. Or you can make "comfrey tea" for a spray bottle to use on your bottom after using the bathroom.

If you can keep your legs together as much as possible, keep your stools soft (so you don't strain), press a clean pad to your vaginal are to apply counterpressure when having a bowel movement or when coughing for the first several days, then probably any tear you might have is going to heal well. I wouldn't mess with dermaglue stuff; my extremely limited experience with it is that it is pretty messy.

If you are really worried about this, maybe you can find a midwife who would be willing to check you out post partum if you felt the need to be seen. With all the swelling of the tissues post partum, sometimes it is hard to see if there is a tear if you aren't used to looking at post partum vulvas.

One way of determining if there is a tear is to have someone watch the baby come out. If there is blood on the baby as the baby is emerging, alot of times that comes from a tear (though sometimes it is just the remains of bloody show).

Good luck with your birth! Ihope some of this was helpful!

Lori

 

[folkymom]

Even if you do tear for some reason, you don't need stitching. All you need to do is stay in bed, lying down, legs together, for the first few days. Obviously you are getting up to pee and such, but just spend as much time in bed as possible. And really, this is great advice for ANY postpartum mom. Just stay in bed and bond with your baby!!!

 

[librarian]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have heard that even some midwives aren't that hot for stitches, but of course I never seem to find one. Both times I got a lot of "push, push, push, push! push, push, push, push!" I swear, just the yelling made me want to split in two!

The more I think about it, the more I realize my biggest anxieties about birth have always been about the attendants! The woman who did my first set of stitches botched them so badly it had to be painfully corrected months later. I couldn't possibly do worse on my own!

More confident all the time,

Librarian

 

[cathicog]

Knowing what you are feeling, and learning to let go and listen to your own body will go a long way to preventing tears. Geez, given what you have been thru, no wonder you needed stitches! having someone yell push push push push is one of the biggest causes of rectocele and cystocele I can think of!! You will know exactly how much pressure you need to birth the baby comfortably, and EVERYONE stretches, given enough time. Sounds like your former attendants were in too big of a hurry!