Can we talk about perineal tearing for delivery #2?

[Anonymous]

I had a bad 2nd degree tear after my first baby, and I’m curious about the likelihood of tearing with this second delivery? When I google this question I mostly get articles about the risk of a severe 3rd/4th degree tear for people who had those tears the first time. I’d love to see the statistics like “X percent of women have 2nd degree tears in their first labor, and of those women, Y percent have 2nd degree tears with baby #2, and Z percent of them have 1st degree tearing etc...” does this question make sense?

I realize there’s literally no way to know how this will go down, tearing, C-section, etc... but I still want some anecdotes and data. If you had a pretty uneventful vaginal delivery with a second degree tear with baby #1, how was it with baby #2? I don’t know if I’m less stretchy now because there might be scar tissue or if I’m more stretchy because I already had a baby!

[Anonymous]

I tore badly with baby #1 (3rd degree) and tore the exact same way with baby #2. The doctor said it looked like it tore down the scar line.

[Anonymous]

Tore worse the second time. The doctor even remarked, “wow this is a unique tear.” Recovery was fine though.

[Anonymous]

Tore horribly with my first. Several tears, and though I'm not sure what degree, some were really bad. Second birth and only three tears. None of them are that bad!

Not sure on the stats, but in my experience, the second time might not be worse.

[Anonymous]

I had a mild second degree tear the first time, which healed pretty quickly and didn’t feel like a big issue. No tearing at all the second or third times and I realized how much of a difference it makes not to have stitches right after birth.

FWIW, my first came flying out all at once (after her head finally straightened out, haha), the other two I could take my time in pushing and let things stretch out. I had midwives (at a hospital) for all three, so I know they were actively trying to prevent tearing, since the births were uneventful.

[Anonymous]

If they massage you while you’re pushing you won’t tear as badly.

[Anonymous]

Wondering the same. I had a horrible horrible experience with my first. 2nd degree tear, signed off on a new resident stitching me up which ultimately was done incorrectly. It caused a ball of scar tissue to form partially over the opening to my vagina. Couldn't have sex for 6 months. Needed an episiotomy and re-repair at 7 months post partum followed by 16 weeks of PT which included the physical therapist manually stretching my vagina back open each visit. Wouldn't wish it on anyone.

[Anonymous]

I had second degree tearing for both kids with easy recoveries and the second birth was SPEEDY

[Anonymous]

I had a second degree tear with stitches with my first and, like a PP said, it didn’t feel like a big deal at the time, but I didn’t tear with my second and it was a way easier recovery. I’d say the 2nd degree tear was noticeable and annoying for like 2-3 weeks after birth.

[Anonymous]

#1 -first degree tear
#2 second degree
#3 first degree
#4 first degree

[Anonymous]

#1: 3rd degree
#2: none but sore for a few days
#3: none. Walking around an hour after birth. He was nine pounds because ice cream is delicious.

Skip the epidural and don’t eat a ton of junk.

[Anonymous]

My first birth was as you describe yours. My second I tore the same degree in the same place (on the scar line), but I felt like it healed a bit faster. I don’t remember the recovery being as painful (not a cakewalk but not as bad as the first time). Anecdotally, subsequent births among my friends seem to be either the same or not as bad as the first.m

[Anonymous]

I was so nervous about tearing the second time! I had 2nd degree tearing with my first and needed PT in order to have sex again because it was still painful months after giving birth. But 2nd baby came out with minimal tearing and I healed so much faster. Didn’t need PT. (Although had some bad hemorrhoids that took a while to go away.) Good luck!

[Anonymous]

1- bad second degree tearing, tons of stitches, recovery took weeks (9lb baby)
2- mild second degree tearing, recovery was fast (9.5lb baby)
3- 1st degree tearing (~10lb baby)

[Anonymous]

2nd degree tearing with my 1st ands 3rd pregnancies. Recovery was awful with the 3rd-could hardly walk for the first 10 days.