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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I had a 9 lb son vaginally (bad 3rd degree tear) with lots and lots of amazing drugs 2.5 years ago.  I'm 100% fine now but I'm trying to see how typical my recovery was as I get ready to give birth to #2 in a few months.

1.  I was bed the entire time I was in the hospital with very low blood pressure hooked up to IVs and in a lot of pain and on pain meds
3.  After I got home and a day or so of being ok I became too ill to get out of bed for about 5 days
2.  I was unable to have a bowel movement for a week and only was able to after being admitted into the hospital
3.  For a month it took me about 45 minutes each time I had to urinate and that was using a peri bottle etc
4.  I bled, needed pain spray and witch hazel pads for about a month
5.  I was not able to sit without a special cushion for about a month.
6.  I was not allowed to drive for about 8 weeks
7.  I had tailbone pain for over a year
8.  Sex was VERY difficult and almost impossible for many months[/quote]

Wow. Not typical at least for a smaller tear. I had a first degree tear with each of my two kids, both mid-7 pounders.

First kid: in bed most of the time in the hospital, pain when peeing for at least a week, took colace for bowel movements and had one within a few days, bled for 6 weeks, general exhaustion, sex was painful when we started (which wasn't until baby was 4 months old). I mainly recall the exhaustion and that my whole body, but especially my abs, hurt for a couple weeks. When I walked I felt all hunched over and had to remind myself of good posture.

Second kid: in bed at hospital for most of the time, but was sitting up when not sleeping; took colace, but even with it, bowel movements were tough (but not impossible) for a month; bled for 4 weeks; abs sore for only a couple days; no pain when peeing, however had much worse incontinence -- peed when sneezing or coughing for months and couldn't stop the pee mid-flow until about 3 months post-partum. Also resumed sex about 4 months post partum and while I didn't enjoy it, it wasn't painful.

Second recovery overall was much easier, which I attribute to (1) having had an epidural so I got some rest during delivery (didn't during the first one), and (2) better mental state because I knew how to take care of a baby and wasn't crazy depressed. My baby had some medical issues and older child got very sick for a few weeks right after we brought baby home, and I got sick too, so it was a general shit show, and yet even with that recovery from #2 was significantly easier.

Good luck to you. Hope your second labor goes more smoothly and ask for colace (and pain meds if you need them) from the get-go.[/quote]

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