Third Degree Tear - your experiences please

[Crystalwings]

I'm just wondering how others who have had third degree tears have healed and how it impacted on your life?

I just went to the gyno a week ago
For me i have been told i can't have anymore vaginal births which is sad for me because i will never get the birth i dreamed of. I have also been told that it might be wise to get my tubes tied if i have any more babie as i have had so many complications (i won't go into it all now) I had a third degree episiotomy with DD1 then DD2 was 10lb 7oz and had shoulder dystocia and i ended up with a third, almost 4th degree tear. I have a damaged vaginal wall from the SD and have been seeing a pelvic floor physio which has helped but i'm so self conscious about my vagina. I also have rectocele but that seems to be less of a drama now with the exercises i've been doing. Sex is still painful but getting heaps better. I have alot of scarring which has over healed but they aren't keen to operate yet. I've had no continence issues really which is great.
DD2 is 4mths
So please tell me when it all started to get back to normal down there? Did you go on to have any more children vaginally?
Experiences please

[onthefly]

I had a 3rd degree with DS (episiotomy that tore further). I did have some problems with doing poos for a while afterwards, but that came right.
It did take quite a while to feel normal down there again - I think 7 months till we could have sex without discomfort.
I have since had another vaginal birth and another episiotomy I feel your grief at not having the birth you wanted. Nobody has told me I can't birth normally, however, so if we fall pregnant again I will try again.

[Butterfly Dawn]

I cant offer any help but I had 3rd degree tear with DS1 and it healed after ages. DS2 was born in a different country and was small but tear still remade and DD was big and tear opened again and somehow got worse. Only just managing to poop again without freaking out (most of the time) poor DH is going without at the mo as sex is uncomfortable to say the least.
Interested to hear from others

[AngelPants]

im sorry you wont have the birth you wanted
i had an episiotomy with DS that has overhealed, im heading in on monday for them to partially re-open the scar and try to get it to heal correctly, sex is still a no go for us after almost 14mths (poor DF) but hopefully this along with steroid injections into the scar tissue afterwards will fix the issue and i will finally be able to use tampons and gstrings again!! i was told to consider a c-sec for any future babies but i would rather go thru all this crud again than have major abdominal surgery...