maybe being a smaller tear it might not have "needed" stitches so didnt heal the way it should ifykwim? and alot can depend on the sewing skills of the doctor...
im not sure how they measure what degree you are maybe by the amount of stitching..
although i know 4th degree goes through to the anus so effectivly having 1 whole where there should be 2.
You could be right on the small tear not needing stitches. I tried to get the middy not to stitch but she said it had to be doen as it was still bleeding a 'little'...oh well.
As for 4th degree...OOWWWWWW
When i had DS i think the chick next to me might have had that...i know she had to go under a GA to be stitched back up after the birth of her DD...she was in a pretty bad way
DF's mum had fourth degree tearing - doctor's neglicence resulted in many operations and the results of that was that she has had a colostomy ever since.
Settled out of court and that's how they own their house
1st degree is usually a very small tear or a graze and often wont need stitching. Sometimes they can hurt more if they aren't in a favourable spot (A friend of mine got a graze up towards her urethra and she said it hurt more than being cut). And epi is the same as a 4th deg tear, although obviously not down to your anus. Some women can have a 4th deg tear off to the side as well, but its more common to tear downwards because of the pressure in that area kwim?
My epi was far worse to recover from only because it was off to the side, where my 2 2nd deg tears were in a better place and they didn't pull. My graze with Alister was great - didn't even need a stitch.
1st degree - tear that tears the top layer of skin only
2nd degree - tear that goes through the layer of skin and muscle
3rd degree - 2nd degree tear that extends to or near to the anal sphincter
4th degree - 3rd degree tear that tears right through the anal sphincter.
3rd and 4th degree tears are normally repaired under a general anesthetic in theatre. With 4th degrees they will often put in a colostomy bag for a few months until the wound has full healed and fecal control is reacquired. My mum works on the bum ward so she has mid patients with a 3rd or 4th degree (not very common though, it would be a pretty mismanaged normal labour to end up there, or something else going wrong for that to occur).
A graze doesn't require stitching (i think its the stage before a 1st degree happening), and i guess depending on severity a 1st degree will be stitched. With DS i had 2 x 1st degree tears (in separate spots! both were stitched), and with DD i had 1x 1st degree, along the same scar line from DS. It didn't tear as far, and i wasn't as bothered by it 2nd time around.
I had a 3rd degree tear with my first child (after an episiotomy in a private hospital). Both the OB and the Continence Physio "strongly advised" me to have a caesarian with my next child so as to prevent the possibility of really bad damage next time. I am not keen on that idea at all. Does anyone have any stories to add to help me decide one way or the other?
im also sure an episiotomy is considered a 3rd degree
Danda i had an episiotomy as well as tearing with my 1st... my second i had nothing but i was under gold class care second time around so that made a difference to!
Ouch, ouch, ouch. I has a 2nd degree tear that went 'up' not 'down'- four stitches, one that was directly next to my clitoris, and a catheter for 24 hours. I'm not so much scared of tearing, but I am sacred of tearing in the same place.
What are the chances of that? Do you tear in the same place twice? (sorry Kim I'm hijacking your thread here for a sec )
i had a 2nd degree tear but it almost went upwards but the middie pushed his head down so it was less damage but i did get a graze upwards but it could have been a lot worse
I had 3rd degree tearing with my first - DD was stuck and then shot out all at once.
With my second I ended up with only a minor graze! Not sure how I excaped damage that time, even the midwives were amazed, I was told that after having such extensive tearing the first time, I would most likely end up with at least some tearing the second time too.
Lets hope I can escape tearing this time round as well.
Misty....that's the kind of story i was looking for!!!! some good reassurance!! i really don't want to have an elective caesar and I am sure the chance of tearing again is higher after a bad tear, but surely it's not a certainty?!!!???!!
Ouch!
I have never been stitched. Been VERY lucky
With DD1 I had grazes, with DD2 I had a first degree tear. They considered stitching, but decided it'd heal better on its own. I tore 'up' too. I felt it happen. I was face down over the end of the bed.
With DS I had nothing!! OMG to wee with out pain after child birth!! BLISS! I don't know how I got that lucky, but I'm proud of myself!
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Tears
so she has mid patients with a 3rd or 4th degree (not very common though, it would be a pretty mismanaged normal labour to end up there, or something else going wrong for that to occur).
and ended up with an Epi, nice to understand what degree it might have been considered.....
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