MumtoA - thanks for sharing your story. Yikes! 4th degree would have been very uncomfortable. You know how you said that you were taken off to surgery straight away that was the same for me. I remember DH cutting the cord and then me holding DS, I don't really remember much only that I had a few minutes with him and then they realised I tore and whisked me off to surgery. I didn't see him then for ages. Not until I was in recovery...even then I had the shakes so bad that I couldn't hold him I was exhausted for days afterwards and DS & DH were tired too, so I like you can't help but think that it would have been easier to have a csection. I will be taking these things into account when making my decision for this baby.

Best of luck with your birth! Keep me in the loop on how you found it