re: 10/4 post.....hope vaginal goes well for you. It does for most women. C-section has gone well for many, too. Both can really screw you up, too. Luck of the draw, I guess. Good luck. ! Let us know how it went. ↑
Hi. I had a third degree tear with the birth of child no. 1. No incontinence problems however 22 months down the track I still cannot have sex without pain and slight tearing each time - kind of like losing your vaginity each and every time. I had the scar excised six months after the birth based on the advice of a gyn who thought I may have had a neuroma. This of course did not work. Many specialists later including a Vulval Gyn and I'm still no further enlightened. Many have told me not to wear g-string undies and pants and that I simply have a skin condition !!!! Very frustrating indeed. Meanwhile, I delivered my second child via C-section and for me this decision was terrific. Don't get me wrong, it was no walk in the park but for me definitely the right decision. ↑
hi everyone, i am having my 3rd baby and as im 2 days over im being induced on tues. My first labour 13yrs ago was with an episiotomy and my second 8yrs ago was a 3rd degree tear in my bowel. I also dont have much feeling when having a bm and still sometimes bleed after one. I was offered a c section but ive decided to have normal delivery,the midwife has said its worth considering an epidural cause if i tear again i wont feel it as much as i only had gas last time. Got pains at the moment as ive took some codliver oil earlier just to help me clear out. ↑
Oh my gosh, good luck!!!! When you are up to it, let us know how everything went. A billion good thoughts going your way right now!! I wish you a speedy and lovely delivery and a healthy baby. ↑
Thanx, i suppose my 2 kids last weights didnt help my son was 8lb 2oz and my daughter was 9lb 1oz. Pains disappeared so looks like tues it is. I will let you all know the gory details haha. ↑
I too have hemorrhoids, a fistula and bladder/bowel problems that disrupt my life both intimately and functionally. I had 4 babies and not one of them ever got near my birth canal. I left my very scarred uterus, tubes and ovaries at the local hospital due to c/s's and while your problems may stem from vaginal birth (I'm sorry 4 u) I wouldn't like people to get the idea they are avoiding those problems with an elective c-section. My problems were CAUSED by pregnancy and CESAREAN SECTION. Just a word of caution for those who haven't been there. ↑
I am sorry. That's awful. What happened? I know why you could have the hemorroids or the fistula, but why the bowel and bladder probs. from the c-section? ↑
My cousin had one little baby girl, six pounds and delivered vaginally. She was too small down there and the doctor cut her up pretty bad to get the baby out. As a result she is wearing a colostomy. She would have faired off better with a c-section and the doctor told her so afterwards. Whoops, the doctor is not always right. I'm sorry to hear about your hemorrhoids, fistula and bladder/bowel problems but maybe it was the FOUR c-sections that caused these problems as well. You must have had some of these symptoms after your first or second c-section and yet you continued to have more children. Your doctor must have noticed these things as well and he or she should have cautioned you not to have any more children. And it should have been a common sense thing for you as well that if you were experiencing problems after the first or second section that as precious as all of your four children are, maybe you should not have had any more children after your first two. Do not blame the pregnancy and c-sections alone for your hemorrhoids, fistula and bladder/bowel problems. Perhaps it was the FOUR c-sections. Some doctors only recommend women have two or three sections. And it also depends on how far the c-sections were spaced apart. Did your body even have time enough to heal after one c-section before you got pregnant again? ↑
in response, that is precisely my point...don't elect a c-section right off the bat without any indication (like a pelvic exam that says your unusually small...) as it DOES limit how many children you have. If you only want one and you are sure, maybe not such a problem. I did not have a choice, and I didn't know what was going on inside me, but I do now and I would not recommend unnecessary c-sections, period! You have to have some medical knowlege and you have to have some upper-level biology to understand the ramifications of surgery. Yes, sometimes there are births that end up with the sh** hitting the fan, but your poor cousin's colostomy is the extreme exception. I do agree there are reasons for prophylactic cesarean sections but the reasons given on other forums are ridiculously mis-informed. For instance, why do people think being cut down below is somehow different and worse than being cut somewhere else? I mean some have acted like episiotomies are more invasive than the c-section! That is patently false! Look up anatomy and physiology and see what tissues are cut with an episiotomy (or tear) and see what is cut, moved and will scar with a c/s. Your risk of bladder and bowel injury is at least as good as with the difficult vaginal birth. I propose you focus less on the number of c-sections I had and quit making veiled accusations that I forced the problems by having too many kids. My doctors like yours, do not have windows into my abdomen after they close me up, they, like your doctors can't predict how, when and if you will form scar tissue. There's so much people don't know about the long term effects of c-sections. There is no such thing as the lesser of two evils except in emergent or obvious geometric problems. I hope all of you take the time to ask women who are several years out how their bladders, menstrual cycles and scars feel...it's not quite the rosy picture some people make it. Again, my point is, if people think MY bladder/bowel problems are from "too many" c/s versus all the poor women who got theirs from just ONE "traumatic" vaginal birth I say baloney, maybe all my problems were from just ONE so called "easy way". Don't know what your definition of pain is, but mine was very real, and very difficult to deal with and since I walked around for two weeks on a severely fractured ankle before caving into THAT pain I can say I don't have a low tolerance for pain. Birth is hard on the female body, and except for very specific situations you don't fare any better with a c-section. ↑
Yes, Jessica, let's keep it positive. I don't want people to blame my bladder/bowel problems on the number of my c/s if we are discussing your worries about which is more risky for damage. I thought we could share our experiences with you and let you know what they were. You asked which would be the lesser of two evils in regards to your tear and discomfort after your first birth. I shared what happened after my c/s's. It seems some people on the other forums refuse to acknowlege that the many of the same risks associated with vaginal delivery exist with cesarean sections and pregnancy in general. My mom had both vaginal and c/s and she said neither was great, both were awful in their own way and both were better than each other in some ways. At any rate, I just wanted you to know that the problems you stated in your original post sound awfully familiar to me and not being able to sit comfortably sounds like you formed some scar tissue down there. If that is what is causing your pain then you will probably have pain ( and scarring)in your c'section area too for quite awhile after in addition to new damaged areas. Good luck, it doesn't sound like either choice sounds like fun. ↑
I had my first child 2 1/2 years ago, which I received a 4th degree tear during delivery. I had no pain afterwards and recovery seemed fine. I just had my second child 6 weeks ago and I again had a fourth degree tear. My Dr. says this one was a lot worse. I was VERY sore for about a week and a half, although moving around helped. I do have some bowel issues...when I got to go...I have to go! I'm hoping this will get better. If I decide to have another child, I will likely go vaginal, but we'll see. ↑
I have now had my second baby. I opted for a c-section and I must say it was a lot better. My baby is now 7 days old and I am up and about and getting on as normal except for doing heavy work and lifting my toddler. I am still a bit tender just now but nothing to write home about. When I had my first I had spinal headaches from thte epidural so I couldn't enjoy my baby wheras this time round I was able to enjoy her from the start. After having the sections, all thte midwives said I had made a wise decision which makes me feel better about the whole thing so I am sure I made the right decision for myself. Although I had no problems with my tear I didn't want to risk it the second time around and I had found some research into it happening again which scared me a little and that is what made me decide to opt for the section.
If you haven't had your little one yet I hope you make the right decision for yourself. Good luck and let us know how you get on.
I think that only those who had a 3rd or 4th degree tear should give their two cents on the matter. There was one on here who only had a c-section. How can one compare the pain if they haven't had the other. I had a 4th degree tear without the doctor cutting and the recovery pain part lasted for about 6 weeks, but there are times where using the bathroom is a little tricky. I'm pregnant with my 2nd one and after reading all the replies am 99% for the c-section (need to talk to my husband first before calling the doctor to let her know) ↑
AFter reading everything on here, I've pretty much decided to go for a c-section as well. We are trying for no 2 at the moment. My dr totally supports our decision for c/s rather than risking more damage. I haven't had any nasty side effects after 4th degree tear and would like to keepit that way if i could. We are actually really excited that we can plan round c/s so much better with our first child and paternity leave and everything. ↑
I read all these posts, thought about all the stories, read and re-read a couple of each, one from the lady with c/s problems and one from one with a fourth degree tear...worried and worried and it was all for naught! I went in to labor during the night, got to the hospital by 6 am, was already 7 cm. By the time I was admitted, in bed and hooked up I was 9 and one hour later I had an 8 pound 2 oz baby boy. I never felt any real pain of any kind! I didn't tear as my doc really had me push SLOWLY not fast like it seems everyone else does and it was the one of the easiest things I have ever done. I was so surprised...I had no idea I could do that. Sometimes mother nature takes over. Good luck. ↑
shouldn't Julie be a little more respectful? I mean she tells the woman who only had a c that she shouldn't put her "two cents in"...how rude...the original post says "the lesser of two evils" and that lady was just presenting the pitfalls of c-sections. So what is it, is this another pro-c/s or go forum? To the original poster, if you want to hear all sides, there are other forums that will scare you away from c/s's, just as many horror stories for every one of these good ones here. I DID have one of each and even though I had a tear into my rectum I would still prefer it to my cesarean section. ↑
I have read all the entries and am still undecided how to proceed. I had my first baby 11 yrs ago. She was 6lb 15 oz at 36 weeks and I had a 3rd degree tear due to fast decent. I had my 2nd baby 2 1/2 yrs ago. She was 7 lbs 11 oz at 38 weeks and I had a 4th degree tear again due to fast decent. I am 31 weeks pregnant with baby no. 3. I have talked with my OB and he said the decision was ultimately up to me. I was very fortunate with both tears, as recovery was very easy with both and so far no noticeable long term effects. However, my OB said that although I could have the same luck again he has seen many women have severe complications after trying to deliver vaginally after a 4th degree tears. My OB suggested that we monitor the baby's weight by ultrasound at 34 weeks and again at 36 before making a final decision. My OB is strongly suggesting the c-section, especially if this baby is over 7 lbs. I will keep you posted on our decision and how things pan out. ↑
You really must consider several things. How old are your other kids? What kind of help do you have? If you have complications and or a major infection, how long-term IS that available help. If you work and have complications, can you survive on one income? I didn't consider these things and while they don't involve my body, we ended up nearly losing our house as I had a serious staph infection in my wound (MRSA, very nasty!) and my husband had to take 6, yes, 6 weeks off of work to care for the kids, 4, 2, and the newborn. Careful, and consider all the ramifications, thought i would warn you since no one warned me. ↑
And MRSA is hardly ever found in someone who didn't have surgery ...community MRSA is different and it is unrelated to birth but even more dangerous. ↑
Thank you for your post on November 17. I go back to my OB next week for 32 week check. I am going to have him give me the pros and cons of both delivery methods so I can have something to ponder until we make a final decision. I have a great support group if I need anything. Thanks for the warning. ↑
My little girl will be turning one on Dec. 2, 2005.(only child) I always said I was too scared to actually have a baby, but my husband wanted one pretty bad.....so here we go. My pregnancy was the most awesome thing in the world. I threw up one time and I don't think it was from being pregnant. Everything was perfect so something had to go wrong. I went in the have her on my due date and was helped along a little bit (I was already having contractions pretty steady). I wanted to have her natural....... okay lets say I didn't want an epidoral. I think I was more afraid of the needle then any pain I would endure during childbirth. I was only in labor a good 5 hours when I had this overwelming need to push. I did this for about 45 minutes realzing that I was a little bit to small (my sister had just had her first baby 5 months earlier and she was to small but he was 2 weeks early) and she was not coming out without a little bit of help. So out comes the vacuum and then he cut me and out she came tearing me the rest of the way 4th degree. It took him longer to sew me back up then it took for me to have her. I remember thinking at that moment that I never wanted to move again. One hour later my doctor came in and said no more vag deliveries for you its not worth the risk. I had no idea how bad it was. He said if it were his wife he wouldn't let her have a baby vag again. I am still unsure if I will have another child, but I do I am going to have a c/s next time. If you are already having problems I strongly recommend you go with a c/s!!! Good luck and congrats! ↑
I have severe long-lasting problems from my c-section. My nerves in my pelvis were severed on accident and now I have no bladder control. It can happen to anyone, I had a planned c. ↑
after having the 1st vaginally,and the pain was tremendous,afterwards I was uncomfortable for what seemed ages,I was determined to have a c-section next time.I refused to get pregnant unless I had my wish.The procedure iteslf was brilliant,no painful contractions,everything relaxed.The recovery afterwards was nothing as horrendous as the natural birth,the pain was manageable,and the recovery smooth.I would go for the section every time. ↑
i wouldn't have a c..I had an elective c because I was afraid of giving birth...now my daughter will be an only child. They nicked an artery and they had to take out my uterus. I think it is really foolish to do one if you don't need it and I will remember "my choice" forever. I would rather of had reconstructive surgery that was only mildly successful than to have a hysterectomy at 22. I also did not think the pain was manageable and the hysterectomy had little to do with it as they didn't cut me anymore...my doctor said that is "just c-section" pain. My roomate had a "horrendous" vaginal delivery and she was up and about the same day, she walked sore but she was fine. ↑
Sometimes when women have "horrendous" vaginal deliveries they end up with a lot more than just walking sore. They may also end up with cuts or lacerations to their anal sphcinter muscles and therefore may end up with anal incontinence which is extremely gross when you cannot control yourself on a daily basis when using the bathroom for number 2. And yes, with a c-section you could end up with bladder and/or bowel damage as well. There are no easy answers. There are risks with both types of births and unfortunately in most cases it is difficult to predict ahead of time if a woman will have an intervention free vaginal or which women will have a successful c-section with no complications. Sometimes the success of a c-section also depends upon the skill of the surgeon performing it. Does the surgeon have lots of experience performing it? Does he or she have a good reputation? Some women heal fine from c-sections so a lot of the success of c-sections really does depend upon the skill of the surgeon performing it as well as the general health of the mother. ↑
To Monique, why do you keep sugar coating c-sections? Some of you had better experiences, but there are many many women who have lasting problems from them elective or not. It almost seems like a couple of you want to get rid of vaginal delivery all together...why? A c-section with complications can actually kill you, whereas except for the EXTREMELY rare event in vaginal deliveries the worst outcomes are anal, vaginal, bladder issues..as horrific as those can be it is not death. The health of the mother before a patient requested elective c is probably pretty good, and since an OB is performing the c-section they must have some skills. To reverse your statement, a good vaginal delivery depends on the health of the mother and the skill of the delivering doctor. Maybe people like Marcie had a rotten doctor with her vaginal, let's hope she didn't go back to the same doctor to have him/her perform surgery on her as that certainly wouldn't make any sense. ↑
