my tear vs stretch theory

[lorskimac]

Hi everyone.

I'm 30 weeks with my second baby and was thinking about the birth.

I know all the advice when pushing is to go slow, pant etc. to allow vagina to stretch around baby's head and stuff so you don't tear. But what if it is better to tear/have a cut in the long run than stretching. A tear/cut will heal but surely massively stretched skin is never going to be the same again?

I was cut and also tore loads with my first one and everything down there seems quite normal like before. My stretched belly however was never the same again.

Does anyone have any ideas on this? What's your experience?

 

[cassi]

IMHO baby will come out in babies own time so be it a 2nd stage of 10 minutes or a 2nd stage of 3 hours there really isnt anyway you can say how things will go in labour. If you are going to stretch you are going to stretch, Id just go with it and see how you feel at the time and how it is going.

 

[EllieG]

The perenium is made up of a pyramid of muscle which is designed to thin out in the second stage and afterwards the muscle contracts back so although it stretches it shoulde go back, and it will still stretch even if you tear or have an episiotomy, hth.

 

[Miracle babe]

The perenium is made up of a pyramid of muscle which is designed to thin out in the second stage.

Wish someone had told my perineum this

 

[Tasha20]

I had an episiotomy and still teared, I had labial tearing and Olivia was only 6lb 8 oz, everything after 2 months is now more or less back to normal

Tho I did keep saying that ill puff and pant to get her out slowly, but after 17 hours of labour and that painfull feeling of her comming out lol I didnt care what happened down there I just wanted her out

 

[lorskimac]

Thanks for reassurance in first reply. I pretty much pushed like hell as medication wore off before 2nd stage. Managed to push out baby, poo and most of my own rectum apparently Massive tears and had to walk like John Wayne for a month. Feels good down there now though.

 

[skairdykat]

Thanks for reassurance in first reply. I pretty much pushed like hell as medication wore off before 2nd stage. Managed to push out baby, poo and most of my own rectum apparently Massive tears and had to walk like John Wayne for a month. Feels good down there now though.

Oh hun I was just like you. In the hospital everytime a Doc or Midwife came to see me they said 'Oh your the Lady with the sore bottom aren't you?' LOL. I must have been the talk of the Maternity Unit . I had a C-Section with my first and would seriously consider having and elective section with this next pregnancy.