Natural childbirth question….tearing??

I have had three natural births. I agree that the contractions are worse the the tearing. You don’t really feel the tearing because you are too busy cussing the dad out for doing this too you. LOL! Not kidding. Besides, most good doctors that catch it in time will cut you so that it heals easier and is easier to stitch. It is just really uncomfortable for a few weeks. Not really painful though.

Having natural childbirth does not mean that you have to tear. When you have a contraction the doctor will make a small incision so that the baby has room to come out. There should be no reason for any tearing. Congratulation on the little one to be, and I hope you have a wonderful experience like I did. I had mine natural also. I had two children.

I’ll be more than happy to clarify that for you. Once you begin pushing, you feel less contractions. Once the babys head reaches the entrance to your vagina, it begins to stretch. The stretching gives a burning sensation, much like someone holding a match to that area. If/when you tear, you won’t feel it.

However, a good midwife/obstetrician knows how to massage and oil the area to gently lubricate and stretch it so the babys head can get through without tearing.

Some women have a natural elasticity that allows their skin to stretch without any tearing at all.

If you opt for an episiotomy, the doctor numbs the area and makes a small incision to allow more room for the baby to get through. It’s much neater and easier stitch up than tearing.

I’ve done both ways….I prefer the episiotomy. The burning without the anesthetic feels like someone lit your butt on fire!

I had over 20 stitches and i really didnt notice i tore…. plus once you hold your baby it wont matter! good luck!

i didnt even feel it

It’s true… in most cases you never knew you tore. A tear is NEVER as severe as having an episiotomy though. An episiotomy (the cut the doc makes between your vagina and anus) is through muscle, and therefore has a higher infection rate and longer healing time, and longer lasting negative effects. There are a lot of risks with and episiotomy.
There are steps you can take to help avoid a tear.
1- use an oil and do a massage of the perineum (the base of the vaginal opening) from about 36 weeks on, as many times as you want, by either you or your partner
2- labor and give birth on all fours or in a supported squat to open the pelvis wider for easier delivery, take the pressure off the back and perineum, and uses gravity to help baby come out smoother.
3- DON’T push to hard for too long, but let your body TELL YOU when it’s ready to push. Just because you’re at 10cm, the doc will tell you to push….. but if you make it clear before hand to the doctor, you can wait a bit and let your body tell you when it’s ready to push, and then DON’T hold your breath and push to 10, but push for as long as your body allows. This will prevent too much pressure on your perineum and prevent tears. (the ‘ring of fire’ is felt as the baby is crowning, and most women get scared – it does hurt/burn a bit – but it is necessary to calm down as much as possible and push SLOWLY through this because this ‘ring of fire’ actually releases natural anesthetic to the perineal area and helps dull the pain of the actual birth…. as well as stretching the area SLOWLY and naturally to avoid a tear).
4- a warm/hot compress applied to the perineum during the birthing process (near the pushing phase) can help the tissues stretch easier and ease some of the pain.

Good Luck to you! I hope you find this helpful.