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4th degree tear
Added: 83 days ago.
Added by: got2littlegirls
Section: Birth.
Status: This question is Closed. (Questions will be closed after 10 days.)


I sustained a 4th degree tear with my first daughter. I went on to have a c section with my second, as that was what i was advised by my doctors. I have recently decided that i would like to give birth naturally again. Has anyone had a 4th degree tear before and then went on to have a natural birth? What was the experience like?

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got2littlegirls - 82 days ago Thanks so much for everybodys replies!!! Somebody asked what a 4th degree tear was and in answer to that question, its when you tear to your anus. Alot of the comments i have recieved talk about the recovery being shorter for a natural birth rather than a c-section. I should probably go into a little more detail to explain my condition a little more. So here goes... I had my first baby 2 years ago and am still having problems with the recovery. She weighed 4050g (8lb 14oz) and her spine was on mine during delivery. Therefore she was turning as she came out and had her elbow up. When i was stitched up they found a hole in my bowel so the next day i was taken into surgery and was told i would wake up with a colostmy bag. When i woke up i did not have a bag though as they couldn't find the hole. Since then i have had huge problems with both sides of my bottom. =( I tear everytime i have a BM and bleed really badly. I also have a prolapse. As for the front part, its still very painful and seems that the more it healed the worse it got. Doctors want to do more surgery on me which will result in a colostomy bag anyway. I did have a c-section for my second and the recovery is MUCH faster, after all i am still healing with the first. BUT, i don't want to miss out on the experience of natural child birth for the rest of my children, and seeing as i have to have surgery anyway, i figure it wont matter if i tear as bad as i first did because either way i would need surgery right? Also i was wondering if having another baby through the birth canal might open it up again and therefore i might not have to have surgery on the front part??? I could be very wrong though. That's why i was looking to find out if anyone had had a bad tear then torn again second time around. Thanks everyone!!

mercy - 82 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) You should have your baby naturally. You wouldn't tear as badly the second go round and the healing process is a whole lot shorter then with c-section. Only if your baby is really big or you have complications should you have a c-section. Natural is always the best and safest.

Brandi J. - 83 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I did not have a 4th degree tear, but I did have an episiotomy(sp?) w/ my 1st baby, and have not had to have one w/ the last 3. Alot of women have to have episiotomies or they will tear w/ the 1st, but then never have a problem w/ their next deliveries.

MelissaJoanne - 83 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I've heard that tearing is worst with your first born, so you should be able to have the natural birth you'd like to have. Best of luck!

ibudoris - 83 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) If you want to have a natural birth I think you should go for it. Doctors will always go with the easiest, most liability friendly route, but they work for you not the other way around and should help you try have this baby however you want to. Before you go into labor though, definitely decide your not going to spend your labor worrying about tearing badly again, it's much better if you can be relaxed. I had a c-section with my first and the doctors pushed and pushed for me to have another c-section, but I insisted on trying a natural birth and after only 1 1/2 hours had my second naturally. I had a episiotomy and I tore with the natural birth, but believe me the cut and tear was still way better than the c-section, and the recovery time was weeks rather than months.

mommy-of-3 - 83 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I've always heard that the first time you tear it's usually the worst it will be for you and that even if you tear after that pregnancy it normally isn't as bad. Being that they advised a c-section last time I would wonder if they would allow a vaginal birth this time?

uhmanduh - 83 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) what is a 4th degree tear??

lady26 - 83 days ago Rating: 5 (1 votes) I think you should go far natural birth because the c-section require you to get cut too.

wildberry - 83 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) i had a 3rd degree tear with my first and was very worried this time but to my delight i only had a very small tear

Christina1984 - 83 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) i had a 3rd degree with my daughter. im scared to death it will be a 4 th degree this time. sorry i dont have any more births yet i just wanted to comment

jessicadarling - 83 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I just had my first and had an episiotomy and 2 tears in different spots. I hear that the next time around though you shouldn't tear as bad or may not tear at all. The first is always the worst.

Baby3OnWay - 83 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I did, with my first that had the tear I had an epidural and with my second I went natural and had no stitches or tears whatsoever! Best of Luck

leahs - 83 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) My friend had a 4th degree tear with her first child but her 2nd she had only a slight internal tear. I think the risk of tearing outweighs the risk of major surgery. With your 2nd child your muscles should be more relaxed and you most likely won't endure the same problems, ask the laboring nurse or your partner to massage your perineum while in labour it really helped for me, and when babies head crowns try panting instead of pushing, it allows the head to slide out slowly instead of popping out. Good luck to you.

lmo - 83 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) it would probably be best if you had a c-section because if you give birth naturally you can have a lot of damage and scar tissue.

Mommyof2boys - 83 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) The only thing with trying a natural birth is having to worry about the scar could split again and cause a lot of damage, this is why your doctor would probably prefer you to do the c-section.