Quick Labor and 4th Degree Tear

lilylover27

Just wanted to share my birth story somewhere in case other women are looking for a positive outcome of a 4th degree tear. I know the weeks of healing after lead me down the Google rabbit hole and I was expecting the worse possible outcome. Luckily for me I had a great outcome and just want to share it in case some other ladies are like myself and need to read something positive while healing from such a traumatizing thing.

First I knew I was having a large baby, he measured 8 pounds already via ultrasound 2 weeks prior to my due date. By 39 weeks I was still pregnant and my OB scheduled me to be induced on my due date because of the size of the baby they didn't want me to go late. Well I was determined not to be induced and go into labor naturally so I did everything under the sun to start labor on my own, I am not sure if any of it really worked or I was just ready but at 39 weeks and 3 days my water broke. Now my water broke with inconsistent contractions, they would go from like 10 minutes are to 6 and then back to 20 minutes. I never had consistent contractions. My OB told my not to rush to the hospital so I took a shower around 3:30 right after my water breaking. I felt some contractions in the shower but nothing too intense. When I got out about maybe 10 minutes later they were more intense and then within a few minutes they were so intense I couldn't stand. We drove to the hospital which is thankfully 10 minutes with traffic but by the time they got there I couldn't even walk myself in. A nurse helped me get into a wheel chair and DH wheeled me to maternity triage while he parked the car. I had to wait about 10-15 minutes in triage because someone was ahead of me all the while having contractions probably 2-3 minutes apart. I get checked in and then brought to a room to start my IV, I was in such pain by then so they decided to check me, 8 cm dilated. They got the IV in and had my change into a gown and wheeled me into the labor/delivery room. I was complaining of pressure once we got into the room and they asked if I wanted to be checked again and I basically screamed yes, 10 cm dilated, went from 8 to 10cm in probably less than 10 minutes. My plan was to get an epidural, had been all along, but when my OB came in and said it wouldn't help with the pushing pain and may delay the process I decided not to get it. Pushed for nearly 3 hours, was cathed twice to empty my bladder to make room for the baby, and the baby was still stuck on the way out. They finally decided on using a vacuum assist to help me out because after 3 hours I was exhausted and falling asleep. The vacuum came off once and then the second time with pushing my little boy was born, a whopping 9 pounds 5 ounces and 21 inches long! I then heard the doctors apologize and my husband look concerned, I apparently had suffered a 4th degree tear, my body did a great job at shielding me from the pain! LO was born a 8:36 PM so from water breaking to birth was only about 5 hours.

That is it for my birth story, LO spent some time in the NICU due to fluid in his lungs even though they aren't sure how that happened, but he was released 3 days later and perfectly healthy. With the 4th degree tear I was given special care instructions and sent home within the normal two day time. I am not going to lie, it was painful and the routine was grueling. After every trip to the bathroom I would have to spray myself down with a water bottle and make sure to only dab not wipe, same for the shower and no soap just water. I was convinced, especially after going on Google, several times that I had popped my stitches or developed a vistula between my anus and vagina. My doctor saw me 1 week PP, 3 week PP and 6 week PP. I wanted to share this information because even with all the worrying and all the horrible stories I read online I healed perfectly fine. At 16 weeks PP now I am perfectly fine. I still have some minor discomfort wear the tear was but it is mostly back to normal. My advice for the first BM after a tear is to take your time and make sure you have stool softners leading up to it everyday twice a day. Just relax leave DH or your SO with the baby and take your time and let it happen on it's own. I know it is easy to get into a negative mind set recovering from a 4th degree tear but just try to relax and take it one day at a time.