Natural Birth

Natural birth/cervical scar

I had my sights set on a natural birth without epi. This is my first so I am not sure what I am getting into. My doctor said cervical scar tissue is keeping me from progressing and he has tried to break it up at his office, but it hurts really bad. He keeps saying once you have the epidural I can break and you will go fast. Is there any other way they can break without the epi? I have been inserting EPO and taking orally for 4 days now. I started drinking raspberry leaf tea also. I am going to ask him on tues to try again to break it, but I think he is scared he is hurting me. At this point I just don't want someone poking needles in my back.  Anyone had their scar tissue broke or have any suggestions?

Re: Natural birth/cervical scar

  • I hadn't ever heard of this, but after a quick internet search, it looks like massaging the cervix is a good way to loosen that scar tissue and help you dilate.  That being said, it sounds pretty painful, so maybe you can talk to the OB/midwife about how to try that before you are in labor.  Maybe even a little massage, if it's too painful to get all the scar tissue, before labor and could help you go natural.  

     But it sounds like if you did end up getting an epi and massage that chances are good that you could have a successful vaginal birth, so maybe just try before and if it's too painful, figure out the next step.

     Good luck.

    Two boys already - ages 5 and 3...

    ...baby #3 is here...

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  • Oh and this info from a doula's blog was very interesting.  Looks like you might get the massage without an epi and it hurts, but is doable.

    "A New Day!

    The day that changed my life as a doula forever, my very own sister was having a baby. She was having her second baby. I told her how great it would be and it would be so much faster than her first. When she started having surges just a few days before her due date, we were excited. I went to her home (3 hrs away) and stayed the whole weekend. She had surges off and on all weekend but nothing really steady. I went home after three days and decided that maybe my being there was freaking her out. For the next week, she had surges every day. I kept telling her it was going to be great. All this work would get her cervix open slowly and gently.  Then she visited her midwife. She was just a finger tip dilated. I chalk this up to my sister being a big drama queen. All the surges have been Braxton Hicks! The next weekend comes and I find myself making the drive because this time her water broke. Now we know this baby is coming. She has mild labor, 7 minutes apart for 16 hours. Nothing is changing. I suggest we head in. Something is just not right. We get to the hospital and a different midwife she has never met comes to check her. 100% effaced but only a finger tip dilated. What?! Are you kidding me?! Then the words that changed my life. ?Have you even had any procedures done to your cervix?? My sister says ?yes, I had cryo surgery done a couple of years ago to remove pre cancer cells?. Midwife ?ok well that makes sense, you have scar tissue on your cervix, and I can feel it.? Huh? Scar tissue on the cervix? Why had I never heard of this? My client from before comes rushing back to my head. Of course! The midwife proceeds to explain to my sister that she is going to try and massage the cervix and break the scar up. With some discomfort for my sister, she went from a finger tip dilated to 3 cms in a matter of minutes. An hour later she was 4 cms and an hour after that my nephew was born. Once the scar tissue had completely released, she flew to 10 cms.

    As you can imagine, I asked that Midwife a ton of questions. I wanted to know all I could about this scar tissue stuff. Besides ?massaging?, what can you do before hand? She shared her knowledge with me. Told me that HPV is so very common and more and more women are having these  standard procedures done, but are never informed that it most likely will leave scar tissue. Although less common, this includes women who have ever had a D & C after a miscarriage or abortion.

    Once I was armed with the knowledge, my successful VBAC rate shot up as did my vaginal birth rate in general. I would ask the question and if the answer was yes, I would tell them what I knew. I would suggest that they mention it to their doctor so that if anything came up during labor, would he or she be willing to massage the cervix. Also I learned from that Midwife that evening primrose oil taken orally and vaginally would help break up the scar tissue before labor. (Orally taken the entire pregnancy and vaginally each night only after 36 weeks).

    Since this very important day 3 1/2 years ago, I know I have prevented c-sections. Several times in the hospital I have asked the doctor to please, when he is checking mama to feel for scar tissue.  Almost every time the doctor has said ?oh yeah, I feel some sort of knot here? or some other variation of that statement. This then leads to a question of; can you try and rub it out?

    Why Doctors aren?t talking about this is beyond me. I honestly think they don?t know that it is an issue. If you believe this could be an issue for you, ask your care provider if they are willing to break up scar tissue during labor. If they blow you off or tell you that they don't do that, find a new provider. It does not matter how far you are into your pregnancy, you can change. I have had clients change at 40 weeks. 

    We all need to start talking about it because unless women are being asked the question, they just don?t know."

    https://www.birthresourcenetwork.org/blog/98-cervical-scar-tissue-a-big-issue-that-no-one-is-talking-about

     

    Two boys already - ages 5 and 3...

    ...baby #3 is here...

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker

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  • You don't need an epi to massage out the scar tissue. It will likely hurt some. My MW did it for me. DH said I turned white, but that's because she didn't tell me first. Now that you know it is there, that's half the battle.

    And to have no progress before labor is completely normal whether you have scar tissue or not.  

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  • I had some mild scar tissue according to my OB. We didn't do anything to break it. However, I did stall at 2cm for over 8 hours during my labor. Once it did break, I went from 2cm to delivery in less than 6 hours. I had an intervention free & med free birth.
  • Perhaps ask for a referral to a pelvic floor physical therapist.  My scar tissue from my 2 births was causing me pain and needed to be broken up.  I went to a pelvic floor PT and she was able to mobilize the tissue.  GL.

    BFP #1 10/13/09 EDD 06/20/10 DS Born on 06/26/10
    BFP #2 03/08/11 EDD 11/16/11 DD Born on 11/04/11
    BFP #3 08/29/12 EDD 05/06/13 M/C on 08/30/12
    BFP #4 11/01/12 EDD 07/09/2013 M/C on 12/28/12
    BFP #5 04/30/13 EDD 01/03/14 DS Born on 01/02/14
    BFP #6 01/11/15 EDD 09/22/15 M/C 03/09/15
  • Read my birth story in my blog. I had scar tissue from my LEEP procedure. I was at a 4 for about 11 hours of labor but once I broke past it I went to a 10 in less than an hour. You can do this!
  • It might hurt for it to be done, but just remember your end result will be great.
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