If Tore First Time Likely to Tear Again

Vaginal Tears During Childbirth

A vaginal tear (perineal laceration) is an injury to the tissue around your vagina and rectum that can happen during childbirth. There are four grades of tear that can happen, with a quaternary-degree tear beingness the most severe. An episiotomy is a procedure that may be used to widen the vaginal opening in a controlled way.

Overview

What is a vaginal tear?

A vaginal tear can happen during childbirth. Also called a perineal laceration, this is a tear in the tissue (skin and muscle) around your vagina and perineum. The perineal area (also called the perineum) is the space between the vaginal opening and your anus.

During a typical vaginal commitment, the pare of your vagina prepares for childbirth by thinning out. This role of your body is meant to stretch and let the baby'due south head and body to pass through without trauma. However, at that place are several reasons why a vaginal tear might happen. These reasons tin include:

A large baby.
A very quick delivery (the skin hasn't had fourth dimension to stretch and thin).
Employ of forceps during delivery.

How serious are vaginal tears?

There are several different grades of vaginal tears. These grades are adamant by the severity of the tear.

First-degree tear: The to the lowest degree astringent of tears, this small injury involves the first layer of tissue around the vagina and perineal area.
2nd-degree tear: This second level of this injury is actually the nearly ordinarily seen tear during childbirth. The tear is slightly bigger here, extending deeper through the skin into the muscular tissue of the vagina and perineum.
3rd-degree tear: A third-degree tear extends from your vagina to your anus. This type of tear involves injury to the skin and muscular tissue of the perineal area, as well as damage to the anal sphincter muscles. These muscles control your bowel movements.
Quaternary-degree tear: This is the least mutual type of tear during childbirth. Extending from the vagina, through the perineal area and anal sphincter muscles and into the rectum, this injury is the most astringent blazon of tear.

Symptoms and Causes

What causes a vaginal tear during childbirth?

A vaginal tear during childbirth can happen for a variety of reasons. A few factors that could crusade a tear tin can include:

If information technology'southward your first delivery.
The position of the babe (confront-upwardly deliveries).
Utilise of forceps or a vacuum during commitment.
A large baby (more than than viii pounds).
If y'all've had an episiotomy.
If you are of Asian ethnicity.

Management and Treatment

How are vaginal tears treated or repaired?

Handling of a vaginal tear depends on the severity of the injury. In a first-degree tear, you may non demand any stitches. In a 2d-, third- and fourth-degree tear, you will receive stitches to repair the injury. Any stitches will dissolve on their ain within six weeks. In some of the well-nigh severe cases, your healthcare provider may need to repair the injury to the anal sphincter. This volition too be washed with dissolvable stitches. You lot may experience some discomfort in the weeks afterwards delivery while your tear heals. There are a few things you can do to assist ease this discomfort. These tips work with each blazon of tear.

Use a peri-bottle (a squirt bottle) to wash yourself make clean after using the bathroom.
Gently pat yourself dry with toilet paper instead of wiping.
Avoid constipation by drinking plenty of h2o and using a stool softener.

Your healthcare provider may also give yous cooling pads to vesture with your sanitary pad post-commitment. These can help relieve discomfort from your tear. Make certain yous check with your healthcare provider before taking whatever pain relief medications. What medicines you lot can and can't have may modify if y'all are breastfeeding.

How long does it take a vaginal tear to heal?

Most women experience relief from any hurting caused past a vaginal tear in about two weeks. If your tear required stitches, they volition dissolve within six weeks. Y'all will not need to go back to your healthcare provider's part to take your stitches removed or receive whatsoever additional treatment for the tear. Keep an eye out for any signs of an infection while your tear heals. These tin can include:

A foul-smelling discharge.
A fever.
Pain that doesn't go away even with medication.

Some women experience pain with sexual activity after having a tear. If y'all feel whatever hurting or discomfort afterward your tear, talk to your healthcare provider.

Prevention

Can an episiotomy prevent me from violent?

An episiotomy is a procedure where the healthcare provider makes a cut from the border of your vaginal opening outwards. This is meant to widen the opening in a controlled way.

Though an episiotomy widens the vaginal opening, information technology doesn't ever keep you from tearing. An episiotomy is often listed as ane of the risks for a more astringent tear (third- or fourth-degree). Talk to your healthcare provider nearly the pros and cons of this process.

Outlook / Prognosis

Can I have a vaginal delivery in a 2nd pregnancy if I had a vaginal tear previously?

In most cases, experiencing a tear during one delivery doesn't mean y'all will tear again during a future delivery. Most small tears heal well and will non prevent yous from having future vaginal deliveries. If you lot accept had a tertiary- or fourth-caste tear in the past, you lot can exist at risk for a tear during vaginal childbirth in the hereafter. The risk is ordinarily low plenty that you can notwithstanding have a vaginal delivery if you would like to. In some cases, your healthcare provider may advise a Cesarean department (C-department) delivery to preclude a tear.

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Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21212-vaginal-tears-during-childbirth