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Can You Vaginal Tearing Prevented While Childbirth?

Looking at the stats, vaginal tearing happens to 9 women out of 10 out there. In fact, minor tears, not so negligible though, are as common as to say there are proper 99% chances of vaginal tearing happening during childbirth.

Like your baby, tears are not very endeavoring. Of course, this experience differs from mother to mother but a vaginal tearing healing escapade can be a very uncomfortable time when you are considering the hard days officially over.

vaginal tearing prevented

It is certain to have questions/curiosity when you are new to it. With my first baby, I, too had many questions about everything and vaginal tearing was once feared. What is vaginal tearing? What is the factor that results in tearing? Can we avoid tearing during childbirth? Is it curable and loads more?

Don’t fret, I have covered all the required questions that might be bugging you in aspects of vaginal tearing. My girls, the answers are in our favor. So don’t worry, read along. You got this!

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What is Vaginal tearing?


perineal lacerations

Vaginal tearing also referred to as perineal lacerations occur when the baby’s head is too big to come out of the vaginal opening or when the vagina is unable to stretch out for the baby.

During the second stage of labor, the baby’s head sinks down into the vagina and advances into the perineum. In order to deliver the baby, the perineal skin — the skin between the vagina and anus must stretch over your baby’s head.

As the crowning the beginning (baby begins to come out), the vaginal opening must stretch out for the baby, if it’s unable to do so, a tear or many severe can occur during the delivery.

Types of Perineal Lacerations

There are different levels that define Vaginal tearing. These vaginal tearing can vary in severity and is classified into different types based on its extent:

  1. First-Degree Tear: This is the least severe type of perineal tear and involves the superficial vaginal and perineal tissues. It typically requires minimal or no stitches and often heals on its own or with basic wound care.

  2. Second-Degree Tear: A second-degree tear extends deeper into the vaginal and perineal muscles. It usually requires stitches (suturing) to repair and can take a few weeks to heal completely.

  3. Third-Degree Tear: A third-degree tear extends even further, involving the vaginal and perineal muscles as well as the anal sphincter (the muscle that controls bowel movements). Repairing a third-degree tear requires sutures, and it may take several weeks to heal. Proper medical attention and follow-up are crucial for this type of tear.

  4. Fourth-Degree Tear: This is the most severe type of perineal tear and involves the vaginal and perineal tissues, the anal sphincter, and the rectal mucosa (lining of the rectum). Repairing a fourth-degree tear is more complex, often requiring specialized surgical techniques. Recovery can be lengthy, and careful follow-up care is essential.

What Most Women Face Perineal Lacerations Among Four?

The most common type of tear during childbirth is a second-degree perineal tear. Second-degree tears involve the vaginal and perineal muscles but do not extend to the anal sphincter. These tears are more common than first-degree tears (which are less severe and affect only the superficial tissues) and are less severe than third-degree and fourth-degree tears, which involve the anal sphincter.

Factors that lead to vaginal tearing During Childbirth


vaginal tearing

1. Perineal stretching: The most common factor that leads to vaginal tearing during childbirth is the inability to stretch out for the baby. Given the situation, it’s only common to go through it. With increasing and simultaneous contraction, we are bound to get exhausted.

2. Baby’s head: My first child was big, really big. To make things more difficult, it was my first delivery. Breathing out a small baby is hard, imagine pushing down the biggest of watermelons out there.

3. First-time pregnant: To all the first-time mothers, you’ll make it through it. Do not worry! But yes, the first experience of pregnancy is usually harsh. You just wait for all the painful things to just happen. Pregnancy pains are the kind of surprise we all don’t really want, do we?

4. Asian ethnicity: Recent studies show Asian women are at a higher risk of getting vaginal tears during childbirth than in any other country.

Mothers don’t usually feel vaginal tears during childbirth. The reason is obvious — the unending contraction doesn’t let you feel any other thing. Vaginal tearing is mostly postpartum senses.

How to avoid Vaginal tearing during childbirth


vaginal tearing

Tearing can be a rough patch in your postpartum journey. But with precautions, we can pull this through and in this post, I’m going to tell you just how to do that.

1. Perineal Massage


Perineal massage has shown to be very efficient during childbirth, it reduces the chances of tearing and keeps you in touch with your own body, the muscles that you must use while pushing.

Though it might seem unfit and uncomfortable to start with, perineal massage has a lot of merits to talk about. It requires vaginal and anal region massaging, inside out.

You can take the help of your partner to accomplish it or you can do it by yourself, if you prefer.

2. Kegel Exercise — Pelvic floor exercise


Kegel Exercises are very advisable for pregnant ladies. Given its advantages. Kegel Exercise helps you be in charge of your pelvic muscles that support the bladder, uterus, and bowel.

There doesn’t ask you for too much. You just have to lie down and practice controlling your muscles. That is, the kegel requires you to hold back your pelvic muscles as if holding back from urinating.

Hold these muscles for 20 seconds every goes and relax. You can perform this exercise as often as you wish. It is advisable to keep this exercise in your daily routine.

Kegel exercises will bring you closer to the muscles that will help you to give birth. Furthermore, you will be better familiar with your muscles and therefore will have a better hold during childbirth.

With that said, it has a high chance
of reducing the risk of tearing and has many other postpartum recovery benefits. For example, it helps you with incontinence a.k.a, your inability to hold the bladder.

3. Birth Position


Birth Position plays a very important role in giving childbirth. It’s unsaid yet so very required. Usually, we are asked to lie down with our legs held up in the air. The position might favor few but hinders and promotes delayed delivery and even tears.

It’s said, the best position that can help you with childbirth is the one that you are most comfortable in. You know about your body better than anyone, you sure as hell can tell about your position. So go for it, Try some of the positions beforehand if you are in doubt.

4. Childbirth in Water


Some women love to give birth in water. , In my case, didn’t get the chance but it shouldn’t stop you from having whatever you want for your baby and yourself. I have seen cases where 2nd-time mother opted for a water delivery after having her first delivery in the hospital. Must have its own merits, I tell you.

Water, for one, has always been relaxing to the core. You can imagine just any summer pool time scenario. To top of that, warm water is the ultimate nirvana.

Despite studies not finding any relation whatsoever to childbirth and water birth, mothers love it. It can be called psychological but hey, until it’s working, that’s all we want!

5. Breathe in and out


Yes, metaphorically and literally. The fear of pain hurts one more than the fear itself. True that. Always remember, it is going to come for good and be gone for good, so just breathe out.

During giving birth and the whole pushing process, we forget to breathe. Don’t hold you’re breathing, no matter what cost. The oxygen is necessary for you and the baby.

That being said, we don’t have push unless our doctors ask us to. So, do not tire yourself with the urge to push. Push only when you are asking for it. Unnecessarily pushing will snatch off your strength. Hold it until it is at most necessary.

Is Episiotomy Safe?

An episiotomy is the surgical incision of the perineum to enlarge the vaginal area in order to facilitate childbirth. This surgery is usually conducted when the second stage of labor kicks in.

The main aim of Episiotomy was to prevent vaginal tearing. It was said, Episiotomy would be easier than natural vaginal tears when it came to postpartum healing.

But now studies show, Episiotomy can indeed itself increase the chances of further tearing into. It’s rather problematic than giving pain.

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