Did you have an episiotomy?

Question

I'm 34w4d. As I get closer to my due, I'm finding myself obsessing over things I never did before. This is my 3rd child and I keep reading on episiotomies and freaking out. 
With my first, I didn't get one because my ob/gyn said I'd be fine and I wasn't, I tore really badly and recovery was a effing nightmare; 8 stitches, swelling the size of a ping pong ball, couldn't sit straight, had trouble getting up. 
With my second, she did a small episiotomy at the last second and my recovery was amazing. I was able to get up and walk around like nothing and no pain just "normal" discomfort and soreness. 
So I've experienced both but as I keep reading all these articles on it, I'm overthinking it all. I know I should just stop reading lol but I can't help it. And I know everyone has a completely different experience but wanted to hear your experiences with, or without having gotten one. I've also been reading about perineal massage but again, 50/50 it helps or it actually weakens. 
Ay! 😆

Answer

I got one. An tore a whole lot before hand. Not a lot of doctors do them anymore because they now say is does more bad than good. I have a 4th degree tear so recovery was going to be bad no matter what. I'm having my second in December. Don't know whether it would be better or not to just tear without the episiotomy. My doctor did one basically to help open me up more because my daughter was flat out stuck. Hope that helps! Good luck.

Answer

This issue confuses me as well because my mom had both - tore really badly and epi. She always talked about how much worse the tearing was. But this contradicts everything I've read too

Answer

Nope I tore really badly because baby's shoulder was stuck on my pelvis and she was in distress so doctor basically reached in and ripped her out. Honestly I was expecting it to be a hard recovery but it wasn't even that sore and was gone in a few weeks.

Answer

I tore really bad, but my recovery wasn't bad at all. My doctor does episiotomies, but he didn't do one on me for some reason. But every woman is different. I think it just didn't hurt me very badly. I was fine just taking ibuprofen and my nurse kept asking if I wanted something stronger because of how bad I tore.

Answer

I had one without any tearing, they needed to get baby boy out asap. 
Recovery was fine, but  it was a good bit longer then friends that had tore. 
Didn't give me much issues pain wise if anything the hemmeroids hurt more.

Answer

Nope. I tore a very small amount and needed one stich. I had no problems with recovery.

Answer

I had an epi with my first which healed wonderfully and tore naturally with my second which was very painful and I'm still not right down there. I wish I would have been cut the second time, I am requesting it with this delivery, so they can repair me correctly (long story, but I wasn't stitched up right).

Did you have an episiotomy?

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