4th degree tear

Hi! I know every woman's experience is different but I'm curious if anyone has experienced a 4th degree tear with their 1st baby but had a much better experience with their 2nd?

I had a 4th degree tear with my son (2.5 now) and I am due end of August with a baby girl. My doctor has recommended that I consider a C-section as I will likely tear to at least a 2nd degree this time. My son came face up which definitely didn't help getting him out but he wasn't very big- 7 lbs 6 oz. But she says I have a very short perineum so there's just not a lot of space down there.

I'm really nervous about a C-section but also can't imagine recovering from a 4th degree tear again because it was extremely painful and a rough recovery.