My baby is 5mo today and I had a very traumatic birth experience. I was induced and the labor was super long - I pushed for 2 hours. I ended up with a 3rd degree tear along with additional smaller tears. My epidural didn’t work and neither did the local anesthetic they used when stitching me up (which took at least an hour). Recovery was bad, I had to take 3 Motrin’s every 6 hours on the dot or I would be in unbearable pain. Sitting and walking were very hard for a few months. Sex is still painful.

I learned recently that women with severe tears are 5 times more likely to similarly tear again with subsequent births and it shook me up. I also had a large baby which also increases the risk of tearing.

Apparently most OB’s offer elective c sections for women who have had severe tears.. what would you do? I’m very tempted by it. I was so hysterical after I gave birth that I don’t remember when I first held my son.