I had a 2nd degree tear also inside and out and it healed just fine. The tear happened gradually and i never had a huge problem at all. Did have lots of stiches though!

Good luck with your birth plan and if your unsure of anything don't put an answer down. I had only 3 things on mind and they were that i wanted lo delivered onto my chest straight away, i wanted the injection to deliver the placenta and a vit k injction for lo. The rest i wrote i want to take it as it comes over the page! I had a wonderful labour and i'm sure that helped.

Good luck hun xxx

Like all things connected with giving birth, it's far far better for you to let your body do what it was designed for and allow things to progress naturally.
I have elected to NOT have one and avoid it at all costs. I have had horrendous tearing with all 3 births, one doctor lost count of the stitches needed but I would much rather that any day then being surgically cut.

Having said that if it means it the safest option to delivering my baby happy and healthy then all means slice away!!

My daughter was born at 26+4 so they gave me an episiotomy to make it easier for her but my mw has said that you heal faster and easier if you tear rather than are cut and if you tear its generally gonna be during a contraction so you wont feel it and if they cut you they also try to do it during a contraction, the only real difference seems to be is one leaves a neat scar and one may not be so neat but its not really in a place where your gonna care lol

I had an episiotomy with my first child. I was pushing and ummmm I could feel my skin begin to tear. I didn't have anything for pain relief during the last 4 hours before the deliver so I could feel everything so to speak. I pushed a few more times and kept feeling my skin tearing and said I didn't want to push because I was going to tear! He looked and did an episiotomy. He froze my " whoowhoo" before making any incisions etc... and also made sure I was numb before proceeding. I was sore for a few days of course and swollen but having my ice pads were amazing! As soon as I put one on I felt like a million bucks! I would prefer to be cut again but that is me. I have never tore so I wouldn't know which would be better for healing, but I did fine and I was cut to almost halfway to my back door "whoowhoo" Either way, I recommend having ice pads in the freezer for when you get home and ask your hospital if they have them! You are swollen and real tender after delivery down there anyways and with or without stitching I am sure you will love the ice pads! Just don't send the company to get anything out of the freezer hehe

I remember fearing this before I had my dd, but in the end I was cut as forceps were needed and I honestly didn't feel a thing during or afterwards.

Everything is so streched and sore down there during and after. I couldn't sit down properly for a week anyway so it didn't make much difference to me!

I tore inside but didn't feel that either.

The stiching afterwards hurt, but I just sucked on the gas and air the whole time.

I would prefer to be cut as to keep it from just free tearing and possibly being much worse as well as the scarring that would occur not that anyone ever looks down there but i would know haha personal choice i say

so true could you imagine "those are my vagina pads" lmao

I tore naturally. I was pushing for over an hour, then the midwife said something about forceps, and I pushed the hardest I possibly could to aviod getting cut but I tore anyway!

It wasn't too bad healing, I forgot I actually had stitches and wiped with tissue and it bloody hurt, so just pat that area with tissue after the birth lol...

am i the only one wincing as i read this thread?! the whole cut/tear thing is my worst nightmare!!

Ive had both, infact i had an episiotomy and 4th degree tear in the same birth, and its left me with no bowel control.

7 years on and im still suffering, so even if you do have the episiotomy it doesnt mean you wont tear. im living proof