Quoting Lara +2:" I had my daughter natural, didnt tear got an epi with my son, didnt tear and they both were 8+ pounds"

Did you do massages or any prepping?

I didn't have an epidural but I did have an intrathecal (sp?), which didn't make me numb from the waist down so I knew when I needed to start pushing. I didn't tear at all either and pushed her out like 10 minutes.

Quoting kthx.:" Yeah I know it's easier to prevent tearing if going natural... because you can feel it. I'm just REALLY ... [snip!] ... about tearing. That's the one thing I'm scared most of when I give birth. I don't know why. And I'll cry if I have to get cut."

yea it definitely sounds bad but I feel better about it going all natural. I read Ina May's book "Guide to Childbirth" & there were tons of birth stories in there (all of them natural births) & only like, a few stories did they tear, & not much at all. so I feel hopeful, lol.

I went all natural and didn't tear. I walked a lot and had a lot of sex lol, I don't know if that contributed to anything though;p

My experience was that I could not feel the tearing until after the fact & an epi makes tearing more likely. With #2 I was a bot more prepared & large & in charge (I was totally out of it with #1 due to long labor, being overwhelmed, would even et up to push so FLAT on my back) & squatted & tore so slightly my hemmorhoids were more of a bother than my couple of stitches.

If you think labor is too intense, than an epi often helps - if you wan tot feel good when labor is done, go without the epi. The way I figure it (and I had long labors that were hard back labor) - I wanted it to be as safe as possible & feel as much like myself as I could as fast as I could. Going med free DOES give you that. It also increases your odds significantly of less interventions & no c-section.

Whatever you do - don't let them cut you. They cut me with #1, 3 times & then I still tore through my rectal muscle (and yes - I am serious when I say I didn't feel it - I was in a long hard labor that was far more intense than what was happening down below). Your babies head puts pressure on nerves that help to block vaginal pain as well remember. So although you are feeling stuff, it is not the way you are imagining you feel it.

HOWEVER - if the ONLY reason you don't want an epi is because you don't want a needle in your back, labor will likely get you over that fear. You're going to have to dig deeper for some other reasoning & conviction to actually not cave when the going gets rough.

I got the epidural and had 2nd degree tearing. The epidural was still worth it to me.

Quoting snglemama:" I had sections.. but as a L&D nurse.. I can tell you... you dont' really feel tearing, or getting ... [snip!] ... what it has to do with epidural. You;ll either tear or not.. your pain control methods won't effect how far you can stretch."

It was more along the lines of having an epidural... you can't feel when you're pushing too hard. Versus going natural... you can feel when you're going to fast/hard.

Quoting kthx.:" It was more along the lines of having an epidural... you can't feel when you're pushing too hard. Versus going natural... you can feel when you're going to fast/hard."

 

Quoting £egendary £ex:" yea it definitely sounds bad but I feel better about it going all natural. I read Ina May's book "Guide ... [snip!] ... (all of them natural births) & only like, a few stories did they tear, & not much at all. so I feel hopeful, lol. "

I just hope I don't puss out last minute. Lol.

You're going to be in so much pain,you wont even care about that needle. I was never so happy in my life to get a needle stuck in my spine. I begged for that smurf.

Quoting justanothamotha:" My experience was that I could not feel the tearing until after the fact & an epi makes tearing more ... [snip!] ... You're going to have to dig deeper for some other reasoning & conviction to actually not cave when the going gets rough."

Part of the reason I don't want the epi is what you stated -- I want to be aware and able to feel alright after giving birth. I don't want to be groggy and out of it. The needle is a big factor, but there are other factors in not wanting it. I'm just scared I'll cave.

Epidural with my first and was cut. Failed apidural with my second so felt everything and tore. I felt him crowning but never felt myself tear, so much is going on down there that u dont even think about the tearing hurting

Quoting justanothamotha:" My experience was that I could not feel the tearing until after the fact & an epi makes tearing more ... [snip!] ... You're going to have to dig deeper for some other reasoning & conviction to actually not cave when the going gets rough."

needle in my back was the nly reason I didn't want an epidural.
made it without.
with pitocin induced labor lol.
I was pissed as smurf when the nurse said she had one ordered.
"just in case"
smurf you bitch.

I had an episiotomy and while I was pregnant I was so afraid of getting cut or tearing but honestly (and I don't know if this was just me) I barely felt it considering all of the other pain I was going through.. I think it had something to do with the pressure down there too. So I would think tearing would be the same way. Getting stitched up after wasn't fun though.

Quoting Kati Iss Rollinn:" You're going to be in so much pain,you wont even care about that needle. I was never so happy in my life to get a needle stuck in my spine. I begged for that smurf."

I've heard the pain is intense... but, our bodies are made to do this. So I want to at least attempt it, lol.