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I had one done with my first. you don't see it. you won't even feel them cut you. I had to take sitz baths which made it feel better. then you get to come home and do it. Its sore but not all that pain full. Be4 you know a weeks has gone by and you'll be filling as if you never had it done. I won't worry to much about it.

If you have an epidural, you won't feel it unless the epi hasn't taken full effect. And you will not see it. My experience afterward wasn't as bad as a lot of peoples'. I remember it being uncomfortable and having to take stool softeners, but I wasn't in terrible pain. I don't even think I took the pain pills they prescribed me.

I wish the only fear I had/have of childbirth was/is having an episiotomy!!!! :)

My Lamaze teacher talked to us about ways to try to avoid an episiotomy. She said that when the baby's head crowns, to stop pushing for a contraction or two to allow the baby's head to stretch your skin out. I asked my Dr. about it and she said that it can help and she is willing to help me try to avoid an episiotomy that way. Just talk to you Dr. about it and see what they say. I don't know if it helps or not, but I'm willing to try it!

I didnt feel a thing, they give you a local. It may hurt for some people after, when the local wears off, but i never felt a thing. I liked it cause there was no feeling when he was coming out, which was so much nicer compared to my second. Dont worry about it, it will be the last thing on your mind at the time.

With my 1st I had an episiotomy because after an hour or so of pushing he would just slide back up. I had nine st_tches and he was only 6lbs 6oz and 18 inches long. With my 2nd, she came out like she was flying, with one arm extended. She ripped me and I had two st_tches on each side. She was 6 lbz even. There is not always tearing or episiotomies. A friend of mine in Germany gave birth to an 8 lb boy and she didn't have one st_tch.

Hi Zoe, congratulations on your pregnancy. Before I had my daughter 6 weeks ago I was also very worried about tearing (I wasn't gonna get an episiotomy unless absolutely necessary) - I ended up having her naturally (no epidural) on a birthing stool and tore a bit but it wasn't as bad as I had been imagining. I didn't tear bad just a few st_tches. By that point I just wanted to get it over with! I tried to stop pushing when she crowned but it wasn't that easy to do. I would say that it wasn't the worst part of the experience, but I was in labour for 28 hours! ;)

I was in labor for 26 hours, 50 if you count the first 24 my water was broken. I had an epidural 8 hours into active labor because I was so tense that I wasnt dialating past 3-4 centimeters. When I was pushing I had to have an episiotomy because I started to tear in a "bad" direction. (whatever that means) I did not feel or see it when it happened. Taking baths and showers and squirting the area with warm or cool water felt good. I never saw or felt the stiches. I had some derma-something spray wich helped for the pain, and tucks pads. (even though I didnt get hemmroids) My daughter was 8lbs 15oz, and had a huge head. The episiotomy wasnt bad and was pretty neccisary concidering her size.

Zoe - I have a week old son, and tore a little when delivering. I gave birth with only gas and air, which I hardly used in the pushing stage, so I was pretty aware of what was going on. I don't have a bad tear, but I wasn't even aware of it happening at the time, It wasn't until DS was out and the midwife told me I had a tear that I knew. The feeling of pushing the head out is so intense that you're not aware of the tearing at all. I've had about 6 st_tches, they are the type that disolve by themselves, and whilst I had to lower myself to a sitting position carefully for a couple of days (and I would image you would have to regardless!), a week later I can hardly feel them.

i had an epidural and started to tear so got the episiotomy...didnt feel a thing, didnt see a thing...to this day i have no idea how bad it was or anything but apparently i had quite a few st_tches....i only had a little discomfort afterwards when at home as it needs to be cleaned and the st_tches fall out...just itchy...but not everyone needs one and the sitz baths are awesome!!!

i had one and after a 33 hour labour they could have offered to cut me open with a rusty saw and i would have let them if it meant getting the baby out! they inject the area with anestetic which hurts a bit but you dont feel the cut and you cant see it either. they keep you knumb while you are being st_tched.

Hi Zoe. I had an episiotomy with my first. I was given a local anesthetic prior to the cut being done, so it didn't actually hurt to be cut but I could still feel it (I didn't see it being done). I didn't have an epidural, but I did use Nitrous oxide (laughing gas). The reason for my episiotomy was that my daughter had quite a large head and the Dr thought I was going to tear. It is a belief that a cut heals better than a tear, but apparently there are studies that are disproving this. I read that starting 'perineal ma__sages' 6 weeks before delivery may reduce your chances of tearing or needing an episiotomy. I know it seems scary, but its not that bad.

Hi Zoe, I had an episiotomy with an epidural and i didn't see or feel a thing. The epidural was FANTASTIC! When it wore off it was tender and sore (of course), but it may have been that way because i pushed a 3kg baby out. Ice packs afterwards really helped with the pain and so does mild doses of paracetamol and codeine. If I had torn, i would not have healed as well or as quickly, now it feels normal and s_x feels the same, if not better, so don't worry too much.

I tore when I had my baby, but I didn't notice. I had an epidural and I honestly don't remember what pushing felt like.I know it was uncomfortable but not painful til her head crowned. Crowning to me felt like someone had hands down there, pulling it, like as if they were trying to pull it apart. The shoulders kind of hurt too, but really, once the pain gets to the point that you can't take it, it's over. It was quick. It was my first baby and I was really scared but it wasn't nearly as bad as I was thinking it would be. The contractions were worse then actually delivery.

oh, and the ice packs the hospital gave me afterwards were WONDERFUL. They made everything feel so much better. When I got home I used Tucks pads (made for hemmorhoids) to keep the area cool and moist. Also I had some spray to numb the area but it didn't really work for me. At home it was pretty much Tucks pads and Tylenol

Just to let you know at that point in labour it won't matter. I had an episiotomy with my 1st and it really wasn't painful afterward and I just tore with my 2cnd and it took twice as long to heal and it hurt 3 times as bad. I think a nice neat cut that is easier to sew up is easier to heal. Don't worry about it and enjoy the experience of childbirth. good luck .