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Hope this doesn't freak you out but I have a friend who had a severe tear the first time and more severe the 2nd time (a___l fistula tear I believe it is called). Her recovery has been horrible over the last 6 years and she has had 8 surgeries to correct this. She is now completely healed and will try for her next baby this year. Needless to say this will be a c-section. I would get a few professional opinions and try to get the real deal on your risks. If course my friend's story is extreme and rare.

mommajackson- No, you didn't scare me. I actually really appreciate the response, even if it is a scary story. It doesn't seem that common to have a fourth degree tear so I will take all the info I can get. I am actually starting to lean toward the C/S. I really don't think having another v____al delivery is worth the risk of being incontinent, even if the risk is small. I will have a talk with the OB who delivered my son and sewed me up. I'd like to get her opinion, but unless she is extremely confident I'll be ok with a v____al delivery, I will probably opt for the C/S. I also have a close to complete placenta previa right now, so that may make the decision for me. I know there is a good chance it will correct itself, but if it doesn't, then the C/S will be necessary. Anyway, thanks again for your response! I really appreciate it.

Glad to see this posted. I am in the exact same boat! Had a 3rd degree tear w/my first, and now my OB told me to consider a C-section. She said we would look at how big the baby appears to be later in pregnancy, and if the baby looked pretty large, then she would definitely recommend it. C-section just scares me, though....not just the additional risk of surgery, but also I'm a__suming that your body doesn't go back to "normal" as quickly....I'm just imagining all this sagging skin with a c/s that I didn't have w/my v____al !!

I'm in a similar boat as you ladies. I also had a very bad tear with my son (he was born face up) andit was a very traumatic birth for both me and him as he spent time in the NICU. I should have had a c-section but because my doctor said I was pushing so well, he didn't think the emergency C was necessary -that was until I tore and all of a sudden it became very scary. They had to vacuum my son out and it was just a big mess. The healing afterwards was a NIGHTMARE. It took months for me to feel 'normal' again. I am now pregnant for the second time (only 9 weeks) but my first delivery is starting to haunt me. I don't want to go through all that again. And after reading your posts I don't want to risk the chance of becoming incontinent after another traumatic v____al delivery!! My doctors are not ones to 'push' c section on patients but I wonder what they would say if I told them my experience. The doctor who delivered my son is now retired from OB but other doctors in the group know what I went through. I'm just really nervous this time around. I wonder if the risks of a c section overpower the risks of a v____al delivery? The whole surgery thing and scarring scares me!!

I had an episiotomy with #1 and 20 st_tches and recovery time wasn't bad. I had a bad tear with #2 and he was right side up and with #3 I asked for another episiotomy and it wasn't too bad. My 1st and 3rd babies were over 9lbs and there heads were soo big they were off the plot charts. Instead of having a c/s with that recovery time (especially having to chase other kids) will you and your doc consider doing an episiotomy? I would far sooner have one than tear.