Labor and delivery is tough. On top of the pain from contractions, you may find yourself dealing with a common problem: vaginal tearing. About 23% of women experience mild tearing during childbirth and another 26% have tearing bad enough to warrant stitches. Another 20% of women have a procedure called an episiotomy, a surgical cut to the perineum, to help move the baby through.
As you can see, vaginal birth tearing is often just another part of giving birth. We spoke with Dr. Nicole Rankins, an OB/GYN and member of the Lansinoh Clinical Advisory Network about vaginal tearing and what you need to know.
What causes tearing during labor?
How is vaginal birth tearing treated?
The treatment will depend on how severe the vaginal birth tearing is. “If it’s a minor tear, it may not need any treatment and can just heal on its own,” according to Dr. Rankins. “Otherwise, the tear is stitched together. Women with more severe tears or those with lingering pain will also need pelvic physical therapy.”
If you are stitched up, expect the stitches to dissolve within a couple of weeks. Dissolving is a great alternative to having a doctor remove them. Pelvic floor physical therapy helps to recondition the pelvic floor muscles. It alleviates pain and weakness in the area.
If you experience vaginal tearing, don’t be alarmed or feel as if you did something wrong. It’s often just par for the course when it comes to childbirth. Work with your partner and medical team to do what you can to prevent it, and take the proper course of action to deal with it if it happens.
