'Ramdam Ko Yung Karayom At Sinulid': Moms Share What It's Like To Have Vaginal Tear

A mom is a mom, no matter how she delivered her baby. Vaginal delivery is preferred by many moms because the road to recovery is much easier than giving birth via C-section (CS) surgery. (Click here for a breakdown of the pros and cons between vaginal delivery and CS.)

But it’s really all the same. If CS moms have stitches of an incision wound on their bellies, some vaginal birth mommies also have “stitches down there” if they have an episiotomy or natural vaginal tear. 

An episiotomy is a procedure wherein the doctor makes a clean cut to the woman’s perineum (the area between the vagina and the anus) and the muscles beneath it to let the baby pass through quickly. The cut is stitched closed after the baby has been delivered. Not all moms who’ve given birth vaginally have them because it’s not a routine procedure. (Click here why it’s not recommended procedure.)

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Some women still get natural vaginal tears or lacerations during childbirth Studies show, however, that natural vaginal tears heal faster and better than an episiotomy.

How recovering from episiotomy or vaginal tears feels like 

A cut or a tear involves stitches and may complicate recovery from vaginal birth. Two moms in our Smart Parenting Village Facebook Group (click here and here to see the photos) shared visual photos of episiotomy and how they are stitched. Many moms replied with their own stories of recovery in the comments. Here are some of their accounts.

Be prepared to endure pain while caring for your baby.

Sa'kin fourth-degree na abot hanggang puwet yung tahi kaya medyo matagal ang tahian. Sobrang ramdam na ramdam ko yung karayom at sinulid, para akong bumalik sa pagle-labor at mas naiyak. Ang hirap gumalaw, tumayo, at maglakad at higit sa lahat dumumi. — Mommy Ayomas 

'Di ako nakatulog after ng tahi and sobrang hirap ako lumakad at kumilos. Konting kibot lang, ang hapdi ng tahi ko. Third degree kasi kaya naiiyak na lang ako araw-araw. Hirap maka-recover and at the same time, mag-alaga ng newborn.  — Mommy MA

Sobrang sakit ng tahi lalo na pag constipated or karga mo si baby habang nagpapadede. Ang hirap umupo, parang may napupunit. Tiis-tiis, minsan iiyak, pero 'di pwede manghina loob para kay baby. — Mommy Nirvan

I had a third-degree episiotomy—no epidural and local anesthesia lang. Habang tinantahi sugat ko, nag-Unang Yakap kami ni baby, so I didn’t really mind the pain. Super hirap nga lang umupo for a week or two since nape-press yung wound, so most of the time nakahiga or nakatayo ako. Tinitiis ko 'yung pain when sitting while breastfeeding. Struggle din umihi and especially poops, but kinaya naman eventually. — Mommy Rosamund 

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I felt the ripping and cutting down there while giving birth pero I did not feel any pain at all kasi mas masakit mag-labor! When I felt my daughter swoosh out of me, I passed out na, siguro sa sobrang pagod. kaya 'di ko na naramdaman ang pag-repair. But I felt all the pain when I woke up and sobrang sakit!

My OB had to do an internal exam (IE) to me the following day while my wound was still raw! Sa sobrang sakit, nasipa ko siya sa dibdib! She had to check daw and make sure that everything was okay down there kasi it’s easier daw to "repair" while bagong tahi lang. And ang tagal din bago ako nakalakad nang maayos kasi nga sobrang sakit. — Mommy Arie

There may be times they have to redo the stitches.

Twice ako tinahi kasi mali 'yung una. After an hour, 'di ako makadumi then bigla akong nag-chills. They checked and found out na may mali, so they had to cut and redo the procedure. Gusto na humiwalay ng katawang lupa ko sa bed sa sakit. — Mommy Irin

Saklap n'ung nangyari sa'kin. I had to undergo another operation dahil may lumabas na laman dun sa una kong tahi. Kaya pala ang tagal gumaling. Feeling ko mamamatay na ako n'ung nawala ang bisa ng anesthesia after the operation. I had to stay at the hospital for a bit dahil 'di ako makalakad sa sobrang sakit. — Mommy Rona

I had third-degree tear after natural spontaneous delivery (NSD). Nasa recovery room na ako but after I woke up super-duper sakit ng stitches ko. Intolerable talaga, so they had to do an IE on me again to check. Ayun, they rushed me back sa O.R. They had to open my stitches due to hematoma, 'yung may blood clot or namuong dugo inside dahil may pumutok na ugat.  — Mommy Nikee

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When you feel that something is amiss, always tell your doctor. 

Umabot daw sa anus ang episiotomy ko, sabi ng OB ko. Sobrang sakit na walang paglagyan ang daing ko sa sakit. Kahit pain relief meds had no effect. Tapos may part pa ng tahi ko na hindi maganda 'yung paghilom so nakabuka pa yung skin kaya super-duper-mega-ultra sakit talaga. Niresetahan ako ng OB ko ng ointment for that open wound and naging mabilis na 'yung recovery ko n'un. Mas nahirapan pa ako sa recovery kaysa sa pag-labor. — Mommy Francely 

Some moms are lucky to not require an episiotomy and had no vaginal tearing. Lower your risk of having “stitches down there” by practicing Kegel exercises and having a perineal massage before giving birth. Choosing your labor positions wisely when you give birth can also help. 

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