Is vaginal tearing serious?

When you give birth in Louisiana, you may expect the process to go smoothly. However, women can sometimes incur birth injuries like vaginal tears. While some of these tears may not be serious, others can present hazards to your health.

Parents Magazine says that sometimes your vagina may tear when you are giving birth. This usually happens if the vagina does not stretch enough for the baby’s head to move through. These tears typically fall into four degrees of severity. A fourth-degree tear is the most serious. In this situation, a tear might go through all the layers of your vagina and into the rectal lining. This sort of tear does not occur often and may happen only if a doctor needs to use forceps. A third-degree tear can also be a serious injury. This type of tear generally cuts through several layers of your vagina and may sometimes affect the muscles beneath. Doctors can usually repair these tears with thorough and careful sewing.

If you experience vaginal tearing, it typically is either a first or second-degree tear. A second-degree tear is the kind you might incur most often. In this situation, both the vaginal lining and some underlying tissue rip. A first-degree tear usually includes just the vaginal lining. A few stitches can generally fix both kinds of tears.

While many women might incur a vaginal tear, there are several factors that can make it more likely you will have this injury. The way your baby is positioned in the womb can sometimes put more pressure on your vagina. Additionally, you might also be more likely to experience a tear if your baby is born quickly because the tissue has not had as much time to stretch.

This information is general in nature. It should not be used in place of legal advice.