Caring for Tearing

Sunday June 8th, 2025 at 10:30PM my best thing ever happened to me. Born at 9lbs, 21 inches after 2 hours of pushing, my baby girl made her grand entry. Unfortunately, something else also made its grand entry into my life that night - a third degree tear! Ouch! Originally my providers wanted to take me to the OR for repair but I didn't want to be separated from my baby so they agreed to increase my epidural and do the repair in the room. It was bad enough that I was able to participate in a study for women who had more intense tearing and also follow up at a specialty clinic outpatient.

Once home I discovered just how unprepared and clueless I was on how to care for this tearing. As a result it opened back up within two weeks of me being home. It was a long, hard road healing from this tearing and figuring it out as I went along. My goal now is to help those who have had tearing understand from the start how to best care for it so others can have a more smoother postpartum journey! I'm going to share in this post what I learned, what worked for me and what didn't, and products and tips that I used that helped with my third degree tearing! This post will be a reflection of my personal experience and the care I intend to share as a postpartum doula. Every body and every birth is different, so what was helpful for me may not be right for everyone. This information is meant to be educational and supportive, not a substitute for medical advice. Always follow the guidance of your healthcare provider for your specific recovery.

In the very beginning while everything was still fresh, I used a tilted nozzle peri bottle filled with warm (or for me I liked it slightly hotter) water to clean off after going to the bathroom or as necessary to clean off postpartum bleeding. I'd also use dermaplast spray, spraying it directly on the tearing, to numb myself before going to the bathroom. For drying I used wash clothes to pay dry. I didn't use toilet paper for at least the first month because it felt too scratchy for me. I wore either mesh underwear I had gotten from the hospital or adult underwear a size bigger than normal so I could fit a big postpartum pad in it. I'd put a peri ice pack in the pad sometimes to help with inflammation and for comfort. I'd put witch hazel pads on top of that. Lastly I'd put some hydrocortisone cream on top of it all to help with itching and burning. I did this routing - underwear, pad, (ice pack sometime), witch hazel, hydrocortisone for about a month and then slowly started transitioning out of it. During this time I never went anywhere without a donut pillow that I got on Amazon. I sat on that for honestly close to three months. It helped a lot with the pressure I'd feel sitting down. I took Tylenol and Motrin round the clock every six hours as recommended by my OB. In order to prevent pushing and straining while going to the bathroom, I took Miralax and Senna every morning. I eventually after a few months transitioned from Senna to Dulcolax.

Being very realistic, it took me until about three months postpartum to say that I didn’t have any pain anymore. For me I believe it is because my tearing opened back up so my healing was set back a little by that. I am now coming up on eight months postpartum and have been able to successfully resume all previous vaginal activities without any complications. I have minor muscle tearing found on ultrasound, but not bad enough that it is interfering with my daily life. For as bad as my tearing was, I really credit my diligent care plan as to why my overall healing has been pretty well!

Caring for tearing is important, taking care of yourself in general is incredibly important once becoming a mama. Taking care of yourself is taking care of your baby! In this post I will link my Amazon list including everything I used to care for my tearing (https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/VROGG3963G01?ref_=wl_share)

As said in the beginning though, this is what worked for me! Every body and every postpartum recovery period is different so what worked for me might not work for you. These are just the tips and tricks I found most helpful. Please reach out to your OB provider for guidance and a care plan tailored for you! Please feel free to email me, message me on Instagram (@thepostpartumexhale), and reach out to your own support system. You deserve to be loved and cared for just as much as your baby during your postpartum period!

-Katie

The Postpartum Exhale, LLC.

Your Postpartum Period Shouldn’t Feel Like Suffocating.