Fourth Trimester: Perineal Tears

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will air a Fourth Trimester series, with episodes about physical recovery, postpartum mood changes, breastfeeding, and so much more. 

Our first episode covered general questions about physical recovery after giving birth. On this episode, we’ll learn more about one particular aspect of recovery: perineal tears, or perineal lacerations.  

These complications are very common during childbirth: somewhere between 60-70 percent of people who give birth experience some degree of tearing in the skin or muscles between the vagina and anus. Despite their frequency, they’re not commonly discussed.  

Dr. Jon Pennycuff, a female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgeon in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn, joined the Women’s Healthcast to talk about perineal tears – how often they happen, how they’re treated, and what he wishes more people understood about them.  

RESOURCES:

Pelvic Floor Health Guide – American Urogynecologic Society

Third and Fourth-Degree Perineal Tears – American Urogynecologic Society

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