I gave birth to a beautiful girl six months ago! I had a very normal and uneventful pregnancy, but the delivery was a different story.

My water broke at 1:30 a.m. I went to the hospital at 3 a.m. and delivered the baby by 9:45 a.m. This was a VERY fast labor considering it was my first baby.

I got an epidural when I arrived at the hospital, and I did not feel any pain after that. When I was several centimeters dilated, my doctor told me it was time to push.

After pushing for about one hour, the head kept going back up into the vaginal canal. No matter how much I pushed, the baby would not come out. When her heart rate started decelerating, the doctor said, We need to do something now! I thought for sure that a Cesarean section was imminent.

Instead, he used forceps and got the baby out immediately. She came out absolutely fine and scored wonderfully on the Apgar test. She had a small mark on her face from the forceps, but it went away in less than one week.

I had no idea what a fourth degree tear was, but quickly learned. The recovery was tough (had trouble sitting for weeks, sex was out of the question and could not climb stairs), but I got through it.

I seem to be absolutely fine now! I am worried sick that I might have fecal incontinence down the road, but who knows what will happen? I am definitely having a C-section the next time around. Also had a rectovaginal fistula, which healed on its own (thank God!).

Good luck to all women with bad tears. You'll get through it.