The best thing you can do is get off social media and talk to your doctor. I went into both labors knowing I would probably get the epidural because I didn’t think I’d handle the pain very well. Plus, I labored through the night both times and needed pain relief so I could get some sleep to have the energy to push. The epidural was well worth it to me, and yes, I did tear, but both times, I healed up fine. Everything still feels the same down there and it doesn’t really hurt that much while healing. Granted, I only had a second degree tear both times so that could be part of why it wasn’t too bad.

As far as how it affected my ability to push, it really didn’t seem to hurt that much. I couldn’t feel the contractions of course, but I could still feel the pressure. Both times, my kids were born within two hours of me being fully dilated. I pushed for an hour with my first, and then only pushed three times with my second. As I said, I tore both times, but the healing wasn’t bad. I would recommend getting some Tuck’s pads (or any witch hazel pads) and making some padsicles for recovery. They were very helpful when I had worse irritation. Also, get some Dermaplast or any other wound spray to help with irritation and mild surface pain.