so mommies… how many of you got it, and how did you cope with it.. was the pain bearable, did it heal fine.. and what tips would you suggest for someone who may end up getting one.
the hospital im registered at is pro-episiotomy and give it quite quite quite often. i thought they wait and see during a vaginal birth, if its even necessary, but apparently, they dont. i was told its better than tears cuz tears are harder to stitch up..im not totally satisfied and will voice my concern at my next mid wife visit…
its depressing cuz ive heard some horror stories bout stitches in ure rear making pooing, and sitting painful.
yes, it is painful . i had to use inflated tyre-tube like cushion for sitting for a week after my delivery. but they are right..tears are worse ! good luck. :)
I would let be natural, I didnt tear nor had a **episiotomy **and I healed very fast after the birth. :)
I was lucky to be in a hospital that specialises in natural birth for that they let me wait 2 days of labor till they gave me epidural my baby was born so natural they were.
I already posted this in your blog but for others to see
episiotomy is done as a precaution because its better for the wound to heal if its cut properly than if it tears on its own during delivery.
Would you want to tear on its own all zig zaggy and have it healed and look hideous or would you like a clear line that heals on its own and doesnt leave much scarring??
It doesnt take long to heal, the stitches dissolve in a week, its encouraged to sit in luke warm salt water.
Since you’d already be sour down there from the birth you wont even notice the pain of it
In the US, it is generally viewed now as an unnecessary procedure. If your doc or midwife is patient, caring and knowledgeable then there should be no tearing even if the baby is large. Epesiotomy just makes things easier for hurried docs or docs who dont know who to help ease the baby out.
I had a tear with my firstborn because it was an "explosive" birth, I went from 5cm to delivery in about 15 minutes and the doc barely made it into my room for the delivery. my son was under 6 lb but came out so fast that I got a small tear. Just two stitches though, so it was a bit sore but not bad.
Its something that you need to discuss with your doc. If the doc typically does it then you wont have much of a choice since they wont likely know how to help deliver without it and you'd be more likely to tear.
Most others that I know gave birth without epesiotomy and without tearing.
i had one with my first one and ended up with a 4th degree tear. sometimes, it helps but sometimes it just leads you to a tear. unfortunately, there's no way of predicting what's going to happen. i just had my second one recently and an episiotomy was out of the question due to the tear i had gotten with my first one. it was either vaginal delivery or a c-section. luckily, i was able to deliver with the help of a vacuum suction and ended up with a 2nd degree tear. that was something i could live with. it was so much better than my first experience. the second time around is usually much easier.
i don't know how far along you are but i would highly recommend doing prenatal yoga and kegels. good luck!
I am with Mamaof3 on this one. It is not very popular in the US with mothers. I posted this in your blog but for others, its posted again. I realise when there is a need to get it done, it needs to be done but just doing it as a normal procedure does not appeal to me. If i were you, i would talk to the person who wll be delivering the baby and ask them about their routines vs. the hospitals. Also find out how much say you have in the whole labor and delivery. Depending on how much control you want in this, you may or may not need a different midwife or hospital.
I had one tear, and one episiotomy. Both healed fine. Like Adra said, you're already in pain, this doesn't add to it. You're so busy cuddling up with little baby that mommies all heal up in no time.
this is along the lines of what i’ve read elsewhere too-
Midwives now try very hard to avoid doing episiotomies. Research strongly suggests that a policy where most women have an episiotomy results in lots of problems with pain, incontinence and poor healing, with very few benefits for either mothers or babies. It is therefore better to offer an episiotomy only to the few women who will clearly benefit from the procedure.
Spontaneous tears are less painful or at least no more painful for women in the days after the birth than episiotomies. Various studies have concluded that women who have an episiotomy, women who tear, and women who have no damage to the perineum during childbirth have equally strong pelvic floor muscles three months after giving birth.
for what its worth, i think any sort of cutting when its not necessary, is just that, not necessary. but then i’ve never been in that situation, so i dont know if i can comment on it fairly.
thanks all mommmies and soon to be mommies.. and cat woman and groovey ... im very brave when it comes to doctors and usually do very well under pain... i guess only time will tell what happens in that delivery room... but everyone thanks so much for the advice!!
and oh my god.. mehnaz gave birth.. i have been thinking of her ever since october started.. and its not even her due date yet!! must congratulate her!
cb.. if ure reading.. ure gonna have ure baby before nov 5th too :D
